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The most hardcore morning 
routines in medieval France and 

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more. 
Hey guys, tonight we're going to

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talk about how people stayed 
clean in 13th century France. 

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And I say stayed clean because 
despite what you might think, 

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medieval people actually cared 
quite a bit about being clean. 

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They just had to deal with the 
small problem of not having 

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running water, affordable soap, 
or really any of the things we 

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take for granted when we stumble
to the bathroom at 6:00 in the 

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morning. 
So get comfortable, because 

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we're about to spend the next 
two hours learning exactly how a

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medieval French peasant managed 
to wash their face without dying

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of exposure, and why a 
nobleman's morning routine 

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involved more servants than a 
modern spa. 

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It's the kind of detailed 
historical knowledge that 

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absolutely no one needs to know 
at this level of detail, which 

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makes it perfect for drifting 
off to sleep while learning 

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something completely useless 
about the past. 

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Part 1 The morning routine. 
Zero to 20 minutes. 

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Let's start with how people 
began their day. 

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Because even in the 1200s, 
people had to wash their faces 

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and comb their hair before 
facing the world. 

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The difference was that some 
people did this with cold water 

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and a chunk of soap that could 
probably strip paint, while 

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others had servants heating 
rosewater in silver bowls. 

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Every single person in medieval 
France, from the lowliest surf 

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to the king himself, washed 
their hands and face each 

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morning. 
They combed their hair twice a 

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day. 
They cleaned their teeth after 

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meals. 
These weren't optional 

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activities. 
They were just basic human 

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maintenance, the same way we 
brush our teeth without thinking

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about it. 
But here's where it gets 

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interesting in that deeply 
boring way that medieval life 

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always does. 
A peasant's morning routine went

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something like this. 
You wake up, probably because a 

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rooster is making noise outside 
your one room house. 

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You stumble over to a wooden 
basin, assuming you own one, 

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which most people did because 
even poor people need bowls for 

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things. 
You pour in some cold water from

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whatever container you use to 
collect water the day before, 

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and then you splash this water 
on your face and hands using a 

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piece of soap that you probably 
made yourself from wood ash and 

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animal fat. 
The soap, by the way, was not 

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gentle. 
Medieval soap made from Lye and 

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tallow was essentially the 
cleaning equivalent of 

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sandpaper. 
It got things clean, sure, but 

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it also removed approximately 3 
layers of skin in the process. 

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You'd rub this harsh soap 
between your hands, work up what

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passed for a lather, and scrub 
your face and hands until they 

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were red and raw, but 
technically clean. 

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After washing, you'd dry 
yourself with whatever piece of 

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linen you had available. 
If you were lucky, it was a 

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dedicated drying cloth. 
If you weren't, well, you used 

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part of your shirt or just air 
dried, depending on the season 

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and how much you enjoyed the 
feeling of water freezing on 

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your skin. 
Now let's compare this to how a 

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nobleman started his day, 
because the difference is almost

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comical. 
A wealthy noble didn't wash 

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himself. 
That would be undignified. 

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Instead, servants would prepare 
a silver or copper basin filled 

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with warm water. 
Not just warm, but heated to the

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perfect temperature and often 
scented with rose water or other

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expensive additions. 
The water itself was a 

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production. 
Servants had to heat it over 

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fires, carry it upstairs if the 
noble lived in a castle, and 

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have it ready at precisely the 
right moment. 

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The basin was polished and 
clean. 

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There were multiple clean linen 
towels available, not the rough 

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hemp cloth that peasants used, 
but fine, soft linen that felt 

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pleasant against the skin. 
The soap was imported. 

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While peasants used whatever 
they could make locally, nobles 

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could afford Castile soap made 
with olive oil from Spain or 

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even more exotic varieties from 
the Middle East. 

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These soaps were gentle, they 
smelled good, and they cost 

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about 10 times what a peasant 
would pay for basic soap. 

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Some nobles use soap that cost 
more than a peasant family's 

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entire monthly income. 
The entire process was overseen 

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by professional servants whose 
job it was to assist with 

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washing and grooming. 
There were people whose entire 

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career consisted of making sure 
noblemen washed their faces 

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properly. 
Think about that for a moment. 

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Someone's life's work was 
heating water and holding towels

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for someone else's morning 
routine. 

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But here's what's really 
fascinating about all this. 

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Both the peasant and the noble 
understood that washing your 

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face was important. 
They both did it every single 

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day. 
The peasant didn't skip washing 

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because it was unpleasant or 
because soap was harsh. 

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The noble didn't do it more 
often because he had better 

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facilities. 
They both just accepted that 

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this was part of being a 
functional human being, and they

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worked within whatever 
constraints they had. 

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The difference was purely 
economic. 

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The peasant's entire morning 
washing routine cost essentially

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nothing. 
Water was free, homemade soap 

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cost a few pennies worth of 
materials, and the time 

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investment was maybe 5 minutes. 
The nobles routine cost 

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significantly more and involved 
multiple people, but it was 

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still the same basic activity, 
applying water and soap to the 

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face to remove dirt and grease. 
Medieval people also understood 

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that this needed to be done 
every day. 

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This wasn't a weekly thing or 
something you did when you felt 

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particularly dirty. 
Daily face washing was standard 

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across all social classes. 
They had figured out through 

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centuries of trial and error 
that daily maintenance was 

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easier than trying to clean off 
several days worth of 

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accumulated grime. 
Part 2 The great Bathing Divide 

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20 to 40 minutes. 
Now we come to bathing, which is

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where the differences between 
rich and poor really become 

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obvious. 
Because while everyone washed 

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their face daily, full body 
bathing was a much more 

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complicated undertaking that 
required serious planning, 

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significant resources, and a 
tolerance for either extreme 

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discomfort or extreme luxury, 
depending on your social 

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position. 
Let's start with peasants. 

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Because their bathing experience
was basically an exercise in 

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making the best of a difficult 
situation. 

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Most peasants bathed about twice
a month when they could afford 

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it, although this varied 
significantly based on the 

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season, their work schedule, and
whether they could gather the 

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necessary resources. 
The typical peasant bath was 

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conducted in the following 
manner. 

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You would take a wooden half 
barrel, or if you were lucky, a 

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proper wooden tub that your 
family had owned for 

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generations. 
You place this near your fire 

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because the only way you'll have
warm water is if you heat it 

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yourself. 
Then begins the process of 

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heating enough water to fill the
tub, which requires a 

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significant amount of fuel and 
time. 

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You start heating water in 
whatever pots you own, which 

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probably aren't very large, so 
you're looking at heating water 

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in small batches and 
transferring it to the tub bit 

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by bit. 
Each pot takes time to heat, and

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you need enough water to 
actually submerge your body, so 

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this is easily a two or three 
hour process just to prepare for

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bathing. 
Once you have a tub of warm 

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water, you need to bathe quickly
because the water will cool down

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quickly. 
There's no insulation, no way to

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reheat the water once you're in 
it, so you're racing against 

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physics to get clean before the 
water becomes unpleasantly cold.

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The soap situation is the same 
harsh lie soap we talked about 

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earlier, except now you're 
applying it to your entire body,

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which is about as comfortable as
it sounds. 

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You scrub quickly and 
efficiently, rinse off as best 

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you can, and then you're done 
until the next time you can 

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afford to go through this entire
process again. 

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However, here's the thing that 
modern people often fail to 

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understand. 
Peasants didn't avoid bathing 

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because they didn't value 
cleanliness. 

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They avoided frequent bathing 
because it was genuinely 

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expensive and time consuming. 
The fuel alone to heat bath 

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water could cost a significant 
portion of a day's wages. 

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The time investment meant taking
several hours away from other 

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necessary work, and the physical
discomfort was real. 

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Bathing in winter was 
particularly unpleasant when 

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your only heat source was a 
small fire and your house had no

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insulation. 
Now let's talk about how nobles 

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bathed, because this was an 
entirely different experience 

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that bordered on the theatrical.
Noble bathing wasn't just about 

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getting clean. 
It was a social event, a display

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of wealth and a form of 
entertainment all rolled into 

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one. 
First, the preparation. 

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Servants would set up a wooden 
tub, but not just any wooden 

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tub. 
These were custom made pieces of

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furniture, often lined with 
linen for added comfort and 

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sometimes featuring tent like 
coverings to retain heat and 

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provide privacy. 
The tub itself might be 

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decorated, and it was definitely
large enough for an adult to sit

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comfortably. 
The water was heated in 

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significant quantities by 
servants whose job it was to 

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manage the complex logistics of 
noble bathing. 

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We're talking about enough hot 
water to fill a large tub, all 

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heated to the right temperature 
and transported to wherever the 

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noble wanted to bathe. 
Some castles had dedicated 

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bathing rooms, while others set 
up portable bathing arrangements

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wherever was convenient. 
But here's where it gets really 

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elaborate. 
The water wasn't just hot, it 

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was enhanced. 
Nobles would add rose petals, 

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herbs, scented oils and other 
expensive substances to their 

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bathwater. 
Some recipes survive from 

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medieval sources that describe 
incredibly complex bath 

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preparations involving multiple 
types of flowers, exotic spices,

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and imported oils that cost more
than most people's annual 

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income. 
The bathing process itself was 

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attended by servants. 
There were people whose job it 

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was to help wash the nobles 
back, to pour water for rinsing,

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to provide clean towels, and to 
make sure the temperature was 

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comfortable throughout the 
bathing process. 

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Some nobles even had 
entertainment during bathing, 

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musicians, storytellers or 
companions who would sit nearby 

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and provide conversation. 
After bathing, there were more 

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servants to help with drying, 
applying oils or perfumes, and 

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getting dressed in clean 
clothes. 

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The whole experience could take 
several hours and involve a 

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dozen different people, all to 
accomplish the same basic goal 

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that a peasant achieved in 20 
minutes with a wooden tub and 

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harsh soap. 
The frequency was different too.

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While peasants bathed twice a 
month when possible, nobles 

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bathed weekly or even more 
often. 

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Some sources described nobles 
who bathed multiple times per 

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week, though this was considered
somewhat excessive even by 

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medieval standards, the economic
difference was staggering. 

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A nobles weekly bath cost more 
than most peasants earned in a 

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month. 
The servants, the fuel, the 

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special soaps and additives, the
dedicated facilities, all of 

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this added up to an expense that
was completely out of reach for 

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ordinary people. 
But again, both groups 

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understood that bathing was 
important for health and 

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cleanliness. 
The difference wasn't in 

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knowledge or desire, but in the 
resources available to make 

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bathing comfortable, rather than
a grim ordeal to be endured as 

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infrequently as possible. 
Part 3 Teeth, hair and daily 

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maintenance, 40 to 60 minutes. 
Medieval people cared about 

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their teeth, which might 
surprise you given that 

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dentistry consisted mostly of 
pull it out with pliers and hope

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you don't die of infection. 
But they had developed 

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reasonably effective methods for
keeping their teeth clean, 

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though once again, the quality 
of these methods depended 

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entirely on how much money you 
had. 

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Let's start with peasant dental 
care, which was surprisingly 

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systematic given the available 
resources. 

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Every peasant cleaned their 
teeth after meals. 

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Not with toothbrushes, those 
didn't exist yet, but with 

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pieces of rough linen cloth. 
You'd wrap the cloth around your

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finger and rub your teeth to 
remove food particles in plaque 

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for more thorough cleaning. 
Peasants used coarse salt as an 

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abrasive. 
You'd put a pinch of salt on 

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your cloth and scrub your teeth 
with it, which was effective at 

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removing stains and build up, 
though probably not great for 

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your tooth enamel. 
Salt was relatively expensive 

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for peasants, but not so 
expensive that they couldn't use

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small amounts for dental care. 
They also chewed on Hazel twigs 

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to clean their teeth. 
You'd take a fresh Hazel twig, 

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chew on one end until it frayed 
into something resembling a 

235
00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,080
brush, and then use this to 
scrub your teeth. 

236
00:15:23,520 --> 00:15:27,400
This method was completely free 
if you live near Hazel trees, 

237
00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:29,640
and it was actually quite 
effective. 

238
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:35,040
The frayed wood fibers worked 
like a primitive toothbrush, and

239
00:15:35,040 --> 00:15:38,400
Hazel has natural antibacterial 
properties. 

240
00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:41,840
For breath freshening and 
additional cleaning. 

