Filthy Hygiene Habits From The Old Wild West

The wild west was not for the faint of heart. It was full of dangerous and deadly things.

Bullets weren’t even the biggest risk! People had to be extremely careful around bugs, barbers and bathing. Even a simple shave could end in a disaster.

Remain Stinky

If anyone dared to leave the coastal areas of America and decided to go to the west, they would be moving further and further away from vital water.

In a lot of places, something as simple as a bath could be too expensive to afford. People would use a cloth to wipe themselves down with, otherwise, they would choose to stay dirty and smelly. There was a deodorant, but it hardly made any difference. But what about splashing on some perfume?

Luxury Item

Perfume has been around for over five thousand years.

But back in the day, it was a luxury item and it was very uncommon. But sometime, barbershops would have something if needed. But why not bathe?

Bathing Situation

The Native Americans always wondered why cowboys chose to wear heavy clothing, but the truth was, chaps were functional while riding a horse. The only problem was that, underneath the heavy clothing, they sweating was horrible and nasty.

People could use bathhouses but they could also use a river of a stream. It might sound like a good idea, but most people would “relieve themselves” in the spot where they were washing up. Gross!

Guess what happened to their teeth…

Their Teeth

They did have dentists but those dentists were a lot crazier than the ones we have today. Blacksmiths would also offer to pull teeth for free.

Extractions were a common need because of the dirty water. Colgate already existed back then, but people chose to make their own recipes with stuff like chalk. Tooth decay was a common occurrence. But have you ever heard of a spittoon?