Sure, we've come a long way, but the fundamentals of cleaning and washing have remained more constant than you might think
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That’s not food!
In New York, the Camp Fire Girls’ 1932 demonstration on “how to bathe a baby” takes a chuckle-worthy turn into funny baby photo territory when the wee one puts the soap in his mouth. Clearly, the Red Cross nurse is more than a little concerned, but the girl on the right seems to be enjoying the tot’s antics.
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Tandem tub time
“This picture of my sister Joyce and me was taken in the summer of 1928. I’m the happy one on the right. We were allowed to cool off in the washtub, half-filled with water, under the supervision of Mother.” —Donna Gardner Samborn of Auburn, Michigan, in Reminisce
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Flu prevention
The COVID-19 pandemic drew plenty of comparisons to the influenza outbreak of 1918, and the mask-clad worker in this 1920 photo certainly highlights some similarities. Here, he sprays an “anti-flu virus spray” on the top of a double-decker bus.
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Soaping up
These boys at a summer camp in Kent, England, in June 1931, clean their hair and faces all in a line, each using individual wash buckets.
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Baby bath time
At a German women’s clinic in 1931, it’s bath time for a couple of adorable babies, one of whom is getting clean in a tiny tub.
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Rinsing off
This family has quite the setup in this photo from 1931! A quintet of kids, in their vintage swimsuits, rinsing off under an outdoor shower … all at the same time. Hey, at least there appears to be good water pressure!
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Smelly stain removal
“My young husband and I were living in a small Colorado town in the 1930s. When my one dress-up dress was soiled, I couldn’t wash it because it was made of wool. I drew a little gasoline from a pump at our repair shop and rubbed the spots, which came right out. But on our evening out, I began to smell gasoline. I was terrified our hosts would notice.” —Vern Berry of Bettendorf, Iowa, in Reminisce
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Wash those hands
Now this looks familiar. This photo, taken in 1931 Germany, could almost pass for a scene from today—if not for the vintage sink taps. Eliminating germs by hand washing is a practice that never goes out of style.
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Hosed down
This swimmer (in an incredibly stylish old-timey bathing suit!) decided that one spray of water just wasn’t enough for his rinse-off at this Italian spa. An attendant hoses him down in this 1926 photo.
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Dirty jobs
These engineers share a wash bucket as they clean up after what was surely a grueling day at a German engineering works in 1930.
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Clean hands all around
What did school look like 100 years ago? Something just like this. These kindergarteners from 1930 wash their hands and faces; one boy gets his face toweled off by the teacher, perhaps after snack time.
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Doggie bath
Hygiene is important for dogs too—even back in the day! This adorable terrier gets a shampoo from these two groomers in 1930 Los Angeles.
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Family’s first toilet
“This 1929 Ford Model A pickup came in handy for all sorts of jobs on our family’s farm near Milan, Michigan, including moving the privy. The outhouse was used on our farm until my daddy built a new house with indoor plumbing.” —David Cranson of Payson, Arizona, in Reminisce
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Outdoor clean-up
In 1929 France, these children fill up water jugs and buckets—and do a little self-cleaning as well—at a fountain on a Parisian street.
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Barber’s little girl
“A visit to the barbershop was an adventure for the barber’s daughter in 1934. The well-groomed lass in this photo is my future mother-in-law, Joyce Bjerk Jacobson, then 3, with her father, Oscar Bjerk, in Karlstad, Minnesota.” —Bertha Jacobson of San Antonio, Texas, in Reminisce
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Bucket dump
These Boy Scouts in Germany get a little extra help with their washing regimen as their buddies dump buckets of water over their heads, smirking all the while, in this 1927 photo. Now that’s good, clean fun.
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River bath
In 1932 France, these boys in bathing caps rinse off (while splashing and playing around, too!) in a river in the Bois de Boulogne. And this isn’t just a river—it’s also an obstacle on a horse trail! They might need another bath after this bath.
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Multitasking
In 1925, this New York woman relaxes in the bath while filling out a crossword puzzle. Note that she also has the radio perched on the side of the tub, listening to it through headphones, which may not be entirely safe—but we’re loving her self-care vibes!
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Double duty
“Mom’s humor shows in this photo as she gave me a ‘haircut’ and bath outside our home in rural Luverne, Minnesota, around 1930.” —Lily Hartmann of Boulder, Colorado, in Reminisce
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Team clean-up
This team of German gymnasts washes their feet after a competition. They’re participating in the 1921 International Workers’ Olympiad, a sporting competition held in Czechoslovakia as an alternative to the Olympics. Some nations viewed the Olympics as favoring the upper class.
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Washing the dishes
We see an early version of a dishwasher in this 1921 picture of a woman feeding water into a transparent drum. The dishes are loaded into a wire rack, and, according to ads for this technology, they would be completely clean in only two minutes!
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Freshen up
In 1923, this trio of English campers washes up outside their tent using these handy-looking basins. Note the mirror and hairbrush perched against the legs of one of them!
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