241
00:15:42,280 --> 00:15:44,640
Peasants made rinses from local 
herbs. 

242
00:15:45,600 --> 00:15:50,000
Sage was particularly popular. 
They'd steep sage leaves in hot 

243
00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,960
water, let it cool, and use it 
as a mouth rinse. 

244
00:15:54,720 --> 00:15:58,880
Mint was also common. 
When available, these herbal 

245
00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:03,280
rinses cost essentially nothing 
if you could grow or forage the 

246
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:06,960
herbs yourself. 
Some peasants made crude tooth 

247
00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:09,760
powders by combining salt with 
burned herbs. 

248
00:16:10,840 --> 00:16:14,160
They'd take sage leaves, burn 
them until they were completely 

249
00:16:14,160 --> 00:16:19,280
charred, grind the charcoal into
powder, mix it with salt, and 

250
00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:24,240
use this as a tooth powder. 
Medieval recipes survive that 

251
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:28,240
describe exactly this process, 
suggesting it was a common 

252
00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:31,320
practice. 
Now let's talk about noble 

253
00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:34,480
dental care, which was elaborate
to the point of being 

254
00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:37,960
ridiculous. 
Nobles had access to 

255
00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:42,040
professional dental services 
from Barber surgeons, imported 

256
00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:46,080
tooth powders made with exotic 
spices, and specialized tools 

257
00:16:46,080 --> 00:16:50,480
made from expensive materials. 
Noble tooth powders were works 

258
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:53,280
of art. 
Instead of burned herbs and 

259
00:16:53,280 --> 00:16:57,560
salt, they use combinations of 
imported cinnamon, ground 

260
00:16:57,560 --> 00:17:01,800
cloves, exotic salts from 
distant regions, and other 

261
00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,839
spices that cost more than a 
peasant's monthly income. 

262
00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:09,560
These powders were not only 
effective at cleaning teeth, but

263
00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:12,000
also left a pleasant taste and 
freshen breath. 

264
00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:17,319
They used fine linen clothes 
instead of rough hemp, which was

265
00:17:17,319 --> 00:17:20,319
gentler on the gums and more 
effective at cleaning. 

266
00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,920
Some nobles had silver 
toothpicks custom made for 

267
00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:28,720
removing food particles, and 
these became decorative items as

268
00:17:28,720 --> 00:17:33,240
well as functional tools. 
When problems arose, nobles 

269
00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,920
could afford professional 
treatment from Barber surgeons 

270
00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:41,200
who specialized in dental care. 
These practitioners could 

271
00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:45,320
extract teeth using proper tools
rather than improvised 

272
00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:49,640
implements, and they had access 
to pain numbing substances and 

273
00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:51,960
techniques for preventing 
infection. 

274
00:17:53,040 --> 00:17:56,240
But here's what's really 
interesting Archaeological 

275
00:17:56,240 --> 00:18:01,600
analysis of medieval teeth shows
that tooth decay was actually 

276
00:18:01,600 --> 00:18:05,560
less common in the medieval 
period than in later centuries. 

277
00:18:06,520 --> 00:18:09,320
This was largely because sugar 
was extremely rare and 

278
00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:13,080
expensive, so most people's 
diets didn't include the kinds 

279
00:18:13,080 --> 00:18:15,360
of foods that cause rapid tooth 
decay. 

280
00:18:16,480 --> 00:18:20,480
Even peasants, with their crude 
dental care methods, often had 

281
00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:23,680
healthier teeth than wealthy 
people in the 18th or 19th 

282
00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:28,200
centuries who had access to 
sugar but not effective dental 

283
00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,240
care. 
Hair care followed the same 

284
00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:34,160
pattern of universal practice 
with class based quality 

285
00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,480
differences. 
Everyone combed their hair twice

286
00:18:37,480 --> 00:18:41,080
daily, once in the morning and 
once in the evening. 

287
00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:45,600
This wasn't optional, it was 
considered basic hygiene and 

288
00:18:45,600 --> 00:18:48,680
social necessity. 
Peasant hair care was 

289
00:18:48,680 --> 00:18:51,680
straightforward. 
You owned a wooden comb, 

290
00:18:52,280 --> 00:18:55,160
probably hand carved and passed 
down through your family. 

291
00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,240
These Combs had wide teeth for 
detangling and were purely 

292
00:18:59,240 --> 00:19:03,080
functional. 
No decoration, no fancy 

293
00:19:03,080 --> 00:19:08,240
materials, just a piece of 
carved wood that did the job. 

294
00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,760
Hair washing for peasants 
happened about once a month, 

295
00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:17,560
using the same harsh Lye soap 
they used for everything else. 

296
00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:22,480
This soap was effective at 
removing dirt and grease, but it

297
00:19:22,480 --> 00:19:26,560
was also extremely drying, so 
frequent use would damage hair. 

298
00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,560
Once a month was about as often 
as you could wash your hair with

299
00:19:30,560 --> 00:19:33,720
Lye soap without causing serious
damage. 

300
00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:39,040
Between washings, peasants 
managed their hair by braiding 

301
00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,560
it and covering it with cloth 
caps or veils. 

302
00:19:42,480 --> 00:19:46,800
This served multiple purposes. 
It kept hair clean longer, it 

303
00:19:46,800 --> 00:19:50,760
prevented tangles, and it met 
social expectations about hair 

304
00:19:50,760 --> 00:19:53,520
covering, especially for married
women. 

305
00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:58,560
Noble hair care, on the other 
hand, was an elaborate ritual 

306
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:03,000
involving specialized tools, 
professional services, and 

307
00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,160
expensive products. 
Nobles owned multiple Combs made

308
00:20:07,160 --> 00:20:12,120
from ivory bone or expensive 
wood, often decorated with 

309
00:20:12,120 --> 00:20:14,680
religious scenes or family coats
of arms. 

310
00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:19,600
These weren't just functional 
items, they were status symbols 

311
00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:23,840
and works of art. 
Hair washing for nobles happened

312
00:20:23,840 --> 00:20:27,880
weekly using scented Lye soap or
imported soap products. 

313
00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:32,640
The water was heated and often 
scented with herbs or oils. 

314
00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:36,840
Professional hair servants 
handled the washing process, 

315
00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:40,240
ensuring that the hair was 
thoroughly cleaned without 

316
00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,440
damage. 
Hair coloring was popular among 

317
00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,440
nobles and involved dangerous, 
expensive processes. 

318
00:20:48,520 --> 00:20:52,160
To achieve blonde hair, they 
used saffron, which was 

319
00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:56,120
incredibly expensive, literally 
worth more than its weight in 

320
00:20:56,120 --> 00:20:59,800
gold. 
For red hair, they used a 

321
00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:03,760
substance called Dragon's blood,
which was actually tree resin, 

322
00:21:04,200 --> 00:21:07,800
but still costly. 
Brown hair was achieved using 

323
00:21:07,800 --> 00:21:12,080
walnut shells, which were more 
affordable but still required 

324
00:21:12,080 --> 00:21:16,880
processing and preparation. 
These coloring processes took 

325
00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:21,760
days to complete and involved 
applying acidic solutions that 

326
00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,360
could cause serious skin damage 
if not handled carefully. 

327
00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:30,600
Only wealthy people could afford
both the materials and the 

328
00:21:30,600 --> 00:21:34,440
professional services necessary 
to color hair safely. 

329
00:21:35,520 --> 00:21:39,720
The social rules around hair 
were complex and enforced 

330
00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:44,560
through both custom and law. 
Unmarried women could wear their

331
00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:49,280
hair uncovered in single braids,
while married women were 

332
00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:54,040
required to cover their hair 
with veils, coifs, or elaborate 

333
00:21:54,040 --> 00:21:57,160
headdresses. 
The quality and style of these 

334
00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:01,080
head coverings immediately 
communicated a woman's social 

335
00:22:01,080 --> 00:22:07,720
status to anyone who saw her. 
Part 4 Laundry and clothing care

336
00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:13,200
60 to 80 minutes. 
Now we come to one of the most 

337
00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,280
time consuming and physically 
demanding aspects of medieval 

338
00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:21,080
hygiene, keeping clothes clean. 
This was a process that could 

339
00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:26,040
take an entire day and required 
strength, skill, and significant

340
00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:30,800
resources, though as always the 
experience varied dramatically 

341
00:22:31,480 --> 00:22:33,200
depending on your social 
position. 

342
00:22:34,000 --> 00:22:37,440
Let's start with how peasants 
handled their laundry, because 

343
00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,520
this was truly back breaking 
work that most modern people 

344
00:22:41,520 --> 00:22:43,840
would find almost impossible to 
endure. 

345
00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,800
Peasant families owned very few 
clothes, maybe two or three 

346
00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:54,040
outfits per person, so keeping 
these clean was essential since 

347
00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,320
there weren't alternatives to 
wear while things were being 

348
00:22:57,320 --> 00:23:00,400
washed. 
The basic process began with 

349
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,200
collecting water, which for 
laundry meant a lot of water. 

350
00:23:04,920 --> 00:23:08,000
You needed enough to fill a 
large wooden tub for washing, 

351
00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,760
plus additional water for 
rinsing. 

352
00:23:11,800 --> 00:23:15,240
If you lived near a river or 
stream, you might do your 

353
00:23:15,240 --> 00:23:18,480
laundry there to avoid having to
transport all that water. 

354
00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:23,400
If not, you face the challenge 
of carrying dozens of gallons of

355
00:23:23,400 --> 00:23:25,960
water from the nearest source to
your home. 

356
00:23:27,480 --> 00:23:32,040
Next came the soap preparation. 
Peasants made their own Lye soap

357
00:23:32,040 --> 00:23:36,200
from wood ash and animal fat, 
and laundry required more soap 

358
00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,640
than daily washing. 
You'd need to have prepared 

359
00:23:39,640 --> 00:23:43,440
enough soap in advance, or you'd
spend part of your laundry day 

360
00:23:43,440 --> 00:23:49,000
making soap, which was itself a 
time consuming process involving

361
00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:54,360
boiling fat and ash together 
until they formed a crude soap. 

362
00:23:55,240 --> 00:23:58,880
The actual washing process was 
called bucking, and it was 

363
00:23:58,880 --> 00:24:00,960
exactly as unpleasant as it 
sounds. 

364
00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:06,080
You'd soak the clothes in a Lye 
solution for several hours, then

365
00:24:06,080 --> 00:24:09,280
take them to a flat stone or 
wooden board and beat them with 

366
00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:13,040
wooden paddles. 
The beading served to force dirt

367
00:24:13,040 --> 00:24:17,880
out of the fabric, but it also 
wore out clothes quickly and 

368
00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,080
required considerable physical 
strength. 

369
00:24:21,200 --> 00:24:25,240
After beading, you'd scrub the 
clothes by hand, working the 

370
00:24:25,240 --> 00:24:29,360
soap into the fabric and rubbing
particularly dirty areas against

371
00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:33,000
rough surfaces. 
This process removed ground in 

372
00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:37,560
dirt and stains, but it was hard
on both the clothes and the 

373
00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:41,160
person doing the scrubbing. 
Your hands would be raw from the

374
00:24:41,160 --> 00:24:43,640
Lye soap and constant immersion 
in water. 

375
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:48,840
Rinsing required multiple 
changes of clean water to remove

376
00:24:48,840 --> 00:24:52,360
all the soap residue. 
Since soap was made with Lye, 

377
00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,320
leaving soap and clothes would 
cause skin irritation when worn.

378
00:24:57,240 --> 00:25:04,040
You'd rinse, ring out by hand, 
rinse again, ring out again, and

379
00:25:04,040 --> 00:25:05,840
repeat until the water ran 
clear. 

380
00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,960
Drying was weather dependent and
could take days. 

381
00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,960
Clothes were hung on bushes, 
spread on grass, or draped over 

382
00:25:14,960 --> 00:25:16,760
whatever surfaces were 
available. 

383
00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:22,240
In wet weather, clothes might be
hung inside near the fire, but 

384
00:25:22,240 --> 00:25:26,400
this increased the fire risk and
made the house smoky and humid. 

385
00:25:27,360 --> 00:25:32,880
The entire process from start to
finish took 6 to 8 hours of hard

386
00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:35,960
physical labor. 
Most peasant families did major 

387
00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:41,240
laundry only once a month or 
even less frequently, depending 

388
00:25:41,240 --> 00:25:43,560
on the season and their work 
schedule. 

