1. Clean teeth? Do some gargling with urine
This is by far one of the worst and least hygienic practices from the past that’s why it must be put in the first place. Can you actually imagine that people used to believe that this was one of the best methods to clean your teeth?
Additionally, chances are low that they were using their pee. Families saved their urine in special chamber pots, and dealers even collected it from public urinals and were required to pay a special fee. Yikes, that’s even worse!
2. Toilet paper is overrated! Use a sponge on a stick
Of course, toilet paper wasn’t available back in the day, but you had to clean your butt after you used the toilet. And what was the main item used? I’ll tell you what that was: a sponge. Doesn’t sound that bad, right? But the story doesn’t end here.
The “tersorium” (or the wannabe toilet paper) was just a wooden stick with a sea sponge attached, and users would “sterilize” it for the next user by dipping it in a bucket of vinegar. Marvelous! However, people without access to high-end sponge sticks were forced to use broken crockery as a substitute for wiping. Ouch!
