What Hygiene Was Like During The Great Depression

[@therealhousewifeofballtown]

I was raised by my Grandma , she survived the Great Depression . She saved everything that could be used . She was the most inventive cook I’ve ever seen . She could cook shoe leather and make it delicious. Her home was always clean and she always looked nice . She told me we might be poor, but we are clean . She was a real treasure and I miss her . She was 5ft tall and so dainty and delicate , and she was the strongest woman I’ve ever seen . ♥️

[@zevonderwaffle5254]

My Great Grandmother was very similar, I’m sorry for your loss, people that impact your life like that will truly never go away

[@therealhousewifeofballtown]

@@zevonderwaffle5254 I carry her in my heart , she’s always with me . I strive to be half the woman she was . If I could achieve just that , it would be enough . Thank you for your lovely comment ♥️

[@erinfrazier1439]

That remind me of my own grandmother

[@zevonderwaffle5254]

@Ur Mama I think we use them as a baseline for our own moral code, I was still a young boy when she passed away but the love and strength and compassion she had runs through me everyday cause I know what her words did to help me, I will always carry her with me. When she got altzheimers I was one of the only people she remembered, I don’t think it’s cause she loves me more or anything like that but I knew she stayed alive for me, she told me she was ready to leave and to let go cause she felt like she had done what she needed, she passed away not more than a month after, I kissed her goodbye and left for school and she was gone when I was home, most people don’t even get to say goodbye. Her love runs through me in ways I don’t even understand, it’s just a feeling sometimes, I used to spend hours sitting by myself in her room, it felt like I was with her

[@zevonderwaffle5254]

@Ur Mama as for if it’s possible in this world, no I don’t believe it is, we live in a very nihilistic world and it’s cause of the way people view it, we are so black and white, in way or the other, wrong or right, and that doesn’t promote kindness or acceptance but rather the idea that we are against eachother and can’t work together and that our opinions our the world, it’s bullshit. She came here on a fucking boat with her mom and the USSR left them and took the men in the family, they took her dad and her brothers yet she still came to be the most accepting and loving person ever, so you know what maybe it is possible, how possible I don’t know but it’s possible

[@chrisswimm4948]

Its crazy to think that our lives are better and more comfortable because someone had suffered. I guess that true for alot of things.

[@carmengomez3748]

If you feel but about that, just think that future generations will have better lifes because we are "suffering" right now.

[@edster8416]

Yeap. Evolution. Never try, never know. Just thinking how we take things for granted as a toothbrush evolved so fast

[@retrogurlie]

Animal testing

[@mr.l8527]

That was part of the original American ethos. We work hard so that our descendants can have it better. Rinse and repeat. But really, that's all of history regardless. Each generation has it a little rougher than the next. With innovation comes convenience and with convenience comes comfort. Before civilization, we were hunter-gatherers, wandering the world in search of food and at mercy of the elements and predators... eventually we discovered fire. With the discovery of fire, we could now warm ourselves and ward off predators. Eventually we'd discovered agriculture. With the innovation of agriculture, new generations didn't have to wander...this lead to the wheel. With the invention of the wheel, we could carry larger loads easier and as a result, work became easier and so did travel. Rinse and repeat for many centuries and compounding complexities and here we are today, sitting in comfort, watching videos on our computers and phones. Despite how bad things may seem today, they are far better than they were yesterday and will be even better tomorrow. As of now, we (as a species) have access to more comforts, medicine, food and water than ever before. We are also the most educated generation, with access to more information at our fingertips than every generation before us, combined. Chances are that you have more information in your head than the greatest scholars just 100 years ago. The world is more peaceful than it's ever been before. Technology has gone from improving every few centuries, to ever generation, to every decade, to exponentially every few years. Smile, for despite any social strife and your personal troubles, you are living in the best period of human history. And... if the trend continues, your descendants will be living in a better time, and their descendants will have it even better than they and us. That's why we work. That's why we toil. That's why we innovate. That's why we suffer. It's bigger than you and I, whether we realize it or not. We live to have it better than those before and to make it better for those that will come after.

[@william9922]

@@edster8416 Potato toys & children books make me suffer; I believe we need to cancel all of it, for the future generations

[@mjc63]

My grandmother always said soap and water were cheap and there is no reason for anyone to be dirty. She was so right!

[@sandraargo8382]

Wasn’t Ivory soap 10 cents a bar?

[@struck.kobe1999]

@@sandraargo8382yeah and they didn’t have bottled water

[@joyceedwards9652]

My mom always said that too

[@roselee4445]

What if you don't have have water

[@mjc63]

@@roselee4445 if you don’t have water you have a bigger problem than cleaning up!

[@julieabraham3566]

Gramma was born in the early 1900s, died in the late 1990s. Ivory soap was her lifelong favorite soap. It worked for her in her childhood so she saw no reason to switch over to the fancy perfumed soaps. "If I wanted my bathroom to smell like flowers I'd plant the garden in there!" Being a depression-era child made her a very practical-minded woman.