389
00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:48,520
In winter, when clothes took 
longer to dry and water was 

390
00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:52,880
harder to heat, laundry might be
done only a few times per year. 

391
00:25:53,680 --> 00:25:55,960
The economic cost was 
significant, too. 

392
00:25:56,880 --> 00:26:00,520
The fuel needed to heat water 
and the time spent on laundry 

393
00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:04,880
represented A substantial 
investment for people who lived 

394
00:26:04,880 --> 00:26:09,320
on the edge of poverty. 
Peasants often spent 15 to 20% 

395
00:26:09,320 --> 00:26:12,600
of their annual income on 
materials and fuel for hygiene, 

396
00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:17,040
including laundry. 
Noble laundry was an entirely 

397
00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:20,680
different operation that 
resembled a small industrial 

398
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,680
process more than household 
chores. 

399
00:26:24,680 --> 00:26:29,040
Large noble households employed 
professional laundresses who 

400
00:26:29,040 --> 00:26:34,600
earned 15 to 20 pence daily, 
about 10 times what a general 

401
00:26:34,600 --> 00:26:39,080
laborer made. 
These were skilled workers who 

402
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:43,880
knew how to handle expensive 
fabrics without damaging them. 

403
00:26:45,400 --> 00:26:48,640
Noble Estates had dedicated 
laundry areas with stone washing

404
00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,920
basins, proper drainage systems,
and multiple work surfaces 

405
00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:54,920
designed specifically for 
laundry. 

406
00:26:55,920 --> 00:27:00,600
These facilities included areas 
for soaking, washing, rinsing 

407
00:27:01,040 --> 00:27:04,920
and drying, with everything laid
out for maximum efficiency. 

408
00:27:05,760 --> 00:27:10,040
The soap used for Noble laundry 
was high quality Castile soap 

409
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,760
made from olive oil rather than 
animal fat. 

410
00:27:15,040 --> 00:27:19,080
This soap was gentler on 
expensive fabrics like silk and 

411
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:23,320
fine wool, and it cost 6 to 8 
times more than basic soap. 

412
00:27:24,280 --> 00:27:28,040
For particularly delicate items,
even more expensive specialty 

413
00:27:28,040 --> 00:27:32,000
soaps might be used. 
The washing process for noble 

414
00:27:32,000 --> 00:27:37,760
clothes involved multiple stages
and careful attention to 

415
00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:41,760
different fabric types. 
Silk required different 

416
00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:45,360
treatment than wool, which 
required different treatment 

417
00:27:45,360 --> 00:27:49,080
than linen. 
Professional laundresses knew 

418
00:27:49,080 --> 00:27:53,560
how to adjust water temperature,
soap concentration and handling 

419
00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:55,520
techniques for each type of 
fabric. 

420
00:27:56,560 --> 00:28:00,560
Delicate items were pre soaked 
in lukewarm water with mild 

421
00:28:00,560 --> 00:28:05,280
soap, then gently agitated by 
hand rather than beaten. 

422
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,080
Fine fabrics were never twisted 
or wrung out forcefully. 

423
00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:14,680
Instead, they were pressed 
between clean clothes to remove 

424
00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:19,720
excess water, then laid flat to 
dry on specially prepared 

425
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:23,040
surfaces. 
The drying process for noble 

426
00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,760
clothes involved dedicated 
drying rooms or protected 

427
00:28:26,760 --> 00:28:30,920
outdoor areas where expensive 
fabrics wouldn't be damaged by 

428
00:28:30,920 --> 00:28:34,320
weather or contaminated by dust 
and dirt. 

429
00:28:35,680 --> 00:28:38,760
Some items were dried on 
specially constructed frames 

430
00:28:39,080 --> 00:28:42,560
that maintained the fabric's 
shape during the drying process.

431
00:28:43,560 --> 00:28:46,560
The total cost of laundry 
operations for a major noble 

432
00:28:46,560 --> 00:28:51,200
household could consume 3 to 5% 
of the annual budget. 

433
00:28:52,440 --> 00:28:56,360
This included not just soap and 
fuel, but also the wages of 

434
00:28:56,360 --> 00:28:59,640
professional laundresses, the 
maintenance of laundry 

435
00:28:59,640 --> 00:29:03,200
facilities, and the replacement 
of items damaged during 

436
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:06,200
cleaning. 
But here's what's really 

437
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:10,520
striking about medieval laundry.
Both peasants and nobles 

438
00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:15,120
understood that clean clothes 
were essential for health and 

439
00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:18,520
social acceptance. 
Peasants weren't washing their 

440
00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:24,080
clothes less frequently because 
they didn't value cleanliness. 

441
00:29:24,720 --> 00:29:27,680
They were limited by the 
enormous physical and economic 

442
00:29:27,680 --> 00:29:31,800
costs of the process. 
The difference was that nobles 

443
00:29:31,800 --> 00:29:36,520
could afford to make laundry 
someone else's problem, while 

444
00:29:36,520 --> 00:29:40,800
peasants had to choose between 
spending a full day on laundry 

445
00:29:41,720 --> 00:29:45,720
and using that day for other 
essential activities like food 

446
00:29:45,720 --> 00:29:48,440
production or income earning 
work. 

447
00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:56,120
Part 5 Waste Management and 
Sanitation 80 to 100 minutes 

448
00:29:58,600 --> 00:30:01,800
Medieval waste management is one
of those topics that reveals 

449
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:05,200
just how much thought and 
engineering went into problems 

450
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:07,400
that modern people never have to
think about. 

451
00:30:08,240 --> 00:30:11,080
Because when you don't have 
flush toilets connected to city 

452
00:30:11,080 --> 00:30:14,840
sewer systems, dealing with 
human waste becomes a major 

453
00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:18,560
logistical challenge that 
requires planning, construction,

454
00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:22,400
and ongoing maintenance. 
Let's start with how peasants 

455
00:30:22,400 --> 00:30:25,640
handled this problem because 
they had to come up with 

456
00:30:25,640 --> 00:30:29,560
practical solutions using 
minimal resources and basic 

457
00:30:29,560 --> 00:30:34,240
construction techniques. 
The standard peasant toilet was 

458
00:30:34,240 --> 00:30:39,280
a simple pit latrine, basically 
a hole in the ground covered by 

459
00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:43,000
a wooden structure for privacy 
and weather protection. 

460
00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,720
These pits were typically one to
two meters deep, though this 

461
00:30:47,720 --> 00:30:50,920
varied based on soil conditions 
and the amount of effort the 

462
00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:54,640
family could invest in digging. 
The pit was covered with a 

463
00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:58,720
wooden seat, and the whole 
structure was enclosed by walls 

464
00:30:59,280 --> 00:31:01,720
made from whatever materials 
were available. 

465
00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:06,920
Wood planks, woven branches or 
even cloth hangings. 

466
00:31:06,920 --> 00:31:11,600
For privacy, location was 
crucial and followed strict 

467
00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:15,000
rules based on centuries of 
experience with disease 

468
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,960
prevention. 
The latrine had to be at least a

469
00:31:18,960 --> 00:31:23,480
bow shots distance from the 
house, which meant 100 to 200 

470
00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:28,000
meters away. 
This was an arbitrary people had

471
00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,120
figured out through trial and 
error that waste related 

472
00:31:31,120 --> 00:31:35,760
diseases were less likely if you
kept human waste well away from 

473
00:31:35,760 --> 00:31:38,320
where you lived and prepared 
food. 

474
00:31:39,800 --> 00:31:43,360
The pits also had to be located 
away from water sources like 

475
00:31:43,360 --> 00:31:47,840
wells or streams. 
Medieval people understood, even

476
00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:52,240
without modern germ theory, that
human waste could contaminate 

477
00:31:52,240 --> 00:31:54,680
drinking water and cause 
illness. 

478
00:31:55,480 --> 00:31:58,640
They might not have understood 
the mechanism, but they 

479
00:31:58,640 --> 00:32:02,040
definitely understood the 
connection between waste 

480
00:32:02,040 --> 00:32:06,440
location and disease. 
Maintenance was a community 

481
00:32:06,440 --> 00:32:10,800
responsibility since individual 
families couldn't manage pit 

482
00:32:10,800 --> 00:32:14,560
cleaning alone. 
Once a year, usually in late 

483
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:18,400
summer when the contents had had
time to decompose, the pits 

484
00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:21,640
would be cleaned out. 
This was unpleasant work that 

485
00:32:21,640 --> 00:32:25,560
required multiple people and was
often organized as a community 

486
00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,560
effort where everyone 
contributed labor. 

487
00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,880
The waste wasn't simply 
discarded, it was valuable as 

488
00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,320
fertilizer. 
Human waste was systematically 

489
00:32:36,320 --> 00:32:39,840
collected and composted for use 
in agriculture. 

490
00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:46,040
This created a closed loop where
waste became a resource which 

491
00:32:46,040 --> 00:32:50,000
was essential in an economy 
where nothing could be wasted. 

492
00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,600
Some peasant communities built 
shared latrines serving multiple

493
00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:57,600
families. 
These were larger structures 

494
00:32:57,600 --> 00:33:01,040
with multiple seats, and they 
required more complex 

495
00:33:01,040 --> 00:33:04,160
organization for maintenance and
cleaning. 

496
00:33:05,240 --> 00:33:08,640
Shared facilities allowed 
communities to pool resources 

497
00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:12,440
for construction and upkeep 
while still maintaining the 

498
00:33:12,440 --> 00:33:14,760
necessary distance from living 
areas. 

499
00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,760
Noble waste management was an 
entirely different level of 

500
00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:23,440
engineering sophistication that 
resembled modern plumbing more 

501
00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:28,800
than peasant pit latrines. 
Large castles and noble estates 

502
00:33:29,520 --> 00:33:34,200
featured Garda robe systems, 
essentially medieval flush 

503
00:33:34,200 --> 00:33:38,960
toilets that used water flow and
gravity to carry waste away from

504
00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,600
living areas. 
These Garda robes were built 

505
00:33:42,600 --> 00:33:47,440
into castle walls with stone 
lined shoots that carried waste 

506
00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,840
down multiple stories to 
collection points below. 

507
00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:55,600
The shoots were angled and 
smooth walled to ensure 

508
00:33:55,600 --> 00:34:00,760
efficient waste transport and 
they often emptied into moats or

509
00:34:00,760 --> 00:34:04,400
specially constructed cesspits 
well away from the main 

510
00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,520
buildings. 
Some Garda Robe systems were 

511
00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:11,920
remarkably sophisticated. 
They included water flow systems

512
00:34:11,920 --> 00:34:15,080
that use diverted streams or 
specially constructed water 

513
00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:18,600
supplies to flush waste through 
the chutes. 

514
00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:23,320
The water flow helped prevent 
accumulation and odors while 

515
00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:27,159
carrying waste to disposal areas
where it could decompose safely.

516
00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:32,080
Privacy and comfort were built 
into noble waste management 

517
00:34:32,080 --> 00:34:35,560
systems. 
Garda robes often featured stone

518
00:34:35,560 --> 00:34:39,760
seating that was shaped for 
comfort, and some even had dual 

519
00:34:39,760 --> 00:34:45,159
seats for social interaction. 
Apparently, medieval nobles 

520
00:34:45,159 --> 00:34:48,520
sometimes conducted business 
while using the toilet together,

521
00:34:49,400 --> 00:34:52,520
which gives you some insight 
into medieval attitudes toward 

522
00:34:52,520 --> 00:34:55,719
privacy. 
Professional maintenance was 

523
00:34:55,719 --> 00:35:00,080
provided by specialized workers 
called gong farmers, who were 

524
00:35:00,080 --> 00:35:04,720
paid three times the wages of 
ordinary laborers to clean and 

525
00:35:04,720 --> 00:35:09,760
maintain waste systems. 
This was dangerous, unpleasant 

526
00:35:09,760 --> 00:35:13,680
work that required specialized 
knowledge and equipment, but it 

527
00:35:13,680 --> 00:35:16,200
was essential for keeping the 
systems functional. 

528
00:35:17,640 --> 00:35:20,560
The cesspits that collected 
waste from gardeerobe systems 

529
00:35:21,080 --> 00:35:23,240
were engineering marvels in 
their own right. 

