Bathroom History

Although the bathroom has changed throughout history, it has always reflected the prevailing cultural attitudes towards hygiene, cleanliness, privacy, relaxation, socializing and even morality and religion. The development of our modern bath has also been dependent upon evolution in public infrastructure, technology, codes and other policies.

Today the bathroom is not only the center for personal hygiene  but also a place for relaxation and even recreation. Research continues to contribute important knowledge related to designing bathrooms for function and safety. Today's bathrooms are becoming larger, and make use of a variety of materials and designs to produce a unique and personalized room for household.

The typical American bathroom as we know it today has a relatively short history. The early "bath room" or "bath house" was strictly for bathing. It was not until the mid 19th Century that one room in the home included all personal hygiene activities in one place. However, some of the activities and rituals currently enjoyed in our baths have their origins centuries ago.

EARLY CIVILIZATIONS AND THE BATH

Although evidence indicates the ancient Egyptians and the residents of Crete had bathing facilities, the bath was taken to new levels by early Minoan and Roman civilizations who embraced it as a way to escape the stresses of everyday life. After soaking bathers were covered with ointments and oils. Most people found the experience so soothing that they typically bathed daily in public bath houses.

Many times these early bath houses were highly decorated with paintings, statues and elaborate architectural details to add to the pleasure. In addition to both hot and cold tubs, filled from pipes or aqueducts, these ancient bath houses may included steam chambers, showers and rooms with dry heat. These efficient systems would not be match for another 1500 years.

The public bath house was also the center of social activities and a form of recreation. For example, baths in the Roman city of Herculaneum included courts for playing ball and a gymnasium. Because of the bath house's significance in society, these cultures found no need for incorporating baths into private homes.

In addition to making bathing an enjoyable experience and a prominent part of their lives, the Greeks' and Romans' understanding and practice of good sanitation were extraordinary for the time. The Greek and Roman concept of the "bath" and their belief in the power of water has come full circle to the pools, hot tubs, mineral baths and spas we enjoy today.

Public baths were a part of other cultures as well. The "Turkish Bath", a steam bath that is followed by a shower and massage developed when Roman bathing customs were combined with hose of nomadic people such as the Byzantines. The early Japanese culture also embraced communal public baths.


LATRINES

Just as baths were public facilities in early Roman and Greek civilizations, so were latrines. (Although, some early evidence of the home chamber pot was also recorded.) Roman water closets and latrines were actually flushed by water. Studies of ancient cultures have found underground conduits for removing waste as early as 2500 BC. In addition to a public water supply, achieved through aqueducts, the Roman Empire also established quite sophisticated sewer systems, which did not appear again until the 19th Century.

THE MIDDLE AGES 

With the fall of the Roman Empire, the bath was no longer an important part of daily life and disappeared for centuries. Through the Middle Ages, the 5th to the 15th Centuries, bathing was not a common activity and little attention was given to personal hygiene.

Sanitation in general suffered during the Middle Ages. Few if any, advances were made in devices to collect waste. Without a sewer system or other disposal method, chamber pots were usually emptied out the windows and sometimes waste poured onto the streets below. During the Middle Ages, there was awareness of the link between sanitation and disease, but no real effort was made to improve the conditions.

The European immigrants brought beliefs about indecency and harmful effects of bathing to America. During the 17th and much of the 18th Century in America, little attention was given to body care. Pioneers who desired to bathe did so infrequently because it was so difficult.

THE BATHTUB

Bathing for the middle class during this time usually involved a portable bathtub placed in the kitchen, typically the warmest room in the house. The fireplace used to cook the family meals also heated water for the bath. Eventually fireplaces were built with a water reservoir, making hot water more accessible. Once the bathtub was filled, it usually served the entire family, with the dirtiest member going last.

Bathing in private was very limited at this time. Wealthy households had servants to carry water and dispose of it after. For families who did hot have the luxury of a bathtub in the home, or if someone wanted to freshen up between infrequent baths, the bowl was used for a sponge bath that could take place in the privacy of the bedroom. The idea of incorporating a bathtub of any type into the home evolved very slowly. Even in 17th and 18th Century Europe, these facilities were only present in homes of royalty and the very wealthy.


WATER CLOSET

The first modern water closets in America most likely came from England. The term "water closet  developed as water was used in the waste disposal process. Although there is evidence of some type of built-in water closet existing in the palaces of Crete, the first attempt as the modern water closet was by Sir John Harington, around 1596 in England  who designed the device for his home and installed one in the home of his godmother, Queen Elizabeth I. The device did not live up to expectations, so the idea was disregarded as too undependable to duplicate. Although a patent was filed in 1617 for a newer version of the water closet, a more successful flushing water closet appeared in 1775.


As American cities became more congested, the issue of sanitation grew more acute. Yellow fever epidemics erupted in the U.S., particularly in New York, in the mid 18th Century, prompting physicians to declare publicly that unsanitary conditions were the root of the disease. They asked that taxes be levied to develop a sewer system to remedy the problem. Many larger U.S cities began to look into developing safe after supplies and disposal systems.

As a result of this awareness, the 19th Century brought may changes in how people viewed personal hygiene, as well as changes in the infrastructure and technologies that made the home bathroom a reality for the masses. One important step towards improving personal hygiene was primarily due to the medical profession. The medical field now supported the idea of hydrotherapy and also publicized the importance of personal and public hygiene, especially as cities grew larger and more congested. Increased awareness of the germ theory in the 1880 and the connection between disease, germs and personal hygiene, led to a preoccupation with personal cleanliness and sanitation.