[@kimrogers4865]

My grand parents didn't use the bath tub, but they both pan bathed. They were extremely clean. I watched my grandma. You started with your hair.wash and rinse, use vinegar in the rinse. Wash body with that water. Throw that water out. Fresh water and wash face, body arms and legs. Fresh water and repeat body, arms and legs and feet. Throw out water Dry body thoroughly. Lotion dry skin. Deodorant where needed Brush your teeth Dress Do your hair. Finished.

[@dannylamberth9038]

I only use ivory soap!

[@kyliedoran4846]

My grandma loved the same soap that's all I ever seen her have was the bars and the liquid yeah my dad's parents lived through the Great Depression my dad was born in 1948 my great-grandfather came here from Ireland and then had my grandpa and then him and my grandma found each other and then they had my dad why the Great Depression was starting to come out of the depression

[@LisaIsabelle]

Over the course of 2 winters in the 30's, my great-grandparents burned their kitchen and bathroom cabinets and the bedrooms floor to stay warm, and yet my great-gran always said they were the lucky ones cuz they had a roof over their head, could afford 2 meals per day and take a bath every other day.

[@ESDguy]

That’s hardcore

[@Hiphop618]

Wow, her gratitude is really admirable. Our grandparents/great grandparents really were the Greatest Generation.

[@unexpectedvixen5685]

Bless their hearts! I can't even imagine how cold they had to be to tear their own house apart to stay warm

[@Hiphop618]

@Denise Higgins more like, the government forcing businesses to shut down is causing job loss and poverty

[@joshuatraffanstedt2695]

Right. I get mad when the kids want to crank up the ac when its 75 degrees or the heater when it's 52. People today don't understand what being cold or hot truly is. We're a pampered couple generations compared to these folks, for sure. Just think, even people living below the poverty line today live better than even the super wealthy people of the past did. Its crazy to think about.

[@fahrinurlaub01vg]

The great depression was even MORE hygienic than I expected. Fascinating and thank you very much for this insight.

[@pamelamays4186]

Depression hygiene was better than I imagined it would be. Suggestion: How jeans went from being just for cowboys to being a fashion statement.

[@ComaLies225]

I could be wrong but I heard it was used in coal mining and the reason for the little pockets is to store diamonds or some shit. Again, I could be wrong so don’t hold my information as truth but I’d be interested in finding out about the rise of jeans

[@jbos5107]

Jeans were invented by a man named Levi in California for the miners during the gold rush that started in 1849. They were made of a heavy canvas and the pockets were riveted so they wouldn't tear. They were a big hit because they were so durable. Dungaree was a type of heavy fabric like canvas and denim that early jeans were made of. The first pair I had you wore them wet until they dried to the fit you wanted. They only came in men's sizes too.

[@diarradunlap9337]

@@ComaLies225 The actual reason for the small pocket on most pants of the time was for the keeping of pocket watches.

[@chiefslinginbeef3641]

They became fashionable from sailors of ww2 liking wearing them and kept them after the war I've heard.

[@chiefslinginbeef3641]

@@Karen-fh7so yep just like prime rib was slave food now it's expensive atleast relatively.

[@littlebird5698]

My grandma was a teen living in Mexico during the great depression she said "we were poor before the depression, we were poor after the depression"

[@Trendsetter5420]

Amen.

[@danatello3694]

My family was like that too poor but happy

[@dem0nchild610]

My great grandmother before she passed used to talk about living through the great depression and used to get really mad at me for not eating the crust from my pizza

[@bopshi]

same here lol

[@Nocturnal_Rites]

There's one element that you didn't mention that I think was extremely important. The Great Depression beat down the pride of people in so many ways -- loss of jobs, loss of income, loss of homes. The one thing that people *could* control was their appearance. If you had soap, which was cheap, and access to water, you could at least stay clean. Not only did it make you more presentable, but it bolstered people's pride and self-respect and gave them the feeling that they could control *something*, even when the rest of the world was falling down around them. In a way, it was a kind of defiance, a way of showing that you hadn't given up. The phrase 'poor but proud' definitely comes to mind. I know my great-grandmothers (I knew two of them) and both my grandmothers were close to fanatical about cleanliness for that reason. Both sides of the family had been prosperous; both were hit hard. However, soap, as mentioned, was cheap, and they *did* have access to water...so staying clean was a matter of determination and a willingness to work hard, both of which they all had in abundance. The family may not have had *many* clothes, but they were kept clean, mended and ironed at all times, and were kept in the best condition possible. That's a *lot* of work given their lack of equipment. On a side note (since I did just watch the video about eating during the Dust Bowl), their other front of defiance was making certain their families were fed. Even if they didn't live on farms, they all knew how to can and to preserve food. Their kids may not have had a very varied diet, but they were all fed, healthy and clean. That was a big thing, then. I actually really admire them for their attitudes. Maintaining their standards of cleanliness was basically a ladylike raised middle finger to circumstances that could have broken them (and did break many people.) Total respect there.