530
00:35:24,360 --> 00:35:27,680
These were stone lined pits that
could be two to four meters deep

531
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:31,560
and were strategically located 
for easy access by cleaning 

532
00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:35,520
crews while remaining well away 
from water sources and living 

533
00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:38,720
areas. 
Some noble estates developed 

534
00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:40,880
waste management into revenue 
streams. 

535
00:35:41,800 --> 00:35:44,880
The collected waste was sold as 
fertilizer to agricultural 

536
00:35:44,880 --> 00:35:49,440
operations, creating income that
helped offset the cost of system

537
00:35:49,440 --> 00:35:53,040
maintenance. 
This required organizing, 

538
00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:58,000
collection, transport, and 
sales, essentially turning waste

539
00:35:58,000 --> 00:36:00,560
management into a small business
operation. 

540
00:36:02,000 --> 00:36:04,600
The scale of noble waste 
management systems was 

541
00:36:04,600 --> 00:36:08,840
impressive. 
Archaeological evidence from 104

542
00:36:08,840 --> 00:36:13,320
medieval cesspits analyzed by 
researchers shows that these 

543
00:36:13,320 --> 00:36:18,520
systems handled the waste from 
hundreds of people, not just the

544
00:36:18,520 --> 00:36:22,720
noble family, but all the 
servants, guards, and other 

545
00:36:22,720 --> 00:36:27,200
personnel who lived and worked 
in major castles and estates. 

546
00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,160
Water management was integrated 
with waste management in 

547
00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:34,880
sophisticated ways. 
Separate water sources were 

548
00:36:34,880 --> 00:36:39,000
designated for drinking versus 
cleaning with careful attention 

549
00:36:39,000 --> 00:36:40,880
to preventing cross 
contamination. 

550
00:36:41,760 --> 00:36:45,320
Some systems included settling 
tanks and filtration systems 

551
00:36:45,880 --> 00:36:49,760
that improved water quality and 
reduced the risk of waste 

552
00:36:49,760 --> 00:36:53,840
related contamination. 
The engineering principles 

553
00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:57,960
behind medieval waste management
were sound and remained in use 

554
00:36:57,960 --> 00:37:01,240
for centuries. 
The focus on distance from 

555
00:37:01,240 --> 00:37:05,280
living areas, water source 
protection, and systematic 

556
00:37:05,280 --> 00:37:09,840
removal and disposal created 
systems that were effective at 

557
00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,920
preventing disease and 
maintaining sanitation 

558
00:37:12,920 --> 00:37:16,120
standards. 
What's really remarkable is that

559
00:37:16,120 --> 00:37:20,640
both peasant and noble waste 
management systems were based on

560
00:37:20,640 --> 00:37:24,680
the same basic understanding of 
sanitation principles. 

561
00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:29,280
Both groups understood that 
human waste needed to be kept 

562
00:37:29,280 --> 00:37:33,840
away from food and water, that 
location was crucial for health,

563
00:37:34,720 --> 00:37:38,160
and that regular maintenance was
essential for system 

564
00:37:38,160 --> 00:37:41,960
functionality. 
The difference was in the 

565
00:37:41,960 --> 00:37:44,360
resources available for 
implementation. 

566
00:37:45,440 --> 00:37:50,160
Peasants use simple, labor 
intensive methods that required 

567
00:37:50,160 --> 00:37:52,880
community cooperation and 
personal effort. 

568
00:37:53,800 --> 00:37:57,200
Nobles invested in complex 
engineering systems that 

569
00:37:57,200 --> 00:38:01,720
provided convenience and comfort
while handling the same basic 

570
00:38:01,720 --> 00:38:07,640
sanitation needs. 
Part 6 Water access and 

571
00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:15,880
treatment 100 to 120 minutes. 
Water was the foundation of all 

572
00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:20,160
medieval hygiene, and obtaining 
clean, safe water was a constant

573
00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,760
challenge that required 
significant time, effort, and 

574
00:38:23,760 --> 00:38:27,280
resources. 
The methods people use to access

575
00:38:27,280 --> 00:38:31,040
and treat water reveal A 
sophisticated understanding of 

576
00:38:31,040 --> 00:38:36,160
water quality and safety that 
developed through centuries of 

577
00:38:36,160 --> 00:38:40,320
trial and error. 
Peasant water access was a daily

578
00:38:40,320 --> 00:38:44,000
challenge that consumed 
significant time and energy. 

579
00:38:44,960 --> 00:38:48,120
Most peasant families relied on 
communal wells that served 

580
00:38:48,120 --> 00:38:50,280
entire villages or 
neighborhoods. 

581
00:38:51,240 --> 00:38:55,760
These wells were typically 5 to 
15 meters deep, though some 

582
00:38:55,760 --> 00:38:58,840
reached greater depths in areas 
where the water table was low. 

583
00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:03,840
Well construction was a 
community effort that required 

584
00:39:03,840 --> 00:39:08,600
pooling resources and labor. 
Digging a well by hand to depths

585
00:39:08,600 --> 00:39:12,680
of 10 to 15 meters was 
dangerous, difficult work that 

586
00:39:12,680 --> 00:39:14,760
could take weeks or months to 
complete. 

587
00:39:15,760 --> 00:39:19,080
The well shaft had to be lined 
with stones to prevent collapse,

588
00:39:19,800 --> 00:39:23,120
and this required skilled 
construction techniques and 

589
00:39:23,120 --> 00:39:27,520
substantial amounts of stone. 
Water collection from communal 

590
00:39:27,520 --> 00:39:32,360
wells was organized to prevent 
conflicts and ensure fair 

591
00:39:32,360 --> 00:39:35,480
access. 
Communities develop scheduling 

592
00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:39,720
systems where different families
had designated times for water 

593
00:39:39,720 --> 00:39:44,240
collection and there were often 
rules about the maximum amount 

594
00:39:44,720 --> 00:39:48,280
each family could take. 
During periods of scarcity. 

595
00:39:49,160 --> 00:39:52,080
The physical work of water 
collection was substantial. 

596
00:39:52,840 --> 00:39:57,720
Water is heavy, about £8 per 
gallon, and peasant families 

597
00:39:57,720 --> 00:40:02,560
needed dozens of gallons daily 
for drinking, cooking and basic 

598
00:40:02,560 --> 00:40:05,560
hygiene. 
This meant multiple trips to the

599
00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:08,880
well each day. 
Carrying heavy containers over 

600
00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:12,800
distances that could be hundreds
of meters, peasants also 

601
00:40:12,800 --> 00:40:16,920
collected rainwater whenever 
possible, using wooden barrels 

602
00:40:16,920 --> 00:40:20,800
and other containers placed to 
catch runoff from roofs. 

603
00:40:22,040 --> 00:40:26,640
This water was softer than well 
water and better for washing 

604
00:40:26,640 --> 00:40:30,720
clothes and hair, though it 
required filtration to remove 

605
00:40:30,720 --> 00:40:34,640
debris and was only available 
during certain seasons. 

606
00:40:36,040 --> 00:40:39,600
Natural water sources like 
rivers and streams provided 

607
00:40:39,600 --> 00:40:42,560
another option. 
Though peasants understood that 

608
00:40:42,560 --> 00:40:46,760
flowing water was safer than 
stagnant water, they preferred 

609
00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:50,840
to collect water from upstream 
locations away from areas where 

610
00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:54,800
animals drank or waste was 
disposed of, showing practical 

611
00:40:54,800 --> 00:40:56,920
understanding of contamination 
risks. 

612
00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,800
Water treatment by peasants was 
simple but effective. 

613
00:41:02,880 --> 00:41:06,680
Boiling water for drinking was 
common practice, especially 

614
00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:09,680
during times when illness was 
spreading through the community.

615
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:14,600
They understood that heated 
water was safer, even without 

616
00:41:14,600 --> 00:41:16,600
knowing the scientific reasons 
why. 

617
00:41:18,120 --> 00:41:20,560
Settling was another common 
treatment method. 

618
00:41:21,440 --> 00:41:25,240
Peasants would fill containers 
with muddy or cloudy water and 

619
00:41:25,240 --> 00:41:28,800
let them sit until sediment 
settled to the bottom, then 

620
00:41:28,800 --> 00:41:32,080
carefully pour off the clearer 
water from the top. 

621
00:41:32,920 --> 00:41:37,200
This removed visible particles 
and improved taste, though it 

622
00:41:37,200 --> 00:41:39,440
didn't address invisible 
contamination. 

623
00:41:40,360 --> 00:41:43,400
Herbal additions served both 
practical and medicinal 

624
00:41:43,400 --> 00:41:46,360
purposes. 
Adding herbs like mint or 

625
00:41:46,360 --> 00:41:50,920
chamomile to water improved 
flavor while potentially 

626
00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:53,200
providing antibacterial 
benefits. 

627
00:41:54,080 --> 00:41:57,240
These herbs were often available
through foraging or home 

628
00:41:57,240 --> 00:42:00,840
gardens, making them accessible 
to poor families. 

629
00:42:01,920 --> 00:42:04,920
Noble water access was an 
entirely different experience 

630
00:42:04,920 --> 00:42:08,080
that involved complex 
engineering systems and 

631
00:42:08,080 --> 00:42:12,840
professional management. 
Large noble estates invested 

632
00:42:12,840 --> 00:42:17,720
enormous resources in creating 
reliable, high quality water 

633
00:42:17,720 --> 00:42:21,480
supplies that brought water 
directly to where it was needed.

634
00:42:22,400 --> 00:42:26,720
Deep wells on noble estates were
engineering marvels that reached

635
00:42:26,720 --> 00:42:30,720
extraordinary depths. 
The well at Beeston Castle 

636
00:42:31,280 --> 00:42:36,840
descended 124 meters deeper than
a 40 story building is tall. 

637
00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:41,000
These wells required 
professional construction crews,

638
00:42:41,800 --> 00:42:47,160
specialized equipment and months
or years to complete, but they 

639
00:42:47,160 --> 00:42:50,440
provided reliable water supplies
even during droughts. 

640
00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:55,320
Multiple water points throughout
noble estates eliminated the 

641
00:42:55,320 --> 00:42:58,080
need to transport water long 
distances. 

642
00:42:59,000 --> 00:43:03,280
Kitchens, bathing areas, and 
living quarters each had 

643
00:43:03,280 --> 00:43:07,600
dedicated water access, with 
some systems including internal 

644
00:43:07,600 --> 00:43:11,520
distribution networks that 
carried water through walls and 

645
00:43:11,520 --> 00:43:15,480
floors. 
Gravity fed water systems used 

646
00:43:15,480 --> 00:43:19,720
elevation changes to create 
water pressure, allowing nobles 

647
00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:23,520
to have running water in their 
castles and Manor houses 

648
00:43:24,120 --> 00:43:27,440
centuries before municipal water
systems became common. 

649
00:43:28,640 --> 00:43:32,720
These systems required careful 
engineering to ensure proper 

650
00:43:32,720 --> 00:43:35,680
flow rates and consistent 
pressure. 

651
00:43:36,880 --> 00:43:41,040
Bleed pipe systems in some noble
estates provided pressurized 

652
00:43:41,040 --> 00:43:44,120
water delivery that resembled 
modern plumbing. 

653
00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:49,000
These pipes carried water from 
elevated storage tanks to 

654
00:43:49,000 --> 00:43:53,200
various locations throughout 
buildings, providing convenient 

655
00:43:53,200 --> 00:43:57,040
access without the need for 
servants to carry water 

656
00:43:57,040 --> 00:44:01,040
constantly. 
Cistens and settling tanks 

657
00:44:01,360 --> 00:44:05,680
improved water quality by 
allowing sediment to settle and 

658
00:44:05,680 --> 00:44:08,040
providing opportunities for 
filtration. 

659
00:44:09,200 --> 00:44:12,880
Some noble estates built 
elaborate multi stage systems 

660
00:44:13,400 --> 00:44:16,400
where water passed through 
several treatment processes 

661
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:19,200
before reaching taps and storage
areas. 

662
00:44:20,080 --> 00:44:24,160
Professional water management 
included specialists whose job 

663
00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:27,880
was ensuring water quality and 
system maintenance. 

664
00:44:28,840 --> 00:44:32,680
Some Royal households employed 
water tasters whose 

665
00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:37,120
responsibility was testing water
safety, while maintenance crews 

666
00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:39,760
kept distribution systems 
functioning properly. 

