How Did People Clean Themselves Before Soap Was Invented?

Before modern soap, water was the primary means of cleaning. In ancient civilizations like the Indus Valley (2600-1900 B.C.), public steam baths were common, but steam alone was not enough for deep cleaning. Without soap, many people likely smelled unpleasant, historian Judith Ridner explains.

Early soaps had simple ingredients: plant ash, animal fats, and abrasives like sand. Ancient Mesopotamians used sodium carbonate from plant ash to wash, while Akkadians combined oils, plants, and abrasives—similar to today’s soap formula. Historians believe soap was often created unintentionally, such as when grease was cleaned with ash under high heat.

Greeks and Romans used scented oils and a tool called a strigil to scrape grime off, but this was more about masking odors than actual cleaning. Soap was mainly used for textiles, not personal hygiene, until the 1800s when affordable fats, the industrial revolution, and improved hygiene practices made soap more widespread. This led to mass production by companies like Procter & Gamble.