An unsanitised history of washing

May 15th, 2008  |  Published in Health, Links, Culture  |  1 Comment

An unsanitised history of washing is more interesting than it sounds. I’ve never thought of cleanliness as being inherently cultural until now.

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Responses

  1. Andrew says:

    May 15th, 2008 at 10:02 am (#)

    I can really see the connection between morning routines and religious rituals. Skip out on one or the other and you’re labeled a heathen.

    In my case though, I don’t wash strictly to meet social requirements. I live with OCD and many of my obsessions center around cleanliness. I’m sure it all comes back to the stigma surrounding dirt, but that in itself isn’t why I take my daily shower.

    I think the time spent in the bath or shower has become a chance for much-needed relaxation for many people. I imagine there’s a sizable portion of society who see it more as a “break from the world” than anything else.

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