As bathrooms weren’t installed in all Edwardian homes, the usual method to cleanse the body was to dip a washcloth in a basin of water which was resting in a washstand. And even though the Edwardians couldn’t shower every day, they still washed the entire body at least once a day.
‘Cleanliness is the outward sign of inward purity. Cleanliness is health, and health is beauty’ (Manual Of Useful Information, 1893)
But hard water was then as now a problem: It’s less cleansing for body and hair, and coarsens the skin. Edwardians advised to always use soft water for the skin or to make hard water soft. Continue reading Edwardian ‘Shower’ & The Problem Of Hard Water – Victorian And Edwardian Beauty Routine And Recipes