---
product_id: 4180842
title: "The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History"
brand: "katherine ashenburg"
price: "C$2830"
currency: NIO
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
url: https://www.desertcart.ni/products/4180842-the-dirt-on-clean-an-unsanitized-history
store_origin: NI
region: Nicaragua
---

# The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History

**Brand:** katherine ashenburg
**Price:** C$2830
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History by katherine ashenburg
- **How much does it cost?** C$2830 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ni](https://www.desertcart.ni/products/4180842-the-dirt-on-clean-an-unsanitized-history)

## Best For

- katherine ashenburg enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted katherine ashenburg brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

Full description not available

## Images

![The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History - Image 1](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41CHZGqH-TL.jpg)
![The Dirt on Clean: An Unsanitized History - Image 2](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/517N0A3z96L.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Rub-a-dub-dub. Or not.
  

*by M***E on Reviewed in the United States on May 2, 2017*

“Show me a people’s bathhouses and bathrooms, and I will show you what they desire, what they ignore, sometimes what they fear ‒ and a significant part of who they are.” – Katherine Ashenburg, in the introduction to THE DIRT ON CLEAN“When the future Louis XIII of France was born, in 1601, the court physician kept notes on the child’s washing history … At six weeks his head was massaged. At seven weeks, his abundant cradle cap was rubbed with butter and olive oil. The baby’s hair was not combed until he was nine months old. At the age of five, his legs were washed for the first time, in tepid water. He had his first bath at the ripe age of almost seven.” ‒ from THE DIRT ON CLEAN“Odors are unnecessary and those who have them are violating rules of courtesy.” ‒ Sophie Hadida, in her 1932 book 

  
Manners for Millions: A Correct Code of Pleasing Personal Habits









  
  
    
  “There’s character - in soap and water” ‒ from an American magazine ad of the 1920s“The Hotel on Rivington (offers) floor-to-ceiling windows in the shower that makes it visible to the hotel’s neighbors.” ‒ from THE DIRT ON CLEANTHE DIRT ON CLEAN by Katherine Ashenburg is a survey of the cultural attitudes regarding personal hygiene spanning the Greek and Roman eras to the present. It focuses on the nation states of Europe – mainly Western Europe – and the United States. It ignores the cleanliness standards of the Middle and Far East, and only touches on Muslim habits as they conflicted with Christian ones when the former occupied much of Spain.By the book’s conclusion, the reader learns that personal hygiene is cyclical, evolving over the centuries from very clean to dirty to reasonably clean to appalling and disgustingly filthy to reasonably clean again progressing currently to something compulsively obsessive (especially with us crazy Americans!).THE DIRT ON CLEAN is comprehensively instructive in a school text sort of way. It is, however, lacking in humor. Had the topic fallen under the word processor of, say, Mary Roach (

  
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers









  
  
    
  ,

  
Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex









  
  
    
  , and 

  
Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal









  
  
    
  ), who takes the human condition seriously but, with a wink and a nod, not too seriously, it would’ve been enormously entertaining as well.The volume’s pages are liberally sprinkled with sidebar quotes from other sources relating to the subject in the context of the time period covered by the chapter at hand. These sidebars are set into their own text boxes in a smaller and lighter (in darkness) font. If your eyesight is failing with age (as mine is), a magnifying glass is called for.THE DIRT ON CLEAN is an eminently readable contribution to the social studies genre.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    A fun and informative read
  

*by C***D on Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2013*

I hated to see this book end. The text is presented in a breezy, very readable fashion and there are any number of curious illustrations to peruse. I learned so much about historical Western cleanliness that I may never read another historical romance! I mean, ew, they didn't even wash their hands at some points!It would have been nice to get a non-Western history as well, but that could well be saved for another book and/or author. As it is, I'd recommend this book for curious people as well as writers (and readers) of historicals. And for those who are worried that perhaps they're missing being completely clean in today's über-fastidious America. (btw, I'm going to steal "Nacirema" for one of my novels. Too bizarre!)Loved it! Commented all over Facebook about it. It's going on one of my "keeper" shelves.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 







  
  
    Eye opener book
  

*by Y***A on Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2018*

I am amazed that we have the chance nowadays to enjoy daily showers, toilets, and many other luxuries that in other times were so far from daily life as described in this book. The evolution of hygiene is very very interesting as it crosses so many other historic landmarks, and how it changes depending on the different cultures.What we see from other epochs, from sculptures and paintings is certainly not what we would have smelled!I read it once. And I plan to read it again soon. It gives material for very entertaining conversations.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ni/products/4180842-the-dirt-on-clean-an-unsanitized-history](https://www.desertcart.ni/products/4180842-the-dirt-on-clean-an-unsanitized-history)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Nicaragua*
*Store origin: NI*
*Last updated: 2026-01-25*