[@serpentines6356]

Good post. It shows the good ol' determination of people keeping their "chin up" during hard times. This kind of history needs to be taught more to the younger people growing up.

[@judeinLA.]

‘The Keep on Thriving, shining and always look good’ philosophy.

[@historywithbrady3204]

I would also like to hear about hygiene of a ww1 soider

[@maximilianolimamoreira5002]

generally? bad

[@historywithbrady3204]

@@maximilianolimamoreira5002 yeah your probaly right

[@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand]

@@historywithbrady3204 not only bad, probably the worst of the 20th century

[@3rdWorldMiss]

Wading through a stream every 2.5 weeks?

[@Hugatree1]

@@historywithbrady3204 conditions were so horrific for those fighting ww1 the term ‘trench mouth’ was invented, same for trench foot. These poor young men fighting and living in trenches for months at a time had no access to decent food or water let alone means of hygiene

[@Nmdixon-cu7vm]

My grandparents were born in the roaring 20’s in a coal mining town and grew up in the Great Depression. They told me numerous stories of surviving day to day and their hygiene like using baking soda and a rag to brush their teeth.

[@cap5macca5jack5]

Mine born in 1912 I remember my grandpa talking about thos and he was also on one of the ships in pearl harbor

[@jeffnaslund]

My parents were kids during this time. I was born in late ‘59

[@posarandposer]

I use baking soda and a rag when I don’t have a toothbrush.

[@breejames6323]

Can you share any of the stories ? I’m interested

[@NiecieSavo]

Baking soda is one of the best teeth whiteners there is. Tastes funny but it works great.

[@co7314]

My great grandmother raised 8 kids in the Great Depression. Her famous saying was, "soap is cheap".

[@roosterj2599]

I had a neighbor growing up who was a captain in the US Navy of a hospital ship during WW2. He told me that they used tampons to fill bullet wounds. Korean and Vietnam war vets who were combat medics used tampons for the same thing and super glue to close large wounds. Like they had a military use before widespread use by the civilian market.

[@ashleyw7868]

Tampons have been used for centuries, but weren’t mass produced until the 30’s. Women used cotton, silk, sponges, paper, moss, fabric scraps, etc. as absorbent material in homemade tampons prior to the creation of Tampax brand tampons. Medical providers still use products that look like tampons to stop bleeding in emergency situations, and super glue has been replaced with a product called Dermabond to close wounds instead of using stitches.

[@roosterj2599]

Interesting.

[@B.H.56]

I believe it started when Army nurses in WW 1 used the medical supply tampons for their personal needs. I'm surprised that OB tampons got their start then.

[@dianeberlin5969]

my dad said when he was in the Marines, they would use sanitary pads on their back pack straps for more comfort

[@mariekatherine5238]

@@dianeberlin5969 My (male) cousin bought maxi sized pads and taped them beneath his armpits so the sweat wouldn’t show when he had to direct the orchestra in the Summer Parks Musical program in our Louisiana community. He had to wear white or pastel she’d shirts and he’d always end up with giant, unsightly stains. Most of the time, the stains didn’t wash out, so the shirts would get used for scrap.

[@gillianbrookwell1678]

My Grandmother was born in 1895, she was just 5 ft tall and the most amazing lady I've ever known in my life; living through two world wars and spending most of her her life a widow, she had the most spotless home, baked all her own bread, and spent hours making jam and marmalade, and did so much for so many people. She used an old fashioned wringer and boiled her whites in a big copper machine. I remember putting the cleanest clothes through the mangle when I was about 10 years old through the mangle on her clothes line. I loved her so much and I'm now 73 but will never forget her.

[@geniasmith5791]

I luv watching things like This (makes you realize how blessed we all are)

[@bungbung8525]

Watching videos like these make me happy I get to live with all of the modern amenities we get to have

[@i-vlog1994]

Doucheing with Lysol sounds absolutely horrible.

[@saltymcsaltface]

Back in my day all the women had bushes, us pioneers cleared the way to the clam for all you whipper snappers

[@benturner3458]

@@saltymcsaltface you lot should be canonised as saints, or have statues chiseled in your honor, or have a public holiday set in your name or something........ I don't think enough respect is due. Myself on the other hand...... I salute you for your hard fought victory and service to mankind God I remember when merkins were a thing 🤮

[@BL4KBE4R]

@@saltymcsaltface I miss a nice hairy box. Been since about the mid 90’s since I last seen a hair on a p--y.

[@alexnurmagomedov]

Wtf is douching

[@mtguy234]

@@saltymcsaltface that was pretty funny comment

[@NewMessage]

Lysol? Well.. that certainly is depressing.

[@edwardr5084]

Why...Nothing like a woman that smells fresh linen.

[@auntmaybell4833]

That stuff had to burn burn burn! I did know that it was used as birth control back when prohibition was going on. I learned that while watching the show on HBO called Boardwalk Empire.

[@miriambucholtz9315]

Back in the 60s I remember that plain old white vinegar was useful for feminine hygiene (not contraceptive).

