tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post7188335335546214915..comments2024-03-18T14:35:37.633-07:00Comments on Grace Elliot - blog.: The Stand-Up Wash: Keeping Clean in Victorian BritainPippa Elliotthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-72329702958773531842015-07-26T17:15:08.387-07:002015-07-26T17:15:08.387-07:00I can remember washing in the river as a kid. We u...I can remember washing in the river as a kid. We used Ivory soap because it would float.<br /><br />DebAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-54341930543058781902015-05-11T12:09:35.483-07:002015-05-11T12:09:35.483-07:00Thank you, Asa, for such fascinating information. ...Thank you, Asa, for such fascinating information. What goes around comes around. I can see people going back to the "Swedish" wash if water rationing came in during a drought. <br />As a student I lived in a flat so grotty that I'd never dream of getting a bath there. Instead, I used the stand-up wash method, and visited the sports centre from time to time for a shower. Nobody remarked I smelt! <br />Oh, and "Grace Elliot" is a tribute to Grace Dalrymple Elliot - an 18th century lady with a reputation for living life on the edge (and manipulating people - but we'll draw a veil over that part.) <br />Once again, thank you for your comments. Would you be interested in writing your observations as a short guest blog post? It would be lovely to share this with more people. <br />Kind regards, <br />Grace xPippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-75027276278530536262015-05-11T07:53:26.957-07:002015-05-11T07:53:26.957-07:00Hello, Grace. I found the mention of "dress s...Hello, Grace. I found the mention of "dress shields" interesting, having found them sewn onto some second-hand clothing, but haven't really made use of them myself in modern clothing. I normally buy clothes I can wash myself, but those shields are really practical in fancy dresses and jackets. I had the Swedish name for the "dress shields" in the back of my head and searched online. The colloqial name is "svettlappar" (sweat rags), business name "ärmlappar" (arm rags or arm pads). You can still buy them in haberdashery shops and departments, I suppose, they're at least available online, see here: http://www.textilpresentia.se/sybehor/muddar-svettlappar There are black and white in different sizes for long sleeves, short sleeves and sleeveless clothes, suitable for both male and female suits, tails and ballgowns. You fasten them with safety pins or you can make a few stitches. One make is Prym, for example article number 994181 for white medium.<br />I guess Swedes are both old-fashioned and practical. We didn't really get modern bathrooms in flats and houses until 1930s to 50s, lots of summer houses and some other old houses still aren't modernized with hot and cold water and bathroom, so many Swedes still live like in the old days at least on vacation. In some cases you're not allowed running water and sanitation like in allotments, where many people more or less live all summer. So we still know how to wash with the help of a bowl and cloth. My parents' summer house (my grandparents' permanent home) got a bathroom in 1955, but we need to heat the water in the boiler with the wood stove, so in summer we usually don't bother getting hot water in the tap for showers and warm washes. We heat water in a pot on the stove and pour some hot water in cold tap water in the water basin for wash in bathroom, sink in kitchen for washing dishes. For a less Victorian way of washing, clothes off, you can stand in a small tub, close to your water basin and pitcher, rub with washcloth and pour water on you, dirty water ends up in the tub around your feet. I wouldn''t call Swedes Victorian ;) , we just like to live in an old-fashioned way for a while. As long as we can get a nice shower before work or after gym on weekdays.<br />Greetings, Åsa<br />P.S. Haven't read your books, but since it looks like you put attention to historic detail and facts, I feel inclined to do so, Love your name too. Elliot from Persuasion?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-74282141961527073002015-04-26T07:28:50.106-07:002015-04-26T07:28:50.106-07:00Hi Parlance,
thanks for dropping by. Do you remem...Hi Parlance, <br />thanks for dropping by. Do you remember how the dress shields attached? <br />I imagine they would make you hotter as well, since they are effectively insulating an area that is designed to lose heat. <br />G xPippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-3434135805385124842015-04-26T07:27:00.150-07:002015-04-26T07:27:00.150-07:00Gosh - interesting - I suspect using anti-perspira...Gosh - interesting - I suspect using anti-perspirant is easier. I wonder how the dress shields attach. <br />Thanks so much for stopping by. <br />G xPippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-84689772841200161622015-04-26T07:26:05.828-07:002015-04-26T07:26:05.828-07:00Love it! That does sound a "nautical" wa...Love it! That does sound a "nautical" way of doing things. Thank you for sharing! <br />G xPippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-68030963531273185272015-04-26T07:25:32.157-07:002015-04-26T07:25:32.157-07:00Thank