Part 4/12:
Bathing in colonial America took on forms that seem quite minimalist by today's standards. Full-body baths were a luxury primarily reserved for children, largely to "harden" them rather than for cleanliness. Daily rituals typically involved washing just the face and hands using a basin or cloth, while swimming in local streams was more for recreation than hygiene. Bath tubs were scarce, and those that existed were generally small, only suitable for sponge baths.