[@maryumgardner5958]

@@miriambucholtz9315 But still, OUCH

[@miriambucholtz9315]

@@maryumgardner5958 You dilute it in water using a small amount of vinegar. It isn't irritating at all that way.

[@elizabethjones2084]

Do NOT douche with Lysol. It's never a good idea.

[@Raherin]

Also don't inject bleach!

[@cap5macca5jack5]

We'll douching is bad anyway so never do it

[@Hughjanus720]

Elizabeth dont spread mis information, where im from we have lysol douching parties. DO NOT disrespect others cultures

[@tstryker03]

You can't tell me what to do!

[@darinbomy8964]

I’ll douche however and with whatever I want! America!!!

[@NolaH-sb4vf]

My wife’s grandmother grew up during the depression....she is a terrible hoarder because of it....she will not through anything away because she’s afraid of being without

[@lindaway5889]

My mother grew up during the depression as well. It affected her exactly the same.

[@kyliepechler]

Just growing up in poverty as a child - during any era - can have the same affect of making you reluctant to throw anything out as an adult, too.

[@christinawhitehead4034]

It tended to make people collectors/hoarders and very creative

[@Lzytchr86]

My grandma was the same way.

[@Trendsetter5420]

You know, my grandparents had the same issue and they too were in the Great Depression. I never thought this may be a reason

[@BigRigVic]

People need to be grateful, especially in the US, about how easy their lives are.

[@gggg-if7ze]

i do agree we need to be grateful, but our lives are still not "easy" at all by any means

[@BigRigVic]

I am basing my measure of easy on contrast with what it takes to get by economically in most other countries. You still have to put in effort and push yourself, but not nearly as much as you would in Russia for example. But I understand what you mean, everything is relative.

[@BigRigVic]

@Opal Allen I don’t remember exactly what in this video made me mention easy life in the US, but yes 100% life in America is easy. You forgot to be grateful for mere opportunity to even have work to work at. As I said, easy doesn’t mean that you don’t have to try and put effort, but tell a common person in India, Thailand, Mexico or Russia that you have a hard life in the United States and they will laugh at you or at least respectfully chuckle. Keep on working and using your options, in that sense you are blessed.

[@melaninqueen1695]

Um "especially in the US" have you actually experienced being in America because its really not the land of freedom people think it is, nor is our government helping the country by any means. It's ridiculous over here.

[@melaninqueen1695]

@@BigRigVic The American government is responsible for causing a bunch of people to become homeless, they're taxing working people high amounts of money, student loan debts are increasing, and there is unsustainable housing prices, as well as with food. Things are going ridiculous over here. We already have like 4 vaccines that hardly work which is why they keep making it because they know it's not doing anyone any good. Over a million of Americans are jobless. I don't know where you get your sources from, but it's really not as easy as you seem to think it is.

[@lesbw356]

3:00 Literally the meaning when a woman was “on the rag”

[@tstryker03]

I wake up everyday and the first thing i ask my wife is if she's "plugged in"

[@verisimilitudeteller]

I would have hoped you would have addressed bathing frequency, especially among poor people who lived in "cold water flats" and such. Daily bathing isn't 100 years old as an idea for everyone. People would "freshen up" using a sink and wash cloth daily but bathe far less frequently, sometimes once a week or even less.

[@maidenminnesota1]

Having had parents that grew up during the Great Depression, I already knew that hygiene really wasn't much different than it is today. Food, on the other hand, was a different story. Dad always talked about them taking ONE breakfast sausage, and splitting it 3 ways between himself and his parents (he was an only child). It was also a reason why he ended up hating sherbet. One hot summer day he thought he was getting an extremely rare treat of a vanilla ice cream cone, when in fact it was pineapple sherbet (which is delicious). He hated sherbet from that day on.

[@serpentines6356]

That is funny. I love pineapple sherbet! It's cool read reading through the posts, with all their different little stories like this.

[@eringomez-watters7881]

I love these brief looks into our past. I eagerly await them daily. Thank you.

[@aakar1s]

I think this was mostly an opportunity for companies to make money, and also, it was more effective to use social stereotypes than scientific facts to motivate people to change their behaviour. Still is, sadly...

[@brittneybrisbin744]

I thought that too. How sad that, even when millions of people were impoverished and dying, companies still were trying to prey on insecurities.

[@vicmagnificent1595]

And they're using these same tactics on the same people

[@Gigismom59]

I am the adopted daughter of a woman who told me that she used Lysol regularly as did my grandmother. My mom was unable to bear children and died from cancer. All bc chemical companies were putting profit b4 safety even then. Very interesting video.

[@saltymcsaltface]

Next on Weird History: 'What as hygeine like at Woodstock'

[@5809AUJG]

WHAT hygiene at Woodstock? There wasn't any!

[@bonnierussell7824]

Everybody was too stoned to remember hygiene.

[@bigchomnk2934]

Woodstock 99!

