The Dirt on Clean is a fascinating new book by Katherine Ashenburg, Ph.D.

She scoured the world to uncover the history of bathing, and she found out that we clean-freak, bathe-every-day Americans are the squeakiest, soapiest people on earth.

Here are some fun, interesting facts about the hygiene habits of our forefathers from The Dirt on Clean:

  • The accumulated sweat, dirt and oil that a famous athlete or gladiator scraped off himself was sold to fans in small vials. Roman women reportedly used it as a face cream.
  • Medieval Christians proved their holiness by not washing. A monk came upon a hermit in the desert and rejoiced that he "smelt the good odour of that brother from a mile away."
  • The ancient Egyptians went to great lengths to be clean, but both sexes anointed their genitals with perfumes designed to deepen and exaggerate their natural aroma.

I bathe daily not only to freshen up, but also to unwind. Read Cafe MicheleZ's A Bath Can Save the Day post over at Beauty & Style for tips.

Do you bathe every single day? How much of a clean freak are you?