During the Great Depression
unemployment and poverty were widespread, and
today it's widely assumed that resulted in a
generally unclean population. However, the fact
that many were forced to live in unsanitary
conditions actually turned the depression into
a period of innovation for personal hygiene. The effects on business,
industry and people's personal finances were
nothing short of devastating, but when it came to hygiene
it was more of a mixed bag. So today we're
going to take a look at what hygiene was like
during the Great Depression. But before we get started, be
sure to subscribe to the Weird History channel and let
us know in the comments below what other
hygiene related topics you would like to hear about. Toothbrushes had already
existed for centuries, but during the Great Depression
they underwent massive changes. Prior to the 30s toothbrushes
could be anything from a stick rubbed
on one's teeth to a bunch of bore bristles
collected for the same purpose. But DuPont de Nemours
changed all of that in 1938 when the chemical
company developed the first toothbrush
with nylon bristles. Marketed as Dr. West's
Miracle Toothbrush, DuPont's product improved
on pretty much every aspect of the old models. It cleaned better,
lasted longer, cost less and its marketing contributed
to an increased public awareness of oral hygiene. Simultaneously promoting
patriotism and consumerism, the advertisements
reminded women that oral health was essential
to maintaining the home front during World War II. Soldiers fighting
in the conflict were also given
toothbrushes, and they continued to brush their
teeth once they returned home. In the drought-plagued parts
of the United States known as the Dust Bowl,
layers of dirt and grime could be found on everything. Dust made its way into
homes, stuck to the skin and often caused
breathing difficulties for men, women, and children. Many in states like
Oklahoma and Kansas were even forced to
leave their homes, but some tried to tough it out. Caroline A. Henderson
and her family remained on their Oklahoma farm. In a letter to a friend
on the East Coast she described the
measures they had to take to deal with pervasive
dust, which in her own words, penetrates wherever air can go. These measures included
wearing shade hats, tying handkerchiefs
over their faces, and lining their
nostrils with Vaseline. The family also took
to keeping oiled cloth on their windowsills
in an attempt to collect the dust as
it entered their home. Though according to Caroline,
no method was fully effective. The grime didn't
only affect the lives of the people of Oklahoma,
according to the New York Times. The dust even reached the Big
Apple itself in May of 1934 and lodged itself in the
eyes and throats of weeping and coughing New Yorkers. Tampons were not invented
during the Great Depression. In fact, the concept goes
back to the ancient world where women in places like
Egypt, Greece and Rome used tampon-like implements
made out of papyrus, wool, lint and other absorbent fibers. During the late 19th
century inserted devices were used to
administer treatments to female reproductive
organs, but they were rarely used to absorb discharges
much less blood. The 1920s saw the development
of Kotex sanitary napkins, which were cleaner and more
convenient than using rags, and could meet the needs
of working, traveling, and elegant women alike. Then during the
subsequent two decades expanding academic and media
interest in menstruation opened larger conversations
about women's hygiene, and even more new technologies
began to be developed. Modern tampons were
created by Dr. Earle Haas in the early 1930s. Haas's device was made
out of cotton that could be inserted with an applicator. Cotton was eventually
replaced by synthetic rayon, and in 1936 Tampax was born. Owned by Gertrude Tenderich,
the Tampax Sales Corporation advertised in
newspapers and magazines throughout the late 1930s. In the 1940s an
alternative tampon hit the market, the
non-applicator version. They were branded as o.b. which was an abbreviation of
the German phrase ohne binde, meaning without napkins. Tampons were advertised as
providing freedom to women while eliminating hazards,
risks, embarrassment even humiliation. Most everyone knows that Lysol
is a popular disinfectant that's useful for keeping
a household clean, but during the 1920s it was
also associated with maintaining clean relationships. A woman who used
Lysol as a douche was said to be protecting
her health while simultaneously
maintaining her youth, for the good of her marriage. As a bonus, since douching
was a common method of birth control
at the time, Lysol was also believed to prevent
unwanted pregnancies. Advertisers played into
fears about feminine hygiene but also depicted
women who used Lysol as successful and responsible
wives and mothers. The implication was, the
cleaners germ-eliminating properties could
also wipe out sperm. Unfortunately,
when used this way the harsh chemicals in Lysol
usually just resulted in pain, inflammation and sometimes
even proved deadly. And of course Lysol was
pretty much ineffective at preventing pregnancy. One research study conducted
in 1933 found that almost half of the women who used
Lysol as a contraceptive became pregnant, who'd
have thought, advertisers making questionable claims. As a result of the
Great Depression, millions of people
living in cities found themselves unemployed
or underemployed. Many of those cities