667
00:44:40,680 --> 00:44:45,080
Water heating systems in noble 
estates provided hot water on 

668
00:44:45,080 --> 00:44:48,000
demand for bathing and other 
purposes. 

669
00:44:49,040 --> 00:44:52,400
These systems included dedicated
furnaces for heating water, 

670
00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:57,080
insulated storage tanks for 
maintaining temperature, and 

671
00:44:57,080 --> 00:45:00,080
distribution networks that 
carried hot water to where it 

672
00:45:00,080 --> 00:45:03,160
was needed. 
The cost differences between 

673
00:45:03,160 --> 00:45:05,840
peasant and noble water access 
were enormous. 

674
00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:10,920
Nobles invested 10 to 15 lbs 
annually in water system 

675
00:45:10,920 --> 00:45:14,400
maintenance, more than most 
peasants earned in a year. 

676
00:45:15,320 --> 00:45:20,320
Meanwhile, peasants devoted 30 
to 60 minutes daily to water 

677
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:26,160
collection and transport, plus 
significant costs for fuel to 

678
00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:29,240
heat water. 
Water quality standards were 

679
00:45:29,240 --> 00:45:33,040
surprisingly sophisticated 
across all social classes. 

680
00:45:34,000 --> 00:45:37,920
Both peasants and nobles 
understood that clear, odorless 

681
00:45:37,920 --> 00:45:41,760
water was preferable to cloudy 
or smelly water. 

682
00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:46,680
They knew that moving water was 
safer than stagnant water and 

683
00:45:46,680 --> 00:45:49,320
that certain sources were more 
reliable than others. 

684
00:45:50,280 --> 00:45:53,560
Seasonal variations affected 
water access for everyone. 

685
00:45:54,440 --> 00:45:59,240
During dry periods, wells might 
fail or water levels might drop 

686
00:45:59,240 --> 00:46:03,200
significantly. 
During wet seasons, water 

687
00:46:03,200 --> 00:46:05,840
sources could become 
contaminated with runoff. 

688
00:46:06,960 --> 00:46:11,640
Both peasants and nobles had to 
plan for these variations and 

689
00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:16,080
develop backup water sources. 
Storage and preservation of 

690
00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:21,200
water was essential since 
collecting water was time 

691
00:46:21,200 --> 00:46:24,600
consuming and couldn't always be
done when convenient. 

692
00:46:25,720 --> 00:46:29,720
Peasants used wooden barrels, 
ceramic pots, and other 

693
00:46:29,720 --> 00:46:34,280
containers to store water for 
later use, while nobles had 

694
00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:37,280
dedicated storage rooms with 
large capacity containers. 

695
00:46:38,760 --> 00:46:41,840
The preference for certain types
of water reveals medieval 

696
00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:44,240
understanding of water quality 
differences. 

697
00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:48,640
Rainwater was preferred for hair
washing because it was naturally

698
00:46:48,640 --> 00:46:51,760
soft. 
Spring water was valued for 

699
00:46:51,760 --> 00:46:54,160
drinking because it was 
naturally filtered. 

700
00:46:55,120 --> 00:46:59,320
River water was used for heavy 
cleaning because it was abundant

701
00:46:59,720 --> 00:47:03,640
and easily accessible. 
Regional differences in water 

702
00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:07,480
access created variations in 
hygiene practices across 

703
00:47:07,480 --> 00:47:11,280
medieval France. 
Areas with abundant natural 

704
00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:15,080
springs could support higher 
standards of cleanliness, while 

705
00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:18,880
regions with limited water 
resources had to develop more 

706
00:47:18,880 --> 00:47:21,040
conservative approaches to water
use. 

707
00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:26,000
What's remarkable about medieval
water management is how well 

708
00:47:26,000 --> 00:47:30,800
people understood water quality 
and safety principles without 

709
00:47:30,800 --> 00:47:34,800
modern scientific knowledge. 
Through observation and 

710
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:38,640
experience, they developed 
effective methods for accessing,

711
00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:43,560
treating, and storing water that
allowed them to maintain hygiene

712
00:47:43,560 --> 00:47:47,360
standards despite significant 
technological limitations. 

713
00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:54,240
Part 7. 
Products, Materials and trade 

714
00:47:54,240 --> 00:48:03,440
networks, 120 to 140 minutes. 
The materials used for medieval 

715
00:48:03,440 --> 00:48:07,040
hygiene reveal A fascinating 
picture of international trade, 

716
00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:11,600
local production and social 
stratification that connected 

717
00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:15,080
French villages to markets as 
distant as the Middle East and 

718
00:48:15,080 --> 00:48:18,360
Africa. 
What people used to stay clean 

719
00:48:18,960 --> 00:48:22,640
depended not just on their 
personal wealth put on complex 

720
00:48:22,640 --> 00:48:27,760
networks of merchants, Craftsman
and traders who brought 

721
00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:32,320
materials across vast distances.
Let's start with what peasants 

722
00:48:32,320 --> 00:48:35,520
could access. 
Because their hygiene materials 

723
00:48:36,120 --> 00:48:39,800
had to be either locally 
produced or incredibly cheap to 

724
00:48:39,800 --> 00:48:43,040
transport. 
Most peasant soap was made at 

725
00:48:43,040 --> 00:48:47,800
home using wood ash and animal 
fat, ingredients that cost 

726
00:48:47,800 --> 00:48:50,920
almost nothing and could be 
produced from materials that 

727
00:48:50,920 --> 00:48:56,120
every household already had. 
Wood ash came from daily cooking

728
00:48:56,480 --> 00:48:59,640
and heating fires, so it was 
essentially free. 

729
00:49:00,840 --> 00:49:05,320
You'd save the ash from burning 
hardwood, leach it with water to

730
00:49:05,360 --> 00:49:10,440
extract the Lye, and then boil 
this Lye with animal fat until 

731
00:49:10,440 --> 00:49:13,920
it formed a crude soap. 
The fat came from whatever 

732
00:49:13,920 --> 00:49:15,800
animals the family slaughtered 
for food. 

733
00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:19,560
So again, this was using 
materials that would otherwise 

734
00:49:19,560 --> 00:49:23,200
be discarded. 
The soap making process was time

735
00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:27,160
consuming and required skill to 
get the proportions right. 

736
00:49:28,080 --> 00:49:31,800
Too much lie and the soap would 
be harsh enough to damage skin 

737
00:49:31,800 --> 00:49:35,720
and clothes. 
Too little lie and the mixture 

738
00:49:35,720 --> 00:49:41,000
wouldn't saponify properly and 
wouldn't clean effectively. 

739
00:49:42,120 --> 00:49:45,520
Peasant women learned soap 
making techniques from their 

740
00:49:45,520 --> 00:49:49,320
mothers and pass them down 
through generations. 

741
00:49:50,360 --> 00:49:54,120
Local herbs provided scenting 
and medicinal benefits for 

742
00:49:54,120 --> 00:49:59,520
peasant hygiene products. 
Lavender, mint, chamomile and 

743
00:49:59,520 --> 00:50:04,400
sage could be gathered wild or 
grown in small gardens and these

744
00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:09,560
herbs served multiple purposes. 
Scenting soap, making rinses for

745
00:50:09,560 --> 00:50:14,320
hair and mouth care, and 
providing what people believed 

746
00:50:14,320 --> 00:50:17,320
were medicinal benefits for skin
and overall health. 

747
00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:21,440
Creative substitutions were 
common when traditional 

748
00:50:21,440 --> 00:50:25,880
materials weren't available. 
Soap wort plants could be used 

749
00:50:25,880 --> 00:50:29,640
as soap substitutes. 
When crushed and mixed with 

750
00:50:29,640 --> 00:50:33,520
water, they produced a natural 
lather that was gentler than Lye

751
00:50:33,520 --> 00:50:37,160
soap. 
Human urine was collected and 

752
00:50:37,160 --> 00:50:42,160
aged for use in laundry because 
the ammonia help breakdown 

753
00:50:42,160 --> 00:50:47,640
stains and grease. 
Vinegar mixed with ash created 

754
00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:49,960
cleaning solutions for different
purposes. 

755
00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:55,520
These alternative materials 
required knowledge and skill to 

756
00:50:55,520 --> 00:50:58,920
use effectively. 
Peasants had to know which 

757
00:50:58,920 --> 00:51:02,960
plants could substitute for 
expensive materials, how to 

758
00:51:02,960 --> 00:51:07,400
prepare them properly, and when 
to use them for best results. 

759
00:51:08,400 --> 00:51:12,120
This knowledge was passed down 
through communities and 

760
00:51:12,120 --> 00:51:16,400
represented generations of 
experimentation and refinement. 

761
00:51:17,400 --> 00:51:21,440
Regional variations in available
materials created different 

762
00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:23,400
hygiene practices. 
Across France. 

763
00:51:24,240 --> 00:51:27,760
Southern regions had access to 
olive oil, which made better 

764
00:51:27,760 --> 00:51:32,280
soap than animal fat. 
Areas near salt deposits could 

765
00:51:32,280 --> 00:51:35,640
afford to use salt more 
liberally for dental care and 

766
00:51:35,640 --> 00:51:39,200
food preservation. 
Coastal regions had access to 

767
00:51:39,200 --> 00:51:42,720
seaweed and other marine 
materials that had cleaning 

768
00:51:42,720 --> 00:51:46,800
properties. 
Transportation costs meant that 

769
00:51:46,800 --> 00:51:51,800
even relatively inexpensive 
materials could become costly if

770
00:51:51,800 --> 00:51:53,680
they had to travel long 
distances. 

771
00:51:54,560 --> 00:51:59,000
Salt, which was cheap near salt 
works, became expensive in 

772
00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:02,600
inland areas. 
Olive oil from the Mediterranean

773
00:52:02,600 --> 00:52:06,280
was affordable in southern 
France, but extremely costly in 

774
00:52:06,280 --> 00:52:09,800
northern regions. 
Now let's talk about the luxury 

775
00:52:09,800 --> 00:52:13,720
hygiene materials available to 
nobles, because this is where 

776
00:52:13,720 --> 00:52:16,280
medieval trade networks really 
become visible. 

777
00:52:17,320 --> 00:52:21,240
Noble hygiene products came from
across the known world and 

778
00:52:21,240 --> 00:52:24,280
represented some of the most 
expensive consumer goods 

779
00:52:24,280 --> 00:52:29,080
available in medieval markets. 
Castile soap, made with olive 

780
00:52:29,080 --> 00:52:33,160
oil from Spain, was the gold 
standard of medieval soap. 

781
00:52:34,160 --> 00:52:39,280
This soap was gentle, long 
lasting and pleasant to use, but

782
00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:42,080
it cost 6 to 8 times more than 
basic soap. 

783
00:52:43,000 --> 00:52:47,200
The olive oil had to be shipped 
from Spain, processed by skilled

784
00:52:47,200 --> 00:52:50,640
soap makers, and transported 
again to markets throughout 

785
00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:54,280
France. 
Even more exotic was Aleppo soap

786
00:52:54,280 --> 00:52:58,040
from the Middle East. 
Made with olive oil and Laurel 

787
00:52:58,040 --> 00:53:02,920
oil, this soap was considered 
the finest available and cost 

788
00:53:02,920 --> 00:53:05,000
more than most peasants earned 
in a month. 

789
00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:09,000
The materials and finished 
product had to travel thousands 

790
00:53:09,000 --> 00:53:13,440
of miles through multiple middle
men, each adding their markup to

791
00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:17,280
the final price. 
Marseille soap represented 

792
00:53:17,280 --> 00:53:20,640
France's own emerging luxury 
soap industry. 

793
00:53:21,560 --> 00:53:26,400
By 1370, Marseille had developed
sophisticated soap making 

794
00:53:26,400 --> 00:53:30,480
operations that competed with 
Spanish and Middle Eastern 

795
00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:34,080
products. 
These operations required 

796
00:53:34,080 --> 00:53:38,640
imported olive oil, skilled 
Craftsman, and significant 

797
00:53:38,640 --> 00:53:43,200
capital investment, but they 
created a domestic luxury soap 

798
00:53:43,200 --> 00:53:46,320
industry. 
Scenting materials for noble 

799
00:53:46,320 --> 00:53:50,240
hygiene products came from even 
more distant sources. 

