Why Did the Romans Use URINE to Wash Clothes? The Answer Will Surprise You!

Have you ever wondered what life was like in ancient Rome? An empire full of grand constructions, philosophers who changed the course of thought, and armies that dominated the known world. But beyond the gladiators and emperors, there's something that might surprise you, the way Romans cleaned their clothes. Today we clean our clothes with detergents, fabric softeners and specialised washing products. Modern laundromats are filled with technology and synthetic products, but in ancient Rome things were very different. Did you know that the main cleaning source in Rome was not soap, but urine? Sounds unbelievable, right? However, using urine as a cleaning agent was a common and widely accepted practice. In this video, we will dive into this fascinating part of Roman daily life, to understand why the Romans used urine to wash their clothes and how they managed to make this liquid, something so strange to us, so effective. The key is a substance called ammonia. When urine was stored for some time, a chemical reaction occurred that formed ammonia, a strong base that, when applied to fabrics, helped dissolve fats and embedded dirt. This ability of ammonia to break down fat molecules made clothes clean more efficiently. Moreover, urine contained a series of natural salts that helped improve the cleaning of fabric fibres. But it wasn't just any urine. The Romans didn't use urine immediately after it left the body. Instead, they stored it, in large containers, allowing ammonia to concentrate and activate, making it more effective. Over time, storage techniques and the fermentation process became crucial for the liquid to have enough strength to be used in laundry. The truth is, in Rome, the practice of washing clothes was not a common household activity. Instead of doing it at home, Romans took their garments to specialised public laundries known as fulonicas. These laundries were not only places where people could clean their clothes, they were the heart of urban life, an essential place where important work was done to keep the city clean and functional. Fulonicas were scattered throughout the city, especially near markets and shopping centres, making them key points in Roman social life. The operation of a fulonica was fascinating. These laundromats were run by the fulones, a group of highly specialised workers who mastered the techniques of cleaning, bleaching and fabric treatment. The fulones not only knew how to use urine, but also utilised other natural resources, such as clay, ash and products like olive oil, to achieve the maximum cleaning power. These workers had a deep practical knowledge of how to manipulate available resources to ensure that the clothes were flawless. The washing process in the fulonicas was long and meticulous. First, the clothes were immersed in large tanks filled with stored urine. And here is where the magic happened. The fulones didn't just throw the clothes in the water, they would get into the tanks and stomp on the clothes with their feet, repeatedly, to simulate a mechanical action that would allow the urine to penetrate deeply into the fibres and dissolve the embedded dirt and grease. This process was extremely important, as it helped the urine do its job effectively. Once the dirt dissolved, the clothes were taken out of the tanks, wrung out and squeezed by hand, or using a rudimentary press, a kind of wooden press called saccaroles. After this, the clothes were beaten with a stick to remove any residue. That may have stuck. This procedure helped ensure no dirt was left on the fabric, but the process didn't end there. Once washed, the clothes had to be rinsed in clean water to remove any leftover urine. The fulonicas, which mostly used water from the public supply systems of Rome, had a fairly complex infrastructure to ensure the clothes were perfectly clean. If any garment still had stains after the first wash, the process would be repeated until it was completely clean. After all this, the clothes were hung outdoors to dry. The garments were squeezed again to remove excess water and then hung on, large clothes lines in the sun. While drying, they were brushed to remove any lint. But here comes another surprising part. The white garments were treated in a special way. They were placed near sulphur springs to bleach them even more. This sulphur bleaching process gave the white clothes an extra shine and left them as white as snow. On the other hand, coloured garments were treated with a mixture of natural earth that helped maintain the vibrant colour of the fabric, as well as eliminate persistent stains. Once dried, the garments were labelled with their owner's name, so they could be picked up by the customers or delivered as agreed. But besides cleaning, the fulonicas also performed other tasks, such as repairing damaged garments, softening fabrics and, in some cases, even dyeing clothes. Roman laundries were not just places of work, but also centres of social exchange, where business, politics and even philosophy were discussed. And of course, the labour in the fulonicas was mainly slave labour. Many of the slaves worked in the laundries while the owners of the laundries took care of the business administration and the relations with the clients. An excellent example of how the fulonicas worked is the Fulonica of Stefano, a laundry in Pompeii that is very well preserved to this day. This laundry was located in what was originally a house that turned into a thriving laundry business. The remains of Stefano, the owner, were found at the site, probably dead during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD. His success as an entrepreneur, with several employees and slaves working under his supervision, was evident. And indeed, the fulonicas played a very important role in the Roman economy. They were not only essential to the daily life of the Romans, but also an economic engine. The collection of urine from public latrines, where citizens urinated so the liquid could be used in the laundries, was an activity that generated a constant flow of resources. The economic power of the fulonicas was so great that Emperor Vespasian decided to impose a tax on the collection of urine, known as the Vectigal Urine. This tax was charged to merchants and laundry owners who bought the collected urine. And here comes the famous phrase attributed to Vespasian, pecunia olet, meaning, money does not stink. It is said that when his son Titus questioned the morality of making money from urine, Vespasian responded that money is money, regardless of its source. It is truly surprising to think that the collection of urine became an integral part of the Roman economy, even with a tax associated with it. Now I want to know what you think. Would you work in a Roman laundry under these conditions? Or would it seem too strange to you? Leave me your comments and if you were surprised by this story, don't forget to like the video, subscribe to the channel and activate the notification bell to not miss out on more fascinating content about Ancient Rome. See you in the next video, don't miss it!