[@Hiphop618]

nonexistent

[@buddyholly9960]

@@bigchomnk2934 nah man woodstock 60s was were it's at Jimi Hendrix

[@erinvelasquez3316]

I’ve seen several laundromats here in Texas that sat Washateria.

[@erinvelasquez3316]

*That have signs that read washateria*😉

[@reichan2590]

Your voice is perfect for storytelling

[@duane_313]

Hey Mars 😉

[@reichan2590]

What’s up!

[@kevinbyrne4538]

9:04 -- My father told me about the incredible labor that his mother did in order to wash the family's clothes. A whole day was spent washing and rinsing the clothes and the following day was spent ironing them. This happened every week.

[@kc-qu2vh]

I grew up in Montana and did our wash that way till the late 70's. If it froze while those clothes were on the clothesline it was like bringing a cold cardboard cutout in and then we had to put them on the heater to thaw them out lol

[@kevinbyrne4538]

@@kc-qu2vh -- My dad said that during the winter, the same thing would happen to the clothes that his mom had rinsed and wrung partially dry. He also mentioned boiling the dirty clothes and stirring them with a paddle. I'm surprised that people were still washing clothes that way as late as the 1970s. You're a tough cookie.

[@kc-qu2vh]

@@kevinbyrne4538 strange as it sounds some of my cousins still had outhouses and a pump in the kitchen for water. I remember staying with them once and having to heat water for doing the dishes. I felt we were rich having a real bathroom and running water. Crazy times for sure and makes me appreciate convenience lol

[@kc-qu2vh]

And that was in the 70's

[@kevinbyrne4538]

@@kc-qu2vh -- Outhouses. Ugh.

[@CharCanuck14]

In 1940, at the age of 16, my mother had her first real bath when visiting her aunt in the city. I was blown away when she told me this as she was a very clean person. I guess growing up on a farm during a drought and depression makes sense of her situation.

[@alicephillips3214]

There are many ways to take a bath and wetting a washcloth with soap and soaping up your body and rinsing off with another wet cloth was considered a bath. They do the same in hospital patients and bed fast people now. Sitting in a tub full of water is a luxury but also puts all your dirt and germs in the water to spread all over your body.

[@Sandy-ik6yc]

My momma said (there were 12 kids 6/6). On Saturday evenings they had to get their baths for church so the girls all slept upstairs and the girls on their periods were the last to get a bath. We are truly spoiled. I thank God for water, electric, cars etc. More ppl need to be a little more thankful.

[@CharCanuck14]

@@Sandy-ik6yc I totally agree that we need to be more thankful for todays conveniences.

[@Sandy-ik6yc]

@@CharCanuck14 🙏

[@Kat-hw1jq]

Wow these videos are really well done!! The editing and pictures, you can also tell how much research really went in to these.

[@nedisahonkey]

I knew that lysol douche fact but Jesus it never ceases to shock me.

[@laurenconrad1799]

This was fascinating. I'd love to see videos about hygiene in other eras.

[@grapeshot]

I remember my grandparents telling me about how they would manufacture their own soap. Out of animal fat, lye.🧼🧼🧼

[@jlshel42]

Did your grandpa work for the Paper St. Soap Company?

[@TheMalkavianmadman]

I have seen a family cookbook from the time, its interesting to see how resourceful they were at the time.

[@pleasedroses3811]

The soap probably didn’t contain fragrances or colorings, either.

[@benturner3458]

Ironically it was probably better quality soap than we have now (unless you get it from Tyler Durton)

[@therealhousewifeofballtown]

I still make lye soap . It’s awesome ! I also make some soaps from goat milk and Shea butter .

[@deewesthill1358]

There were public health and hygiene campaigns in the 1930s when federal workers traveled into rural areas, teaching kids and older people about hygiene, sanitation, germs, preventive health care, disinfection methods, etc. I thought that stuff might be mentioned. My mother was in her mid-teens and was already teaching in one-room schools, where they were having kids write essays on subjects like how flies spread disease, etc. Mama was always very diligent about cleanliness of body, clothes, house, and food preparation, avoiding clutter, and keeping things in good order and repair. Yet she wasn't a fanatic about it, she was very patient and didn't throw a fit if us kids tracked dirt on the kitchen floor.

[@karlkutac1800]

"Robitussin, on the other hand..." LOL Priceless

[@madithedestroyer6079]

gotta get that good L E A N

[@Angino3]

You have a video on childbirth in the middle ages, but could you do one on looking after babies & young children during the Medieval period? :)

[@millerwrites9441]

This explains a lot of my dad's attitudes especially towards cleanliness.

[@heyheytaytay]

My grandfather spoke of how dirty he and his siblings were as children, having nothing to eat but frozen peas.

[@made-line7627]

Makes me feel guilty when I sit there snacking on frozen peas, like they're nothing

[@VanillaMacaron551]

so they had a fridge and electricity?

[@queencerseilannister3519]

Yeah after my grandma died, we found sooo much of her money hoarded away. She was a product of the Great Depression era.

