3. Thomas Jefferson opposed cleansing himself with warm water
The use of warm water for washing parts of the body Jefferson found unpleasant and even dangerous. Jefferson extended his belief to include the warm mineral spas favored by the gentry of Virginia. He believed that immersion in them, or in any warm water, led to boils. Jefferson washed daily, using cold water, though only parts of the body, rather than his entire person. He also subscribed to the theory that soap removed the natural oils of the skin, essential to the maintenance of good health. Jefferson was not alone in his belief, numerous medical professionals concurred, believing excessive bathing (as in daily) harmful to health.
Jefferson enjoyed fairly robust health for most of his long life, though he frequently suffered through debilitating headaches. He seldom dealt with colds, a fact which he attributed to his daily hygiene routine. Upon arising and washing his hands and face, Jefferson bathed his feet in cold war daily. In a letter to a friend, he claimed to have washed his feet every day as part of his morning routine for more than sixty years. He preferred the spring water available at his Monticello home, though on his many travels made do with whatever his hosts could make available.