2. It was considered inappropriate and dangerous to take a hot bath.
In Victorian times, people didn’t take baths very often, because they thought that a completely wet body lost its natural protection, which could lead to psychological disorders, fevers, or something even worse.
“During the Victorian era doing something the right way often meant doing it in the most uncomfortable manner,” says Therese Oneill, in her book Unmentionable: The Victorian Lady’s Guide to Sex, Marriage, and Manners. They were supposed to wash themselves in cold water, using a sponge soaked in cold water with a drop of vinegar. There was no such thing as a warm bath that could relax pretty much anyone. People believed that taking a bath in water that was warmer than 37.8°С could lead a woman to madness or even stimulate her to look for carnal pleasure.
We think that our modern jacuzzi would definitely terrify these virtuous Victorian ladies and gentlemen. They would have probably thought that it was some kind of devil’s punishment.