[@shebamaree9026]

Queen Cersei Lannister they did not trust banks either before the 29 crash or immediately after

[@joshuatraffanstedt2695]

@@VanillaMacaron551 they had iceboxes. They'd have dry ice delivered just like milk. It came in big blocks.

[@bloodliriel]

My mom was born in 1940 in Germany. She used self-crocheted tissues that were tied to the legs and reused after washing. If they were not hanging on the washing line, the neighbours knew the lady of the house was pregnant. She started working 1957 and spent a third of her monthly wage to buy the freshly available tampons against her parents will.

[@nadine1457]

What a story. Thanks for sharing!

[@bloodliriel]

@@nadine1457 even for me this sounds incredible. And her mom freaked out completely, saying what she did was "a sin"!

[@serpentines6356]

Yes. That's interesting. Always have wondered how women handled the monthly cycle in other countries, and during hard times. After the "toxic shock" scare many women did switch back to cloth. And for some, tampons were just too uncomfortable.

[@romella_karmey]

It's good that my granparents both from my parents lived in remote rural residences where they can just grow vegetable in their backyards or even forage fruits and root crops in the forest. Healthy living yet they are all FREE. That's probably why they lived longer.

[@serpentines6356]

Yes. Sounds like they got lucky that way, had a good life. Good for them.

[@rkn3045]

Nothing like giving birth while recovering from chenical burns. Thanx, lysol

[@evirareid1500]

Ow

[@serpentines6356]

This is reminding me. If you haven't already, read the "Grapes of Wrath", one of our great American novels. Love that novel.

[@samueljackson6188]

In ragtown Oklahoma they burned everything. Even their own poop and urine. Every shanty had an outhouse equip with a bucket that would be taken to ragtowns incinerator. Garbage was also burned. As reverend Sam said fire is the great purifier! My grandparents had to hitch the wagon once a week then go to eagle lake for water. They had a homemade water filter and would boil every once of water before using it. They used the wash tub for everything. Dishes, laundry, and baths. They would use homemade soap and a ladle. Improvised shower. That one room shanty had no rooms. So you hung a blanket. Lice and pinworms were a problem. So they would boil their clothes in vinegar. Some times with lye if they could get it. I truly am thankful for my grandparents teaching me the old ways. Such a same that nobody does any canning any more.

[@cynthiablandford6213]

They are still use the term, " shanty towns," in in the inprovished areas in South Africa.

[@dvdv8197]

2:39 The origins of the expression "Another one bites the dust."

[@owenkaiser8762]

Damn that’s dark

[@SentinelGhost]

I always just thought it was from falling and hitting the ground/dirt

[@iAnon666]

Strangely enough, “bite the dust” has been around since the King James Bible was published in 1611. According to the Bible, “They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust” (Psalms 72.9). While “lick the dust” is a variation of the phrase we know today, it still contains the similar meaning of falling to the ground in defeat.

[@sherbert85]

The 'Lisol Douche' one literally had my jaw dropped from the moment it popped up on the screen..😵

[@deniseroe5891]

My parents were born in 1923 and 1924. Mom told me about when she had her period they used rags and had to wash them out and reuse them. There were six women/girls in the family Her sister used orange rinds as a form of diaphragm in the 30’s and 40’s.

[@alicephillips3214]

She must have lived in a state where oranges grew because they sure were not available as they are now in non-growing states. People were overjoyed to get an orange at Christmas time when snow covered the ground in the North. Too expensive for most poor people to buy.

[@serpentines6356]

Wow, that's a trip. Sounds painful too. Reading through these posts is a bit of history trivia. Quite interesting.

[@zenmindstate110]

Now that’s depressing. Reminding me today to brighten my mood and be happy with what I have.

[@melanietoth1376]

My family owned a grocery during the depression so my great grandparents and grandparents had it better than most but the experience influenced so much of their lives. I was raised with their frugality and still retain many stories and recipes from the era.

[@melanietoth1376]

They lived in Chicago. First and second generation Hungarian immigrants. My great grandfather ran a barber shop and had been a barber surgeon back in Hungary. My great grandmothers side were grocer/merchants for centuries before immigration.

[@JohnDonovanProductions]

Lux and Lever Bros. created some of my favorite radio sitcoms! Of course the word soap opera has become synonymous with television, but my favorite dramatic presentations will always be radio.

[@mariekatherine5238]

We grew up with boar bristle tooth and hair brushes. For tooth powder, salt or baking soda, (salaratus water) make a good substitute. My grandmother died at age 102, believing tampons took your virginity! We girls had to hide them. The Lysol bit? That’s crazy! Ouch! We did use it for nits in the hair, Listerine, too. We took a sponge bath every day, but full baths were for Saturday nights. Water got reused for the little boys, and we made our own all-purpose soap from meat drippings and lye. Keeping fresh air in one’s rooms was considered part of hygiene. Even in winter, our bedroom window would be kept open a crack with a vent on top and bottom.