stopped migrants from coming in, arguing
that they would only add to unemployment and the
burden of providing relief to the unemployed. It was also believed those
migrants would spread disease and increase crime rates. While the health of
the general population improved during the
Great Depression, many families couldn't
afford medical care or lived in such squalor that
they couldn't escape disease. In shantytowns or
Hoovervilles, as they were called in mocking honor
of President Herbert Hoover, hastily crafted tents and
shacks were crammed together without access to clean water. Garbage collected
around the residence and inadequate facilities
for cooking and sleeping contributed to
overall poor health. Concern over the spread
of communicable diseases like tuberculosis, malaria,
pneumonia and syphilis even led to several
public health initiatives, but they didn't help everyone. When former loom
tender Ella May Wiggins couldn't afford medical care for
her five children, four of them perished from whooping cough. The emphasis on cleanliness
during the Great Depression in advertising campaigns and
public health initiatives eventually started to affect
how men viewed their own faces. Razor and shaving
cream manufacturers targeted businessmen,
claiming that men would be more employable, more
successful and more appealing with a hair-free face. A connection was drawn between
shaving and employment, and in large part that
advertising-based connection survives to this very day. The idea that clean-shaven
men were more employable than bearded ones
was largely fostered in campaigns like the
ones the BRISK company used in the 1930s. Their ads stated that
job candidate Brown should get the job
over candidate Smith because Smith lacks the
appearance due to his unshaven face. Similarly the Gillette
company advertised that taking the chance
to skip a shave now and then could put a
man's livelihood at risk. Shaving was becoming
big business, and in 1931 Schick cashed in by
introducing the electric razor, which was alleged
to make shaving even easier and quicker. During the 1920s and 1930s
advertising turned bad breath into halitosis. The term lent the condition
a much more official and serious distinction
that could jeopardize one's social status and health. Listerine, developed
as an antiseptic during the last years
of the 19th century, transitioned to an
over-the-counter item in the 1910s. It even functioned as
an alcoholic beverage during the 1920s,
though we don't recommend drinking Listerine
for that reason today. Robitussin on the other
hand, no, no don't do that. Listerine mouthwash was marketed
as a cure for halitosis, an ailment that could
not only prevent someone from getting a job but
also lead to a woman's perpetual spinsterhood. With a headline, "Always a
bridesmaid, never a bride.", the implication for
women was clear, without fresh breath you were
doomed to a life of loneliness and sorrow. In light of those
prospects, many women didn't want to take any chances
and the product took off. During the 1930s, deodorant
and antiperspirant companies began advertising
to male customers. In contrast to traditional
views that manliness was tied to sweat and hard
work, companies like Top Flite played on male
fears of body odor in the ever tenuous workplace. So if that guy in the
cubicle next to you doesn't smell like
b.o., thank Top Flite. It's Weird to think there
was a time when there was no such thing as a laundromat. It actually wasn't
until 1934 when Fort Worth, Texas businessman
J.F. Cantrell opened what he called a Washateria,
that the first laundromat was born. Wish we'd kept the
name Washateria, that's pretty fantastic. Washing machines were expensive,
as was the electricity required to run them, so the
innovative businessman installed four machines
in one building and offer them for
use at an hourly fee. Two years later in Buffalo,
New York Lars Edstrom opened a similar establishment,
this time providing coin-operated laundry services. Like so many Depression
era products, laundromats capitalized on
the social stigma of dirt and a lack of cleanliness, as
it related to unemployment. Their widespread use
also negatively impacted commercial laundries, an
industry that had already taken a hit from the sales
of in-home washing machines during the 1920s. This only worsened
as consumers learned to use washing machines
and laundromats, and washing machines
became increasingly available to consumers
through installment plans. Soap was readily available
during the Great Depression and thankfully it was
relatively affordable. As soap became that item
that most people couldn't go without, companies like
Colgate-Palmolive-Peet thrived. Their advertising campaign
saw massive growth in multiple forms of media,
and their advertisements on the radio were
heard by millions. Companies like Procter & Gamble,
Lever Brothers and others became prominent sponsors
of plot-driven dramatic entertainment aimed at
female audiences, which became known as Soap Operas. If you couldn't afford
soap, making it at home was also an option. This was done by combining
lard with lye, vinegar, water and any fragrances
one could find. Homemade soap was used to wash
clothes, dishes and bodies alike. Many women made soap
for their families or sold it for extra money. So what do you think? Is Depression Hygiene not as
bad or worse than you expected. Let us know in the comments
below and while you're at it, check out some of these other
videos from our Weird History.
