The evolution of the bath – cleanliness next to godliness
29th October 2021
The first accounts of bathing are found in the ancient Vedic manuals of the Grihya-sutra. Originating in the Indus Valley from 3300-1300 BCE, the Vedics were an advanced civilisation who treated bathing as a religious domestic ceremony. From a bath before sunrise, through to chanting while soaking, the Vedic’s rituals were more than physically cleansing the body of impurities and the contamination of daily life, they were for mind, body and soul. The Art of Bathing ® has existed for thousands of years.
Greek luxury baths
Looking at bathing through history, you can see how it reflects the cultural and societal needs of the era. The mid-2nd millennium BC alabaster baths of the Cretan Knossos palace complex show the Greeks had a lust for luxury but found heating the baths a challenge – a five-foot long terracotta bath was a far more practical solution.
Medieval baths
During the 16th century a luxury freestanding bath was made of wood and scented with herbs and petals; a bath was indulgent for the rich and aristocracy. But for regular medieval Englanders communal bathing was the norm and very popular, which is not surprising as bathhouses were typically also brothels. Considered breeding grounds for both the immoral and the plague, King Henry VIII finally ordered them shut in 1546. Baths were inaccessible and unpractical for the regular folk, but it was the rise of linen clothes that almost saw the end of bathing practices. Easy to clean and maintain, linen enabled people to look clean even if they stank to high heaven.
Luxury tin baths – industrial style
As the 18th century progressed advances in medical science confirmed illnesses were spread through germs and unsanitary conditions, and bathing became popular once again, and bathing became a family ritual – a necessity to keep clean from the factory grime of the Industrial Revolution. And this is when baths changed from wooden to tin. Filling and heating the bath was laborious, but the tin retained heat for longer so all generations could benefit from bath day. Don’t throw the baby out with the water!
20th century luxury baths
Indoor plumbing became a legal requirement for homes, personal hygiene became an essential – hot and clean water transformed bathrooms and how they were used. Baths became weekly, and overtime showers became daily. With increased popularity came a revolution in luxury bathroom interior design including the colours, shapes and materials. The bathroom and bath became a prime asset.
Today you have the privilege of recreating a spa-like sanctuary in your own home. With a natural stone bathtub, the best rainfall showerhead and stone bathroom sink, your stylish luxury bathroom products and bathing experience are a world apart from our ancestors’.
How will future generations view baths and the bathroom? Perhaps they will see how against the turmoil and tough times of the 21st century, the bathroom has become a place of relaxation and domestic ritual, where the impurities and the contamination of daily life can be washed away, and the mind, body and soul rejuvenated. We’ve returned to our bathing roots.
If you would like any help or guidance as to how The Luxury Bath Company’s freestanding baths and natural stone basins can be used to optimise your bathing experience, we’re more than happy to answer your questions. Please get in touch on (+44) 0203 44 15751 or click here to message directly.
What are your bath time rituals? Are you a rare bather who puts the cold water in first? Do you like bath oils? Or are you belligerent about bubbles? Tell us about your bath time rituals @theluxurybathcompany #myluxurybath