[@lindagusch2671]

My mother always told me when in.was on HS that I could not use.tampons until I was married. Meaning when I was Not a.virgin.because I was now married. I told that to my daughters when they were in high school and they practically fell on the floor they were laughing so hard.

[@n.herbig7592]

This was extremely informative, I never knew so much came out The Great Depression. Take away even if your broke be sure to wash your a$$. 😁😁😁😁👍

[@holagabriella]

the lysol part made me curious on what other practices women at the time did

[@archangel5627]

When Listerine first hit the market it was sold as a floor cleaner. Who ever thought it was a great idea to sip floor cleaner and use it to clean mouth instead was either truly brave or seriously stupid. But in the end it became mouth wash.

[@hillcrock]

Makeup for women was dangerous

[@TheLadiGigi]

I want to see what hygiene might be in the future.

[@taufanadikurniawan7170]

It's really interesting, I could imagined 20 years from now, video title would be: "What hygiene was like during COVID-19 pandemic"

[@piercedsiren]

"people refused to wear masks even though there was scientific research showing it helped to stop the spreading."

[@piercedsiren]

Also after all of this is over, eventually, you know maybe in a couple year, i never want to hear or see the word "covid" or "corona" ever again. Even that beer can go to hell i have trauma.

[@AngelInDisguise194]

It's amazing how companies like Palmolive or Listerine are still present till this day.

[@BeaOtch]

My grandpa said that he realized the difference between being hungry and hunger when he sat down at the table and saw that they were having a possum for dinner... and he was happy to eat it. He ended up going to a CCC Camp so he could eat and have a place to sleep to help take the burden off of his dad who was raising four other sons by himself.

[@serpentines6356]

Yes, very good point. When my goddaughters would say they were "starving" I corrected them and said, "No, you are hungry", you are not even close to starving, explained the difference, and they got it. Children really do need to be taught these things.

[@roselee4445]

The msde 25 dollars per month in ccc. Most sent it home as they ate there in camp

[@claudettes9697]

Yes! Lysol! No one ever believes me. I cannot imagine. 😬🤮

[@MarcusPage15]

WOW! So much I haven't known that I wish i was taught. I didn't know the dust from the dust reached all the way to New York or what Lysol was really for at first. Also, ladies my hats are off to you! Not only do you have to deal with the problems of this world, you're health and modification of hygienes were tough on the body but also used as a science experiment in the early years. Weird History, please never stop! You all are truly the GOAT! Lastly, when will we get our 90s time review!?

[@daybix2524]

I love being early! Do hygiene in the 50’s!

[@CmdrTomalak]

The "Dirty Thirties" had nothing on the "Nasty Nineties". Find out more when the 90's Timeline Series drops.

[@CmdrTomalak]

@OneHairyGuy My condolences?

[@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand]

The Dirty Thirties The Filthy Forties The Stinky Sixties The Smelly Seventies The Gritty Eighties The Nasty Nineties Naughty Noughties

[@SgtPeppersLonelyHeartsClubBand]

@Ur Mama added

[@RiichanTV103]

‘Washing machines were expensive’ it still is 😂before we got our own washing machine my husband and I take turns going to the public laundry. We were like kids when we finally got our own. I was preggy with my second child that time and my husband was so excited he talked to my pregnant belly about the freaking washing machine like a bed time story like staph 😂

[@camerrill]

We ate cornmeal mush pancakes...we saved bacon grease in a coffee can on the stove and never let it go to waste. We ate several of these meals, but no jackrabbits!

[@Mustang1683]

In parts of the rural south (at least where I'm from) you still hear older people refer to a laundromat as a washateria.

[@katherinkeegan8601]

And the refrigerator is the 'icebox'.

[@Jimmy-Volmer]

My Grandma used one of those washers right up to about 1990.

[@HoneyBakedHamlet]

There’s a common saying I know which goes like this: *when someone leaves a door that’s meant to be closed in the house, wide open* “Was your mother raised in a tent?’ My mother was born in 1947, Yes. Yes she was.

[@marsharusk5010]

Hygiene during the depression era was better than I had imagined, fueled by corporate greed and fear of stench everyone was going for everything pushed on them but hey, I like my oils and body washes and deo for bo and shampoo and conditioner and all manner of cleaners for my body and home.😉

[@book4life556]

Weird history idea The gas shortage of the 70s.

[@lindatisue733]

Good idea. I grew up in the 1970's, but was pretty young. I remember dad putting locks on the farm petrol tanks, how many gas stations went out of business, and nobody put up Christmas lights.

[@JayFramed]

Omg thank you for the idea of Robitussen! It's so amazing!

[@johnsomerville8489]

you should do history about great lakes or shipwrecks on great lakes.

[@killplayz1000]

Boring 😴

[@Shusha0029]

The ad at 4:38 makes me so sad for women in that time and the past. I am so thankful I wasn't alive during those times. I'm sure woman in the future will say the same about us one day.