you, Helena and Debra. It seems to me from H...Thank you, Helena and Debra. It seems to me from Helena that bathing goes in and out of fashion...not a happy thought! <br />G xPippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-80839141907907402852015-04-26T04:06:26.524-07:002015-04-26T04:06:26.524-07:00I used to use 'dress shields' in the fifti...I used to use 'dress shields' in the fifties and sixties here in Australia. parlancehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11175843064324380048noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-71631502523794323992015-04-25T08:30:15.497-07:002015-04-25T08:30:15.497-07:00You can still get "dress shields" to kee...You can still get "dress shields" to keep perspiration stains out of your clothing, though they are rarer these days.Jeri Westersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08621322664609246112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-64610442131671060332015-04-23T05:11:56.615-07:002015-04-23T05:11:56.615-07:00I learned from my father ( now 95 years old) - whe...I learned from my father ( now 95 years old) - when onboard our small sailboat for a week or more, "wash down as far as possible, then wash up as far as possible - then wash Possible. !!!" All with the same bowl of water ....!Brenda Kellihernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-15673268360157326772015-04-22T12:19:29.256-07:002015-04-22T12:19:29.256-07:00Very interesting, both Grace's article and you...Very interesting, both Grace's article and your comments, Helena. I wish I could remember everything I learn from you both.Debra Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03256313302199653185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-22108610292476103702015-04-22T01:18:50.407-07:002015-04-22T01:18:50.407-07:00My grandmother's house in Maine had no running...My grandmother's house in Maine had no running water, so we washed this way as children when visiting her -- usually a week or two at a time. It never bothered me in the least, but it was summer.<br />I would like to note, however, that the idea that bathing was unhealthy came in with the Reformation and puritanical outrage over public bathing houses that were viewed as immoral. Also increasing crowding in cities was causing a spread of disease, which was associated with water (the dirty water, of course) and also put people off bathing. Throughout the Middle Ages, in contrast, bathing was common. The very wealthy had hot and cold running water in their castles (e.g. the Black Prince at Kennington, Percys at Warkwarth). Most in the upper-classes had cork-lined baths, often with linen curtains, that were set up and filled by hand (bucket by bucket), and the poor went to public bath-houses. Guests were always offered baths, particularly knights. In the crusader states where the Roman tradition of bathing had never died, there were lovely bath houses with marble floors and tile walls etc.Helena P. Schraderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06535398166485310212noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-28481928793127812172015-04-20T00:44:24.624-07:002015-04-20T00:44:24.624-07:00Oh how lovely! It's a comment on life that the...Oh how lovely! It's a comment on life that the pretty jugs and bowls survived to the present day, but the slop buckets didn't (except, I suppose for some chamber pots.) <br />Thanks for visiting, do call again. <br />Regards, <br />Grace Pippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-76846108431441659332015-04-19T19:51:24.500-07:002015-04-19T19:51:24.500-07:00I have an antique wash stand, bowl, and pitcher in...I have an antique wash stand, bowl, and pitcher in my guest room. (Purely ornamental!) I always assumed that the bowl and pitcher were for washing hands and faces only. I had NO idea that it was used to wash the whole body. Thanks for a very informative post.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16329122662762438132noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-6130828285789287352015-04-19T13:34:35.321-07:002015-04-19T13:34:35.321-07:00Isn't that waist amazing! There's inspirat...Isn't that waist amazing! There's inspiration for another blog post right there. <br />I totally agree with your comments about basic hygiene. So often I read a historical novel and wonder that the characters never seem to go to the toilet or get a wash. <br />Thank you for visiting and leaving a comment. <br />Kind regards, <br />Grace Pippa Elliotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10128414630918980034noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4745893693457784689.post-5826954839378724142015-04-19T11:54:25.497-07:002015-04-19T11:54:25.497-07:00Great article, Grace. There is so much about basi...Great article, Grace. There is so much about basic hygiene that is difficult to learn from history since it was taken so much for granted that people didn't write about it (much) in letters or describe it in journals. I am always glad to find bits of information that explain just how they did things. As an aside - that woman's waist in the first picture is unreal! I know that can't have been healthy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com