800
00:53:51,080 --> 00:53:56,360
Musk came from deer in Central 
Asia, civet from cats in Africa,

801
00:53:57,200 --> 00:54:00,680
and ambergris from whales in 
various oceans. 

802
00:54:01,600 --> 00:54:05,280
These materials cost more than 
their weight in gold and were 

803
00:54:05,280 --> 00:54:10,000
used in tiny quantities to scent
soaps, perfumes, and bath 

804
00:54:10,000 --> 00:54:13,600
preparations. 
Spices for dental care and 

805
00:54:13,600 --> 00:54:18,520
personal grooming were imported 
from India, Southeast Asia, and 

806
00:54:18,520 --> 00:54:23,880
other distant regions. 
Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and 

807
00:54:23,880 --> 00:54:27,760
other exotic spices were ground 
into tooth powders, mixed into 

808
00:54:27,760 --> 00:54:31,680
perfumes, and used in various 
beauty preparations. 

809
00:54:32,560 --> 00:54:37,360
The cost was astronomical. 
A pound of good cinnamon could 

810
00:54:37,360 --> 00:54:40,400
cost more than a skilled 
craftsman's annual wages. 

811
00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:44,520
Professional tool making created
another category of expensive 

812
00:54:44,520 --> 00:54:48,560
hygiene products for nobles. 
Ivory Combs carved with 

813
00:54:48,560 --> 00:54:54,240
religious scenes or family coats
of arms were works of art as 

814
00:54:54,240 --> 00:54:59,200
much as functional tools. 
Silver tweezers, razors, and 

815
00:54:59,200 --> 00:55:02,440
other grooming implements were 
custom made by skilled metal 

816
00:55:02,440 --> 00:55:07,160
workers and often passed down 
through generations as valuable 

817
00:55:07,160 --> 00:55:10,720
heirlooms. 
The economic impact of luxury 

818
00:55:10,720 --> 00:55:15,000
hygiene products was significant
enough to affect international 

819
00:55:15,000 --> 00:55:18,920
trade patterns. 
French nobles demand for exotic 

820
00:55:18,920 --> 00:55:24,640
soaps, perfumes, and grooming 
materials created profitable 

821
00:55:24,640 --> 00:55:29,600
trade routes and supported 
merchant communities throughout 

822
00:55:29,600 --> 00:55:33,920
Europe and beyond. 
Trade regulations and Guild 

823
00:55:33,920 --> 00:55:37,080
systems controlled the 
production and distribution of 

824
00:55:37,080 --> 00:55:40,960
hygiene products. 
Soap makers in major cities 

825
00:55:41,560 --> 00:55:45,720
formed guilds that set quality 
standards, controlled prices, 

826
00:55:46,280 --> 00:55:48,480
and regulated who could practice
the trade. 

827
00:55:49,480 --> 00:55:53,520
These guilds ensured consistent 
quality, but also maintained 

828
00:55:53,520 --> 00:55:55,960
high prices by limiting 
competition. 

829
00:55:56,920 --> 00:56:01,000
Quality variations within 
product categories meant that 

830
00:56:01,000 --> 00:56:04,880
even basic items like soap came 
in multiple grades. 

831
00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:09,760
The cheapest soap was harsh and 
purely functional, while mid 

832
00:56:09,760 --> 00:56:13,160
grade soap was gentler and 
lasted longer. 

833
00:56:14,040 --> 00:56:18,160
Premium soap was scented, 
colored, and pleasant to use. 

834
00:56:19,080 --> 00:56:22,840
Ultra luxury soap was 
essentially A decorative item as

835
00:56:22,840 --> 00:56:26,880
much as a cleaning product. 
Storage and preservation of 

836
00:56:26,880 --> 00:56:30,120
expensive hygiene materials 
required special care. 

837
00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:34,360
Imported soaps had to be kept 
dry and cool to prevent 

838
00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:38,320
spoilage. 
Perfumes and scented oils needed

839
00:56:38,320 --> 00:56:40,840
proper containers to prevent 
evaporation. 

840
00:56:41,680 --> 00:56:45,440
Spices for dental care had to be
protected from moisture and 

841
00:56:45,440 --> 00:56:48,520
pests. 
The seasonal nature of some 

842
00:56:48,520 --> 00:56:52,560
trade routes affected the 
availability and pricing of 

843
00:56:52,560 --> 00:56:56,360
hygiene materials. 
Winter weather could disrupt 

844
00:56:56,360 --> 00:56:59,800
shipping and make certain 
products unavailable for months.

845
00:57:00,840 --> 00:57:03,560
Spring arrivals of merchant 
caravans would bring new 

846
00:57:03,560 --> 00:57:09,000
supplies, but often at premium 
prices after months of scarcity.

847
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:13,040
Local production of hygiene 
materials supported domestic 

848
00:57:13,040 --> 00:57:16,440
Craftsman and reduced dependence
on imports. 

849
00:57:17,480 --> 00:57:20,960
French soap makers gradually 
developed skills and techniques 

850
00:57:21,480 --> 00:57:24,040
that allowed them to compete 
with foreign products. 

851
00:57:25,000 --> 00:57:28,440
This created employment and kept
more money within local 

852
00:57:28,440 --> 00:57:32,280
economies rather than sending it
to distant suppliers. 

853
00:57:33,680 --> 00:57:37,360
The social signaling aspect of 
hygiene materials was as 

854
00:57:37,360 --> 00:57:39,440
important as their functional 
benefits. 

855
00:57:40,200 --> 00:57:43,960
Using expensive imported soap 
wasn't just about getting 

856
00:57:43,960 --> 00:57:48,600
cleaner, it was about 
demonstrating wealth status and 

857
00:57:48,600 --> 00:57:51,040
connections to international 
trade networks. 

858
00:57:52,280 --> 00:57:56,360
The choice of hygiene products 
communicated social position as 

859
00:57:56,360 --> 00:58:01,400
clearly as clothing or housing. 
Innovation in hygiene products 

860
00:58:01,400 --> 00:58:04,880
was driven by competition 
between suppliers and demand 

861
00:58:04,880 --> 00:58:09,320
from wealthy customers. 
Soap makers experimented with 

862
00:58:09,320 --> 00:58:13,720
new combinations of oils and 
scents, perfumers developed new 

863
00:58:13,720 --> 00:58:18,080
formulations, and tool makers 
created increasingly elaborate 

864
00:58:18,080 --> 00:58:21,880
grooming implements. 
The knowledge required to 

865
00:58:21,880 --> 00:58:27,600
properly use luxury hygiene 
products was itself a mark of 

866
00:58:27,600 --> 00:58:31,560
sophistication. 
Knowing how to blend perfumes, 

867
00:58:32,000 --> 00:58:35,880
which soaps were appropriate for
different purposes, and how to 

868
00:58:35,880 --> 00:58:40,520
maintain expensive grooming 
tools required education and 

869
00:58:40,520 --> 00:58:46,240
experience that separated nobles
from peasants who use simple, 

870
00:58:46,520 --> 00:58:50,280
single purpose materials. 
What's fascinating about 

871
00:58:50,280 --> 00:58:53,880
medieval hygiene materials is 
how they reveal the global 

872
00:58:53,880 --> 00:58:59,280
nature of medieval trade and the
sophisticated consumer culture 

873
00:59:00,040 --> 00:59:04,040
that existed among the wealthy. 
These weren't just cleaning 

874
00:59:04,040 --> 00:59:08,120
products, they were luxury goods
that connected French nobles to 

875
00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:13,280
producers and suppliers across 3
continents and demonstrated the 

876
00:59:13,280 --> 00:59:17,160
complex economic networks that 
supported medieval aristocratic 

877
00:59:17,160 --> 00:59:20,160
life. 
Part 8. 

878
00:59:20,880 --> 00:59:28,360
Bath Houses, Religion and social
Dynamics 140 to 160 minutes 

879
00:59:30,880 --> 00:59:34,320
Public bath houses represent one
of the most fascinating aspects 

880
00:59:34,320 --> 00:59:38,160
of medieval social life because 
they were places where the usual

881
00:59:38,160 --> 00:59:42,040
rigid class distinctions of 
medieval society were both 

882
00:59:42,040 --> 00:59:44,640
maintained and temporarily 
suspended. 

883
00:59:45,520 --> 00:59:48,040
These establishments served as 
healthcare centres, 

884
00:59:48,600 --> 00:59:53,360
entertainment venues, and social
hubs all rolled into one, 

885
00:59:53,960 --> 00:59:57,960
creating complex dynamics that 
reveal a lot about medieval 

886
00:59:57,960 --> 01:00:02,280
attitudes toward the body, 
cleanliness, and social 

887
01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:05,680
interaction. 
Let's start with how bath houses

888
01:00:05,680 --> 01:00:09,480
actually operated, because they 
were much more sophisticated 

889
01:00:09,480 --> 01:00:11,720
businesses than you might 
expect. 

890
01:00:12,560 --> 01:00:17,640
Most medieval towns of any size 
had multiple bath houses, and 

891
01:00:17,640 --> 01:00:21,200
these were regulated by Guild 
systems that controlled 

892
01:00:21,200 --> 01:00:25,040
everything from pricing to 
operating hours. 

893
01:00:25,720 --> 01:00:29,360
To service standards, the basic 
pricing structure was 

894
01:00:29,360 --> 01:00:31,360
standardized across most of 
France. 

895
01:00:32,200 --> 01:00:36,840
Steam baths cost 2 deniers, 
which was affordable for working

896
01:00:36,840 --> 01:00:40,440
people but still represented a 
significant expense. 

897
01:00:41,480 --> 01:00:45,680
Full baths cost 4 deniers, which
put them out of reach for the 

898
01:00:45,680 --> 01:00:49,720
poorest people, but accessible 
to skilled Craftsman and 

899
01:00:49,720 --> 01:00:54,360
successful peasants. 
For comparison, a common laborer

900
01:00:54,800 --> 01:00:58,920
might earn 2 to 4 pence daily, 
so a full bath represented a 

901
01:00:58,920 --> 01:01:02,360
day's wages. 
Operating hours were strictly 

902
01:01:02,360 --> 01:01:05,240
regulated for both practical and
moral reasons. 

903
01:01:06,120 --> 01:01:10,200
Bath houses couldn't open before
Daybreak, partly for security 

904
01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:14,200
reasons and partly because early
morning hours were reserved for 

905
01:01:14,200 --> 01:01:18,440
religious observances. 
They had to close by sunset for 

906
01:01:18,440 --> 01:01:22,000
similar reasons, and they were 
completely closed on major 

907
01:01:22,000 --> 01:01:25,760
religious holidays. 
The facilities themselves were 

908
01:01:25,760 --> 01:01:28,160
more elaborate than simple 
washing areas. 

909
01:01:29,240 --> 01:01:32,360
Most bath houses featured 
multiple pools or tubs of 

910
01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:36,840
different temperatures, allowing
customers to move from hot to 

911
01:01:36,840 --> 01:01:40,880
warm to cool water as part of 
their bathing routine. 

912
01:01:41,840 --> 01:01:45,960
Steam rooms provided intense 
heat that was believed to open 

913
01:01:45,960 --> 01:01:49,040
pores and improve the cleaning 
process. 

914
01:01:50,160 --> 01:01:53,440
But bath houses were much more 
than just places to get clean. 

915
01:01:54,360 --> 01:01:57,480
They functioned as social 
centres where people gathered to

916
01:01:57,480 --> 01:02:01,520
gossip, conduct business and 
enjoy entertainment. 

917
01:02:02,480 --> 01:02:06,240
Many bath houses served 
elaborate meals, and customers 

918
01:02:06,240 --> 01:02:10,680
might spend entire afternoons 
eating, bathing, playing games 

919
01:02:11,080 --> 01:02:13,240
and socializing with friends and
neighbors. 

920
01:02:14,160 --> 01:02:16,360
The entertainment aspect was 
significant. 

921
01:02:17,160 --> 01:02:21,320
Bath houses often employed 
musicians, storytellers, and 

922
01:02:21,320 --> 01:02:24,960
other performers to entertain 
customers while they bathed. 

923
01:02:25,800 --> 01:02:28,920
Some establishments featured 
gaming areas where people could 

924
01:02:28,920 --> 01:02:34,400
play dice, chess, or other 
popular games. 

