The story of cleanliness is a long journey through history. Religions have many rituals around hygiene and cleanliness. The religious notion seems to be more around purity - which a a physical, moral or ritual state of freedom from pollutants. "Pure and clean" go together in various bibles/religions.
The Phoenicians used soap and the Greeks and Romans had plumbing and toilet facilities. There is evidence of nethanderals practicing cleanliness in the caves. Even during Medieval times, it was common practice for people to wash their hands before meals (they didn't use utensils then.) An ordinary peasant removed the day's grime, but the aristocrat had many roles of etiquette:
…and let your fingers be clean, and your fingernails well-groomed. Once a morsel has been touched, let it not be returned to the plate. Do not touch your ears or nose with your bare hands. Do not clean your teeth with a sharp iron while eating. It is ordered by regulation that you should not put a dish to your mouth. He who wishes to drink must first finish what is in his mouth. And let his lips be wiped first. Once the table is cleared, wash your hands, and have a drink.
So what happened that changed things? It is the Plague: it is blamed for the deterioration of cleanliness. Doctors declared that bathing was dangerous and opened the skin to illness. From the mid-16th century into the 19th century a person could live a whole life without a good wash. This is the age where people changed into fresh 'linens' to absorb dirt and grime, so that the linens could be washed rather than the body. Nosegays were held close to the nose to cover the smells (Stench) of city and people.
So here we are today - back into a world where cleanliness is again valued and hygiene considered essential to life.
More irises today - with their complicated frills and amazing colours.
