BATHING

BATHING

When growing up in a small town in Iowa, taking a bath at our house was a real ordeal. Early in the “Depression” years, the hot water system at our house broke down, and we couldn’t afford to get it repaired. The system consisted merely of some pipes traveling through the furnace, so in the summer even if it were fixed it would be of little use.
The bathtub in our house was the smallest tub I have ever seen then and now. It was 4 ½ feet long and had claws on the feet. It didn’t take a great deal of hot water, which was a good thing because we had to heat the water in a teakettle on the stove. We would heat two teakettles full of water boiling, take them into the bathroom, pour the water into the tub, and then cool the water down. This would give one enough water for a tub bath.
Our family had to space out the taking of baths because it took time to heat the water but that was really not much of a problem as wee took baths only on Saturdays. I can still remember my father in that tub with his knees around his chin as he was six feet tall and the bathtub was a bit small for him.
We were able to take showers when we got to junior high school and took physical education. After running or whatever we did in class we would “have” to take a shower. I know for a fact that shower was the only bath or shower the class took all week. Of course, we could always go swimming at the lake or river in the warm weather.
I remember that the two barbershops in our community were equipped with bathing facilities. Each barbershop had a little room separated from the rest of the shop that contained the bathing facilities. Farmers and townsmen would come in on Saturday afternoon and evening, get a bath, and then a shave. Remember the old song: “Shave and a haircut, two bits?” (25 cents) The price was probably a little higher but it was still the same program. The barber would heat a towel; place it on the patron’s face and after the whiskers were soft, lather the face with soap; and then shave with a straight edge razor. The patron had to trust the barber putting that razor on his neck. If I remember correctly, a shave cost 25 cents.
Now I prefer showers to tub baths because I was in the service in World War II and that was all we ever had. It was a real pleasure to go in off the parade ground and shower, especially in California in August. The military was always very good about provided bathing facilities for the troops. If there was any kind of a permanent base we usually found a shower. It was only when we were away from bases that we had to look for bodies of water to bathe.
There were bathing facilities provided on troopships but the water was from the ocean. If you have ever taken a shower with seawater you will not do it often, as the result is not a clean feeling. The best we could do would be to fill our metal helmets with some of our rationed water and take a sponge bath. That was after we had brushed our teeth and shaved with the water. Even after that we used the remaining water to wash out our socks and underwear. We didn’t waste any of that water, because we got only two or three canteens of water a day.
While stationed in China in World War II most bases had bathing facilities that usually consisted of Chinese heating water in large barrels and then pouring it into an arrangement with holes that simulated a shower, crude but effective. The Chinese had public bathhouses, but we didn’t use them.
We observed while stationed in India in World War II that the Indian people are very clean. Whenever we saw a body of water or a public hydrant they were scooping up water in jugs and pouring the water over their heads. The problem was that they didn’t use soap as they were under the impression that soap contained animal fat which was forbid by their religious beliefs. The Indians just rinsed off the dirt and grime. The Indians would frequently go into the rivers for a cleansing ritual that was associated with their religion.
An interesting point for young people to note is that deodorant didn’t show up until about World War II. The first deodorant that I recall was called Mum. It came in a little jar and was a white salve. Perfume was great for the ladies, but about all the fellows had to use was talcum power. It was okay but didn’t last very long. Because of not laundering clothing very often, bathing once a week and having no deodorant, it was not uncommon to find lots of people with BO.
People who lived in the country had a more difficult time bathing that we did in the towns. There was always the reservoir in the old cook stove for hot water but very few farm houses had running water or sewer. That meant that a big washtub was the bathtub. Although that was okay for the kids, the adults had a more difficult time fitting into the washtub for a bath. That was the reason why many of the menfolk went to the barbershops for a bath. Women used the washtub because they were smaller, or they could scrub well with a washcloth.
When I look back to my days in high school I remember we avoided some of the kids who didn’t have good bathing facilities. We should have been ashamed of ourselves, but at that age it isn’t so easy to realize the circumstances that existed. I distinctly remember one fellow who had to do a lot of farm chores before he came to school. When it was winter and we were stuck in the classrooms with no windows open, it was a real pain to sit by him. He couldn’t help it, but we did make fun of him. Shame on us!
My family used to do a great deal of camping out when our boys were young. We would camp out so many days in tents and then rent a motel room to shower and clean up. Today I love to “rough it” if I have clean sheets, a warm room and hot and cold running water! Above all, I want to have a shower.