925
01:02:35,760 --> 01:02:40,760
The atmosphere was more like a 
modern spa or social club than a

926
01:02:40,760 --> 01:02:45,280
simple washing facility. 
Medical services were commonly 

927
01:02:45,280 --> 01:02:50,720
available at bath houses because
the warm, humid environment was 

928
01:02:50,720 --> 01:02:54,280
considered beneficial for 
various health conditions. 

929
01:02:55,040 --> 01:02:58,440
Barber surgeons often maintained
practices at bath houses, 

930
01:02:59,200 --> 01:03:03,040
offering services like 
bloodletting, tooth extraction, 

931
01:03:03,840 --> 01:03:07,320
wound treatment, and other 
medical procedures. 

932
01:03:08,720 --> 01:03:13,040
This combination of bathing and 
medical care made bath houses 

933
01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:16,800
accessible healthcare Centers 
for people who couldn't afford 

934
01:03:16,800 --> 01:03:20,960
private physicians. 
The services were less expensive

935
01:03:20,960 --> 01:03:25,000
than visiting university trained
doctors, and the combination of 

936
01:03:25,000 --> 01:03:29,440
bathing and medical treatment 
was thought to be particularly 

937
01:03:29,440 --> 01:03:31,280
effective for certain 
conditions. 

938
01:03:32,720 --> 01:03:36,800
Gender segregation in bath 
houses evolved over time and 

939
01:03:36,800 --> 01:03:41,120
varied by location. 
Early medieval bath houses often

940
01:03:41,120 --> 01:03:44,680
featured mixed gender bathing, 
which was accepted as normal 

941
01:03:44,680 --> 01:03:49,240
social interaction. 
However, during the 13th and 

942
01:03:49,240 --> 01:03:54,600
14th centuries, increasing 
religious and moral concerns led

943
01:03:54,600 --> 01:03:59,760
to gradual separation of male 
and female bathing times or 

944
01:03:59,760 --> 01:04:02,760
areas. 
The church's attitude toward 

945
01:04:02,760 --> 01:04:06,520
bath houses was complex and 
often contradictory. 

946
01:04:07,480 --> 01:04:10,240
Official church doctrine 
supported cleanliness as 

947
01:04:10,240 --> 01:04:14,880
necessary for health and 
spiritual preparation, and many 

948
01:04:14,880 --> 01:04:18,320
church leaders recognized that 
bath houses served important 

949
01:04:18,320 --> 01:04:23,440
social and medical functions. 
However, church authorities were

950
01:04:23,440 --> 01:04:26,880
concerned about the moral 
activities that sometimes 

951
01:04:26,880 --> 01:04:31,000
occurred at bath houses. 
The main concerns were related 

952
01:04:31,000 --> 01:04:35,880
to prostitution and sexual 
activity, which were common at 

953
01:04:35,880 --> 01:04:39,600
many bath houses. 
Some establishments essentially 

954
01:04:39,600 --> 01:04:43,720
functioned as brothels that 
happened to also offer bathing 

955
01:04:43,720 --> 01:04:46,800
services. 
Church authorities tried to 

956
01:04:46,800 --> 01:04:50,440
regulate these activities 
through moral penalties and 

957
01:04:50,440 --> 01:04:54,040
local laws, but enforcement was 
inconsistent. 

958
01:04:54,960 --> 01:04:59,200
Interestingly, the church often 
overlooked or tolerated these 

959
01:04:59,200 --> 01:05:03,720
moral issues because authorities
believed that controlled outlets

960
01:05:03,720 --> 01:05:07,800
for sexual activity prevented 
worse social problems. 

961
01:05:09,160 --> 01:05:12,760
The attitude seemed to be that 
bath houses, even with their 

962
01:05:12,760 --> 01:05:16,200
moral complications, were 
preferable to having no 

963
01:05:16,200 --> 01:05:19,680
organized spaces for social 
interaction and stress relief. 

964
01:05:20,760 --> 01:05:24,680
Class distinctions persisted 
within bath houses despite the 

965
01:05:24,680 --> 01:05:26,840
shared experience of public 
bathing. 

966
01:05:28,080 --> 01:05:32,200
Wealthy customers could afford 
private rooms, premium services,

967
01:05:32,600 --> 01:05:34,440
and elaborate meals. 
While bathing. 

968
01:05:35,400 --> 01:05:38,680
They might bring their own 
servants to attend them, and 

969
01:05:38,680 --> 01:05:41,760
they certainly used higher 
quality soaps and oils than 

970
01:05:41,760 --> 01:05:45,440
common customers. 
Working class customers used 

971
01:05:45,440 --> 01:05:49,440
shared facilities and basic 
services, but they still 

972
01:05:49,440 --> 01:05:53,080
participated in the social 
aspects of bathhouse culture. 

973
01:05:54,320 --> 01:05:58,120
The difference was in the 
quality and privacy of services 

974
01:05:58,800 --> 01:06:03,520
rather than in fundamental 
access to bathing and social 

975
01:06:03,520 --> 01:06:07,000
interaction. 
Some bath houses catered 

976
01:06:07,000 --> 01:06:11,440
specifically to wealthy 
clientele and charged premium 

977
01:06:11,440 --> 01:06:16,000
prices for luxury services. 
These establishments featured 

978
01:06:16,000 --> 01:06:20,280
more elaborate facilities, 
better food and entertainment, 

979
01:06:20,840 --> 01:06:23,160
and more exclusive social 
environments. 

980
01:06:24,080 --> 01:06:27,680
They were essentially private 
clubs that used bathing as the 

981
01:06:27,680 --> 01:06:30,040
organizing principle for social 
gathering. 

982
01:06:30,960 --> 01:06:34,560
The social networking that 
occurred at bath houses was 

983
01:06:34,560 --> 01:06:38,400
significant for medieval 
business and community life. 

984
01:06:39,480 --> 01:06:44,480
People made business deals, 
arranged marriages, shared news 

985
01:06:44,480 --> 01:06:48,480
and gossip, and maintained 
social relationships through 

986
01:06:48,480 --> 01:06:53,320
regular bathhouse visits. 
For many people, bath houses 

987
01:06:53,320 --> 01:06:57,480
were their primary social outlet
outside of work and family 

988
01:06:57,480 --> 01:07:01,280
obligations. 
Seasonal patterns affected 

989
01:07:01,280 --> 01:07:06,240
bathhouse use significantly. 
During winter months, when 

990
01:07:06,240 --> 01:07:08,880
heating water at home was 
expensive and difficult, 

991
01:07:09,680 --> 01:07:12,320
bathhouse attendants increased 
dramatically. 

992
01:07:13,240 --> 01:07:18,000
Summer brought decreased use as 
people could bathe in rivers and

993
01:07:18,000 --> 01:07:22,280
streams more easily. 
Economic cycles also affected 

994
01:07:22,280 --> 01:07:26,360
bathhouse business. 
During prosperous times, people 

995
01:07:26,360 --> 01:07:29,360
could afford more frequent 
visits and premium services. 

996
01:07:30,160 --> 01:07:34,320
During hard times, bathhouse 
attendants dropped as people 

997
01:07:34,320 --> 01:07:39,360
prioritize spending on food and 
basic necessities over bathing 

998
01:07:39,720 --> 01:07:44,040
and social activities. 
The decline of bath houses began

999
01:07:44,040 --> 01:07:48,760
in the 14th and 15th centuries 
due to multiple factors. 

1000
01:07:49,480 --> 01:07:53,520
Increasing religious 
conservatism made public bathing

1001
01:07:54,120 --> 01:07:56,440
seem morally questionable to 
more people. 

1002
01:07:57,360 --> 01:08:00,440
The Black Death and other 
epidemic diseases made large 

1003
01:08:00,440 --> 01:08:04,760
gatherings seem dangerous. 
Economic changes also affected 

1004
01:08:04,760 --> 01:08:08,120
people's ability to spend money 
on what were considered luxury 

1005
01:08:08,120 --> 01:08:11,440
services. 
But during their peak period in 

1006
01:08:11,440 --> 01:08:16,439
the 13th and early 14th 
centuries, bath houses were 

1007
01:08:16,439 --> 01:08:19,080
integral parts of medieval urban
life. 

1008
01:08:20,359 --> 01:08:23,760
They provided services that 
people couldn't easily access at

1009
01:08:23,760 --> 01:08:29,279
home, created opportunities for 
social interaction across class 

1010
01:08:29,279 --> 01:08:34,120
lines, and supported local 
economies through employment and

1011
01:08:34,120 --> 01:08:38,120
business activity. 
The regulation of bath houses 

1012
01:08:38,120 --> 01:08:43,520
reveals how medieval authorities
tried to balance moral concerns 

1013
01:08:43,520 --> 01:08:46,920
with practical needs. 
They recognized that these 

1014
01:08:46,920 --> 01:08:51,359
establishments served important 
social and health functions, but

1015
01:08:51,359 --> 01:08:54,479
they also tried to control the 
activities that occurred there 

1016
01:08:55,000 --> 01:08:58,399
through laws, penalties, and 
oversight. 

1017
01:08:59,359 --> 01:09:03,040
What's really fascinating about 
medieval bath houses is how they

1018
01:09:03,040 --> 01:09:06,800
demonstrate the sophisticated 
social infrastructure that 

1019
01:09:06,800 --> 01:09:10,840
existed in medieval towns. 
These weren't primitive 

1020
01:09:10,840 --> 01:09:13,880
facilities. 
They were complex businesses 

1021
01:09:13,880 --> 01:09:18,120
that provided multiple services 
and created social spaces that 

1022
01:09:18,120 --> 01:09:20,359
served important community 
functions. 

1023
01:09:21,120 --> 01:09:24,560
The religious attitudes toward 
bath houses also reveal the 

1024
01:09:24,560 --> 01:09:29,200
complexity of medieval church 
doctrine regarding the body and 

1025
01:09:29,200 --> 01:09:32,560
cleanliness. 
The church wasn't uniformly 

1026
01:09:32,560 --> 01:09:37,319
opposed to bathing or physical 
pleasure, but it was concerned 

1027
01:09:37,319 --> 01:09:41,800
about maintaining moral 
standards and preventing sinful 

1028
01:09:41,800 --> 01:09:45,120
behavior. 
The eventual decline of bath 

1029
01:09:45,120 --> 01:09:50,080
houses represents a significant 
change in medieval social life. 

1030
01:09:51,200 --> 01:09:55,040
As private bathing became more 
accessible to wealthy people and

1031
01:09:55,040 --> 01:09:59,520
public bathing became associated
with moral concerns, an 

1032
01:09:59,520 --> 01:10:03,640
important social institution 
gradually disappeared, taking 

1033
01:10:03,640 --> 01:10:06,960
with it a unique form of 
community interaction that 

1034
01:10:06,960 --> 01:10:10,000
wouldn't be replaced until much 
later periods. 

1035
01:10:11,800 --> 01:10:19,640
Conclusion The economics of 
medieval cleanliness 160 to 170 

1036
01:10:19,640 --> 01:10:24,960
minutes. 
So here we are, after nearly 

1037
01:10:24,960 --> 01:10:29,040
three hours of examining every 
possible detail of how medieval 

1038
01:10:29,040 --> 01:10:32,920
French people stayed clean, And 
what emerges is a pictures 

1039
01:10:32,920 --> 01:10:37,200
that's much more complex and 
sophisticated than the popular 

1040
01:10:37,200 --> 01:10:41,120
image of universally filthy 
medieval peasants rolling around

1041
01:10:41,120 --> 01:10:44,400
in mud. 
The reality is that medieval 

1042
01:10:44,400 --> 01:10:47,480
people understood cleanliness 
just as well as we do. 

1043
01:10:48,560 --> 01:10:51,720
They knew that washing your face
daily was important. 

1044
01:10:52,720 --> 01:10:55,920
They knew that clean clothes 
were necessary for health and 

1045
01:10:55,920 --> 01:11:00,120
social acceptance. 
They knew that bathing regularly

1046
01:11:00,120 --> 01:11:03,520
made them feel better and 
prevented various problems. 

1047
01:11:04,440 --> 01:11:07,680
They knew that clean teeth were 
important for eating and 

1048
01:11:07,680 --> 01:11:11,000
speaking properly. 
The difference wasn't in 

1049
01:11:11,000 --> 01:11:14,760
knowledge or desire, it was 
purely economic. 