[@queencerseilannister3519]

I love how so much emphasis was put on a woman being single or not. Like being single past the age of 30 was some plague. 🤣 I've had relationships, but now at the age of 41 CHOOSE to be single and focus on my mom who has Dementia. I in no way feel like a "spinster". Poor women have had it bad for so long.

[@carolyngetchman4437]

at that time a woman needed a man to support her ,just how it was

[@newlife45692]

Stop lieing you not choosing you just can't find someone who meets your standards( which you should probably adjust). No one wants to be single and alone at the end of the day period.

[@queencerseilannister3519]

@@newlife45692 Well, you've met the first then, me. I don't want the drama or work of a relationship. I didn't even want or have children.

[@serpentines6356]

@@queencerseilannister3519 Yes, to each his own. Just so you know, it is a bit hard as one gets older, is alone and needs care, and has no children/family to help out. That can be very lonely.

[@juanpablosaenz9037]

I share your feelings about relationships...they are nothing but a hassle. Loneliness is a small price to pay for freedom.

[@dwightmansburden7722]

My mom was born in 1935, and my dad in 1929. Dad was a sharecropper and mom was a coal miner’s daughter. Life was much different then.

[@DwayneIsK1NG]

Damn. It's crazy how old these brands that we know today were

[@honorladone8682]

My grandmother was an orphan in the great depression. She survived and lived to be a 100. God bless our genetics !!!

[@jamesmoss3424]

The great depression was a tuff times.

[@lonelyraver8301]

Just wanna say your channel is so great and watching your videos always brings a smile to my face

[@clever-ish317]

Video idea! “History of toilet paper and the toilet” Lmao did weird History just recommended drinking cough syrup?!😂

[@Hughjanus720]

How else do you take cough syrup? In ya butt?

[@clever-ish317]

@@Hughjanus720 you must be unaware that drinking enough cough syrup can get you fucked up that was what I was getting at lol

[@kamrynrist6049]

@@clever-ish317 that depends on the type of cough syrup, for instance cough syrup with codeine, and cough syrup with dextromethorphan are quiet different.

[@benderbendingrofriguez3300]

Can you make a video on: What Hygiene was like during the roaring 20s?

[@Acme12345]

Great factual information, thanks from Australia

[@anniebranwen4148]

They had more time because of a life with no TV, Internet , video games . People knew that if they didn't take care of their home and family , they could put their families in danger . Remember that there were no antibiotics .

[@cathykristensen4440]

This is by far my favorite channel!!!

[@TurtleChad1]

A turtle doesn't approve of this hygiene

[@dimthecat9418]

What’s with the top hat?

[@misabelrodriguez1163]

@@dimthecat9418 so the turtle may feel like a classy gentleman. And he looks good with it

[@Wren7893]

My depression hygiene is horrible. I need to remind myself it can always be worse and I was born in a good time. 😞

[@Siriusly4033]

I can remember my grandfather using paper towels to dry his hands after washing and then hanging them up to dry to reuse them.

[@TheFirstManticore]

My Depression-era relatives reported using a washcloth and salt to clean their teeth. When they had toothbrushes, they still used salt. I have used baking soda myself.

[@aswarrior6365]

Would you consider doing a video on what it was like to be in the Pony Express

[@JustSomeKittenwithaGun]

Sergeant cat just cleans himself. Simple, effective and easy.

[@eskimo4130]

Pleasurable in some areas too i bet xD

[@JustSomeKittenwithaGun]

@@eskimo4130 Shadowside - Angel with Horns

[@plantlvr]

My Mom grew up in the Depression, she was very inventive!

[@astralfluxaf]

I’ve totally always wondered this kind of stuff!!! Thank you got answering my weird ass questions 😂

[@momomochi4388]

can you do hygiene in ancient asia? i'm so curious! thank you for your interesting videos 🥰❤️

[@AnneFrankDiary]

My grandmother was 10 years old when great Depression kicked in she had a horrible time during the era but she Survive the great Depression era so RIP grandma aka Jasmine jones

[@AnneFrankDiary]

She died from beast cancer I will miss you hopefully your watching me up in the Heavens😢💖🙏

[@PhoenixRayne88]

I'm shocked... you would think after using Lysol they would never be able to have kids...

[@Kaiju-Driver]

Wow learned quite a bit from this one thank you

[@chokkan7]

My grandparents lived in a rural house with no running water (had a hand pump on the cistern in the kitchen), water was heated on the stove, and there was an outhouse far enough away from the house to keep the smell at bay. I'd hazard that they were much cleaner than most of the scumbags I'd run into today...

[@calendarpage]

I spent a summer as a child on a farm in Virginia in the 1960's. They had electricity & a TV, but no running water. There was a big pump outside the front door and we took baths in a tub they brought into the kitchen. There was an outhouse and we used chamber pots at night - in the 1960's!

[@edwardr5084]

Odd comment.

[@monicapyle]

Ah yes, the great depression. And not a cell phone in sight. Everyone just living in the moment lol 😁

[@dog_boy5123]

Oh they were living alright