History buffs love the 18th century, but it also hides a trove of revolting facts that most people never hear about. From stinky streets to missing deodorants, these ten grim details show just how far modern comfort has come.
1 Revolting Facts About Bathing
In the 1700s many folks could live their entire lives without ever dipping a toe in a bath. The prevailing belief was that water, especially hot water, opened the body to disease. Even the rare brave soul who did bathe would stay fully clothed, a habit that lingered well into the late 19th century.
2 Deodorant Was a Future Invention
Until the 1880s the average person was perfectly content smelling like a goat. The wealthy tried to mask the odor with perfume, but that was about as effective as a hole‑punched bucket. The 9th‑century polymath Ziryab introduced under‑arm deodorant to Moorish Iberia, but the idea never stuck. It wasn’t until 1888 that the first commercial deodorant, a brand called “Mum,” hit the western market.
3 Body Hair Was Unshaved
Women in the Western world didn’t start grooming body hair until the 1920s. While some cultures later earned a reputation for letting it grow, the 18th‑century norm was simply to leave it alone.
4 Homes Reeked of Waste
Without indoor plumbing, residents used chamber pots that often sat idle until someone flung the contents out the nearest window. Later, outdoor lavatories reduced the frequency of these emergencies, but even Victorian night‑time trips relied on a chamber pot as a backup.
5 Toilet Paper Was a Luxury
Toilet paper didn’t appear until the late 1800s. The affluent might wipe with strips of linen, but the poor made do with rags, moss, leaves—or their own hands. Ancient Romans fared better, using a cloth on a stick dunked in a water bucket. The picture above shows a portable 18th‑century toilet.
6 Bed Bugs Were Everyday Guests
Bed bug infestations were considered normal and likely spread many illnesses. The problem persisted well into modern times. Victorian women were advised to drench their bedding with kerosene to kill the unwanted guests.
7 Sanitary Pads Were Primitive
When Mother Nature called, women had few choices. Some reused a piece of cloth multiple times, drying it on the line alongside other smalls. Others simply went without, letting gravity do the work.
8 Streets Were Smelly
In larger towns the streets reeked of animal dung, human feces, and rotting plant matter. The gentlemanly custom of walking on the outer side of the carriage lane began, in part, to shield ladies from splashes of this foul mixture. So the next time a hero flings his cape to protect a lady, remember it might have been a puddle of… well, something much less romantic.
9 Dental Hygiene Was Rough
Most people relied on toothpicks and a cloth to clean their gums. Women often suffered worse dental health due to vitamin loss during pregnancy. Although the Italian company Marvis began producing toothpaste in the early 1700s (still sold today), the poor were more concerned with buying meat than fancy mint paste.
10 Lice Treated With Mercury
Head and body lice plagued everyone, and the cure of choice was mercury. Europeans ate it, rubbed it on their skin, and often went mad or died as a result. At least the poison killed the lice first.