Random Things of Hygiene In The Victorian Era (12 items)

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  (#1) They Bleached Their Clothes With Urine

  Where laundry was concerned, Victorians often used more than soap to "clean" their clothing. Grease and oil stains were regularly combated by rubbing chalk into clothing, while kerosene could remove grass stains and blood stains alike.

  Milk was a go-to cleaner for removing urine stains and odors. In a similar vein, Victorians used their own urine to bleach clothes, since urine contains ammonia.
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  (#9) Long Skirts And Tight Corsets Were Blamed For The Spread Of Tuberculosis

  In the Victorian era, women's clothing was blamed for tuberculosis and its spread. Doctors claimed that long skirts dragging in the street picked up the disease, causing women to unknowingly bring it into the home.

  The tight corsets women were forced to wear were also thought responsible for tuberculosis, as corsets constricted the lungs. Higher skirts and looser corsets were implemented to help stop the spread of the disease.
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  (#10) Escort Work Was Outlawed To Prevent The Spread Of STDs

  STDs were common in the Victorian era. Although considered socially unacceptable, escort work was a fairly common way for women to make a living in London's impoverished areas. Without easy access to contraceptives, these workers often transmitted STDs to their clients, who eventually transmitted them to their wives.

  The spread of STDs eventually became a public health hazard and was addressed by the government. Women of the night could be detained and forcibly treated for STDs, though there were little to no consequences for their male clients.
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  (#6) They Thought Bad Smells Were Responsible For Disease

  Today, bad smells are considered unpleasant at most, but Victorians were convinced that foul odors were dangerous. The miasma theory, also known as "night air," claimed that a variety of conditions, including chlamydia and cholera, could be spread through unclean air.

  Victorians went as far as to blame the poor health in London's impoverished areas on the smells emenating through the streets. Even famous nurse Florence Nightingale believed in miasma and thought clean air meant healthy patients.

  In fact, the poor sanitation in industrial areas caused disease, which led to bad smells. Today, miasma is considered a false science in the medical community thanks to modern sanitation and medicine.
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  (#12) They Used Listerine To Both Clean Their Floors And Cure STDs

  While Listerine wasn't widely marketed until 1914, the mouthwash was invented by Dr. Jordan Lawrence and chemist-turned-entrepreneur Jordan Wheat Lambert in 1879. As Victorians slowly began to accept modern hygiene, Lambert initially experimented on marketing Listerine as a medical antiseptic. When his product failed to turn a profit, he began suggesting new and unusual uses for Listerine.

  Listerine was marketed as a floor cleaner and a cure for both dandruff and gonorrhea before it was finally sold as a mouthwash. Gerald Barnes Lambert, the inventor's son, was responsible for this marketing decision and laying the foundation for the brand's century-long success.
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  (#8) They Lived Through 'The Great Stink' Of 1858

  Even modern cities may have a certain aroma during the heat of summer, but the stench emanating from London in 1858 shut the city down. The now picturesque River Thames was once the hub of the London sewage system, meaning citizens simply disposed of their waste in the river.

  Londoners complained about the river's foul odors, and doctors cited the stench as the cause of rampant disease throughout the city. The summer of 1858 eventually became known as "The Great Stink." 

  Only when the winds from the River Thames blew towards Parliament did lawmakers take action. In a mere 18 days, a bill was passed that allowed for a modern sewage system in London.

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