A History of Bathing: From Bathhouses to Smart Bathrooms

What surprising changes has bathing gone through over the centuries? How did we move from public Roman bathhouses to private bathrooms?

Bill Bryson tracks the fascinating history of bathing, revealing how humans have swung between extremes—from daily cleanliness rituals to avoiding water completely. The journey from chamber pots in dining rooms to bathrooms with running water shows how our attitudes toward hygiene have evolved.

Keep reading to discover how religious beliefs, medical misconceptions, and technological challenges have shaped our bathing habits throughout history.

A History of Bathing

Bryson writes that beliefs about health have changed dramatically throughout history. For example, while we consider regular baths and showers normal today, people’s views on washing have transformed over time—from bathing regularly to avoiding bathing completely. In his book, he provides a fascinating history of bathing and bathrooms.

According to Bryson, ancient civilizations valued cleanliness and built public bathhouses where people gathered daily to bathe. The Romans even elevated bathing to a social activity, creating bathhouses with libraries, places to exercise, and other amenities that could accommodate thousands of people of all classes at once. These bathhouses were so popular that Romans often asked people where they bathed when they met someone.

(Shortform note: Bathing was a core part of Roman identity. Romans saw daily bathing as a mark of civilization that separated them from non-Roman “barbarians.” As Bryson discusses, the social importance of bathing crossed all class boundaries in Roman society: The Romans built bathhouses everywhere their empire reached, even in remote military outposts so soldiers could bathe, and they kept entry prices low so everyone could afford to use them. Wealthy Romans spent afternoons at the baths discussing philosophy or listening to poetry readings, and even enslaved people were expected to bathe when they could.)

Bryson writes that this all changed during the Middle Ages, when the practice of bathing disappeared. At the time, Christians saw dirtiness as a sign of religious devotion. Additionally, medical authorities mistakenly believed that bathing made people sick by exposing their skin to disease. Public bathhouses closed due to concerns that they would spread disease, particularly syphilis, and people actively avoided washing themselves. As a result, they suffered from constant skin infections, rashes, and itching.

(Shortform note: Some historians argue that the idea that medieval Europeans were dirty and rarely bathed is untrue. They point out that while a select number of Christian clergy embraced poor hygiene as a form of self-denial, most medieval people tried to stay clean. Books recommended that people wash their hands, face, and teeth daily. Many households likely owned wooden bathtubs, and people regularly washed their clothes, undergarments, and linens. While bathhouses did close due to fears of spreading syphilis, most medieval physicians thought parasites came from within the body due to an imbalance in the “humors”—blood, phlegm, and black and yellow bile—so they actually recommended frequent washing and changing of clothes.)

Bryson writes that people didn’t start bathing regularly again until the 1700s, and even then, they saw it mainly as a medical treatment. Doctors told patients to swim in the sea or soak in mineral baths to cure illnesses. During the Victorian era, people began bathing more frequently, often embracing the discomfort of water by bathing with ice or using forceful showers.

(Shortform note: In the 1800s, doctors believed mental illness came from problems in the brain and used water as rather cruel treatments for patients. Psychiatric hospitals invested heavily in hydrotherapy facilities, where they restrained patients and subjected them to ice-cold showers directed at their heads or wrapped them tightly in wet sheets for hours. Doctors claimed these harsh water treatments could cure “hot brains” and eliminate toxins that cause insanity.)

Bryson says that the private bathroom as we know it is a rather recent addition to the home. For much of history, people didn’t have bathrooms and relied instead on chamber pots kept in bedrooms or dining rooms.

(Shortform note: Before the advent of private bathrooms and toilets, people tried to make chamber pots less off-putting by making them more aesthetically pleasing. As a result, chamber pots often featured beautiful designs like blue daisies and gilded edges, and the wealthiest Victorians commissioned chamber pots made of silver and precious stones. Some chamberpots even featured the faces of politicians. For example, an American chamber pot had the portrait of a British naval officer painted inside. Supposedly, the officer had written unflattering accounts of American society in his travel books, and angry Americans responded by putting his face where they thought it belonged.)

It wasn’t until around the mid-1900s that homes had bathrooms. Getting bathrooms into homes was challenging because of:

• Weak water pressure that couldn’t reach the upper floors
• Expensive materials and fixtures
• Limited space
• Bathtubs chipping or cracking from hot water

Bryson explains that, by 1940, manufacturers could finally mass-produce affordable bathroom fixtures. This, combined with improved plumbing and water systems, allowed most American homes to install private bathrooms. However, European homes took longer to adopt private bathrooms due to space constraints.