The Victorian Era: Are People Just Romanticizing It?
The victorian era was a time when things changed. All structures in society underwent a revolution, starting from the industrial revolution, political reform, and social change, the first telephone, and telegraph, Charles Dickens & Charles Darwin. But was everything moving forward? How about the habits of the people? It seems harmless and not that big of a deal, but at a time when society is starting to experience future changes, at the same time, society is also experiencing challenges in health and hygiene which result in high mortality rates. Many people romanticize the Victorian era in all aspects but seem to forget one thing: personal hygiene.
In modern days, washing hands, and bathing once a day is a common thing to do to maintain body hygiene, with the availability of toilets and access to water, either personally in the house or the free ones at some places. With full awareness, people used to do it in their daily life. What if someone hasn’t showered in 5 days? one week? Or even in a month? Of course, it is an odd and abnormal thing to do by people today.
Back in the day, most people in the upper class seldom, if ever, bathed. They occasionally washed their faces and hands and kept themselves “clean” by changing the white linens under their clothing. Other than that, big white collars and cuffs also signify the cleanliness of a person. Moreover, it implied superiority of social class because many people in western societies lacked the wealth to dress like such.
Meet The Victorian Era. When people at that time bathe once a month or seldom took a shower. Let us take you back to the past!
- Victorian Oral Hygiene
Because of the expensive dental care, which science and technology had not yet developed at that time, most people cleaned their teeth at home with water and rough cloths as toothbrushes. Sounds strange enough? Victorians also use chalk, coral, and cuttlefish to clean their teeth. Therefore, many people suffer from toothaches and even rotten teeth at this time. Even if they could afford to go to a “dentist” they will most likely get their teeth out without pain relievers.
- Haircare
Victorian women used vinegar and eggs on their hair. Women often put raw eggs over their heads and washed the eggs out with a pitcher of water. Vinegar mixed with water was also another popular option for keeping their hair “healthy”
- Urine to bleach clothes.
At that time, soaps were already available. However, Victorians used more than soaps to wash their clothes. They used urines for their ammonia to get the stains out of their clothes.
- Showering.
In Victorian times in the 1800s, those who could afford a bathtub bathed a few times a month, but the poor were likely to bathe only once a year. Doctors advised against bathing believing it had a negative effect on health and the appearance of the skin. In addition, the habit of not bathing was also shown by a member of the royal family named Louis XIV. He is said to only bathe two times in his lifetime. He did not like to bathe because once he had a headache, he visited a doctor and was suggested to take a bath. He did, and the headache was not cured. Therefore, he did not like to shower.
The things above are facts about hygiene which were quite sad at the time. While many people romanticize the Victorian era for its revolution, they may not romanticize the habit of Victorians keeping their hygiene. However, things have changed now. Times are advancing and technology is getting more sophisticated, people have changed these habits, and of course, regularly wash themselves.
Editor: Hussaina Yasmine