1050
01:11:15,560 --> 01:11:19,400
Every single hygiene practice 
we've discussed was available to

1051
01:11:19,400 --> 01:11:24,160
every social class, but the 
quality, frequency, and comfort 

1052
01:11:24,160 --> 01:11:27,920
of these practices depended 
entirely on how much money you 

1053
01:11:27,920 --> 01:11:31,960
had to spend on them. 
A peasant could wash his face 

1054
01:11:31,960 --> 01:11:37,120
every morning, but he had to use
cold water and harsh soap that 

1055
01:11:37,120 --> 01:11:42,000
removed skin along with dirt. 
A noble could wash his face 

1056
01:11:42,000 --> 01:11:46,480
every morning with warm rose 
water and gentle imported soap 

1057
01:11:47,200 --> 01:11:49,240
applied by professional 
servants. 

1058
01:11:50,720 --> 01:11:55,280
Both men ended up with clean 
faces, but one experienced it as

1059
01:11:55,280 --> 01:11:59,720
a grim necessity while the other
enjoyed it as a pleasant luxury.

1060
01:12:01,080 --> 01:12:04,640
The proportional cost burden 
reveals the true inequality of 

1061
01:12:04,640 --> 01:12:09,080
medieval hygiene. 
Peasants spent 15 to 20% of 

1062
01:12:09,080 --> 01:12:13,560
their income on basic hygiene 
materials and fuel, while nobles

1063
01:12:13,560 --> 01:12:17,280
spent only three to 5% of their 
much larger incomes on vastly 

1064
01:12:17,280 --> 01:12:19,880
superior hygiene facilities and 
services. 

1065
01:12:20,800 --> 01:12:24,360
The poor paid more for less, 
while the rich paid less for 

1066
01:12:24,360 --> 01:12:27,880
more, a pattern that's 
depressingly familiar even 

1067
01:12:27,880 --> 01:12:31,600
today. 
But what's remarkable is how 

1068
01:12:31,600 --> 01:12:34,560
much medieval people 
accomplished within their 

1069
01:12:34,560 --> 01:12:38,880
economic constraints. 
Peasants developed effective 

1070
01:12:38,880 --> 01:12:42,160
soap making techniques using 
free materials. 

1071
01:12:43,400 --> 01:12:46,400
They created tooth cleaning 
methods that were actually more 

1072
01:12:46,400 --> 01:12:49,640
effective than what many people 
used centuries later. 

1073
01:12:50,520 --> 01:12:53,960
They built waste management 
systems that prevented disease 

1074
01:12:54,720 --> 01:12:57,720
and created valuable 
agricultural resources. 

1075
01:12:58,600 --> 01:13:01,680
Nobles use their resources to 
develop sophisticated 

1076
01:13:01,680 --> 01:13:05,120
engineering systems that 
provided running water, flush 

1077
01:13:05,120 --> 01:13:09,160
toilets, and heated bathing 
facilities centuries before 

1078
01:13:09,760 --> 01:13:13,120
these became common. 
They supported international 

1079
01:13:13,120 --> 01:13:18,080
trade networks that brought 
luxury hygiene products from 

1080
01:13:18,080 --> 01:13:22,080
across the known world. 
They employed professional 

1081
01:13:22,080 --> 01:13:26,680
specialists whose entire careers
focused on perfecting hygiene 

1082
01:13:26,680 --> 01:13:30,480
practices. 
The social signaling aspect of 

1083
01:13:30,480 --> 01:13:34,040
medieval hygiene was crucial for
understanding how these 

1084
01:13:34,040 --> 01:13:36,160
practices functioned in daily 
life. 

1085
01:13:37,280 --> 01:13:39,520
Hygiene wasn't just about 
getting clean. 

1086
01:13:40,280 --> 01:13:43,920
It was about demonstrating your 
social position, your economic 

1087
01:13:43,920 --> 01:13:47,000
resources, and your cultural 
sophistication. 

1088
01:13:47,880 --> 01:13:52,240
The soap you used, the frequency
of your bathing, and the quality

1089
01:13:52,240 --> 01:13:56,000
of your grooming tools all 
communicated information about 

1090
01:13:56,000 --> 01:14:00,200
your place in society. 
This social function of hygiene 

1091
01:14:00,560 --> 01:14:06,000
helped Dr. innovation and trade.
Nobles demand for exotic soaps 

1092
01:14:06,000 --> 01:14:10,680
and perfumes, created profitable
trade routes, and supported 

1093
01:14:10,680 --> 01:14:14,040
Craftsman throughout Europe and 
beyond. 

1094
01:14:14,880 --> 01:14:18,040
The desire to distinguish 
themselves from lower classes 

1095
01:14:18,040 --> 01:14:22,080
motivated continuous refinement 
and elaboration of hygiene 

1096
01:14:22,080 --> 01:14:25,520
practices. 
The religious context added 

1097
01:14:25,520 --> 01:14:28,520
another layer of complexity to 
medieval hygiene. 

1098
01:14:29,360 --> 01:14:33,120
The church supported cleanliness
as spiritually and physically 

1099
01:14:33,120 --> 01:14:37,720
necessary, but it was concerned 
about the moral implications of 

1100
01:14:37,720 --> 01:14:40,480
focusing too much attention on 
bodily pleasure. 

1101
01:14:41,560 --> 01:14:45,360
This created a framework where 
hygiene was encouraged but had 

1102
01:14:45,360 --> 01:14:48,160
to be practiced within 
acceptable moral boundaries. 

1103
01:14:49,120 --> 01:14:52,600
Gender differences in hygiene 
practices reflected broader 

1104
01:14:52,600 --> 01:14:55,880
social expectations about male 
and female roles. 

1105
01:14:56,760 --> 01:14:59,800
Women were expected to spend 
more time and attention on 

1106
01:14:59,800 --> 01:15:04,000
appearance and cleanliness, 
while men's hygiene was more 

1107
01:15:04,000 --> 01:15:09,840
focused on basic functionality. 
However, both genders across all

1108
01:15:09,840 --> 01:15:15,040
social classes maintain daily 
hygiene routines adapted to 

1109
01:15:15,040 --> 01:15:19,960
their economic circumstances. 
The technological sophistication

1110
01:15:19,960 --> 01:15:23,040
of medieval hygiene systems is 
genuinely impressive. 

1111
01:15:24,120 --> 01:15:26,920
The engineering required to 
provide running water to 

1112
01:15:26,920 --> 01:15:32,240
castles, the chemistry involved 
in soap making, and the planning

1113
01:15:32,240 --> 01:15:35,800
required for waste management 
systems all demonstrate 

1114
01:15:35,800 --> 01:15:39,840
capabilities that are often 
underestimated in popular 

1115
01:15:39,840 --> 01:15:41,800
understanding of the medieval 
period. 

1116
01:15:43,040 --> 01:15:47,160
Regional variations in hygiene 
practices reflected the 

1117
01:15:47,160 --> 01:15:51,240
geographic and economic 
diversity of medieval France. 

1118
01:15:52,280 --> 01:15:56,160
Southern regions with access to 
olive oil developed different 

1119
01:15:56,160 --> 01:16:00,160
soap making traditions than 
northern areas that relied on 

1120
01:16:00,160 --> 01:16:04,120
animal fats. 
Coastal areas had access to 

1121
01:16:04,120 --> 01:16:08,560
marine materials, while inland 
regions used forest products for

1122
01:16:08,560 --> 01:16:12,040
hygiene purposes. 
The decline of certain hygiene 

1123
01:16:12,040 --> 01:16:17,120
practices, particularly public 
bath houses, reveals how social 

1124
01:16:17,120 --> 01:16:21,000
and religious changes could 
override economic and practical 

1125
01:16:21,000 --> 01:16:24,800
considerations. 
Even when services were useful 

1126
01:16:24,800 --> 01:16:28,800
and popular, changing moral 
attitudes and disease concerns 

1127
01:16:29,320 --> 01:16:32,040
could eliminate entire social 
institutions. 

1128
01:16:33,080 --> 01:16:35,760
What's perhaps most interesting 
is how medieval hygiene 

1129
01:16:35,760 --> 01:16:40,080
practices reveal the fundamental
human drive for cleanliness and 

1130
01:16:40,080 --> 01:16:43,880
social acceptance. 
Despite enormous economic and 

1131
01:16:43,880 --> 01:16:47,880
technological constraints, 
people found ways to stay clean,

1132
01:16:48,320 --> 01:16:52,520
smell pleasant, and present 
themselves appropriately to 

1133
01:16:52,520 --> 01:16:55,920
their communities. 
The specific methods varied 

1134
01:16:55,920 --> 01:17:00,800
dramatically based on available 
resources, but the underlying 

1135
01:17:00,800 --> 01:17:04,720
motivation remained constant 
across all social levels. 

1136
01:17:05,880 --> 01:17:09,240
The legacy of medieval hygiene 
practices influenced later 

1137
01:17:09,240 --> 01:17:13,200
developments in surprising ways.
Many of the soap making 

1138
01:17:13,200 --> 01:17:17,320
techniques, waste management 
principles, and water treatment 

1139
01:17:17,320 --> 01:17:21,200
methods developed during this 
period continued to be used for 

1140
01:17:21,200 --> 01:17:25,000
centuries. 
The social institutions built 

1141
01:17:25,000 --> 01:17:29,760
around hygiene, particularly 
bath houses, created precedence 

1142
01:17:29,760 --> 01:17:31,640
for later public health 
initiatives. 

1143
01:17:33,120 --> 01:17:37,040
Modern people often look back at
medieval hygiene with a mixture 

1144
01:17:37,040 --> 01:17:41,920
of fascination and horror. 
But the reality is that medieval

1145
01:17:41,920 --> 01:17:45,440
people, we're dealing with the 
same basic human needs that we 

1146
01:17:45,440 --> 01:17:48,480
face today. 
They just had to solve these 

1147
01:17:48,480 --> 01:17:54,160
problems using 13th century 
technology and economic systems 

1148
01:17:54,840 --> 01:17:57,440
rather than modern 
infrastructure and 

1149
01:17:57,440 --> 01:18:01,080
manufacturing. 
The sophisticated understanding 

1150
01:18:01,080 --> 01:18:04,320
of hygiene principles 
demonstrated by medieval people 

1151
01:18:04,880 --> 01:18:09,080
across all social classes 
suggests that human knowledge 

1152
01:18:09,080 --> 01:18:14,480
about cleanliness and health is 
much older and more universal 

1153
01:18:15,160 --> 01:18:18,880
than we often assume. 
The specific technologies and 

1154
01:18:18,880 --> 01:18:22,520
materials change, but the 
fundamental understanding of 

1155
01:18:22,520 --> 01:18:26,920
what bodies need to stay healthy
remains remarkably consistent 

1156
01:18:26,920 --> 01:18:30,760
across time and cultures. 
So the next time you turn on a 

1157
01:18:30,760 --> 01:18:36,280
faucet and hot water comes out 
instantly, or you squeeze some 

1158
01:18:36,280 --> 01:18:40,640
gentle soap from a plastic 
bottle, or you flush a toilet 

1159
01:18:41,720 --> 01:18:46,240
and never think about where the 
waste goes, remember that you're

1160
01:18:46,240 --> 01:18:50,240
benefiting from centuries of 
human innovation and investment 

1161
01:18:51,000 --> 01:18:54,880
in solving the same basic 
problems that challenged every 

1162
01:18:54,880 --> 01:18:59,840
medieval person whoever tried to
wash their face on a cold winter

1163
01:18:59,840 --> 01:19:03,280
morning. 
And with that thought, which is 

1164
01:19:03,280 --> 01:19:07,560
neither exciting nor dramatic 
nor likely to keep anyone awake,

1165
01:19:08,680 --> 01:19:13,640
we conclude our detailed 
examination of how medieval 

1166
01:19:13,640 --> 01:19:18,440
French people managed to stay 
clean despite living in a world 

1167
01:19:18,440 --> 01:19:22,800
that made cleanliness expensive,
difficult, and sometimes 

1168
01:19:22,800 --> 01:19:27,120
genuinely dangerous. 
Sleep well and be grateful for 

1169
01:19:27,120 --> 01:19:27,960
modern plumbing.