Strangest Hygiene Practices From The Middle Ages

Strangest Hygiene Practices From The Middle Ages

Shannon Quinn - December 6, 2020

Strangest Hygiene Practices From The Middle Ages
People used rose petals to mask the stench of the city streets. Credit: Shutterstock

25. Nosebags Made It Possible To Walk Down The Street Without Gagging

Even though medieval people cleaned their bodies more than you imagined, that doesn’t mean the towns were sparkling clean. When you stepped outside, you came face-to-face with human waste, rotting food, and trash riddling the streets. Horses regularly relieved themselves on the street, and so did the live animals in the markets. These bad smells were especially true in cities and large towns. Things were so incredibly smelly, people nearly gagged. (Especially in the summer heat. In order to combat the smell, some people wore “nose bags”, which were fabric face masks filled with roses.

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