Outdated hygiene practices that are anything but clean

Burned Herbs and Wine for Cleaning Teeth

Dental hygiene in the Victorian era was far from fresh and minty. People brushed their teeth with burned herbs like rosemary and rinsed with wine or vinegar. In some cases, they even used urine. It’s no wonder that bad breath was likely a widespread problem.

While these methods helped somewhat, they were a poor substitute for real toothpaste. One can only imagine the conversations… surely with noses plugged.