Full body baths were rare. People would only wash their hands and face to get clean. When baths were taken, they were prepared for the entire family. Family members bathed in the same water and had a strict order to follow. First, the father would bathe, and then the mother, and then the order would trickle down from the oldest son to the youngest. It's rumored that even Louis XIV followed these rules, and only bathed when advised to by a doctor. The king typically cleaned himself with a cloth and either water, saliva, or alcohol.
When clothes became extremely dirty or infested with fleas, moths, or bedbugs, that is when people would put on a new outfit. Linen fabric was a popular textile of the time and helped to absorb sebum and sweat. When people changed their clothes, they believed they no longer needed a shower, and would only clean uncovered areas, such as the face and arms.
Rooms with toilets, cesspools, and drainage systems only started to become common in the 19th century. At the Palace of Versailles, people would conduct their business in the corridors or in the gardens. In 1715, it was decreed that once a week the feces would be collected from the corridors. When toilets were introduced to the palace, they consisted of long wooden benches with holes in the middle.
Dirty, oily hair was believed to be healthy and silky. In order to preserve the healthy state of their hair, people did not commonly wash their hair. When people wanted to hide their dirty hair for special events, they used wigs.
