Washing before meals meant washing hands, arms, face and neck. Before donning a fine gown or nice dress, a lady would wash thoroughly and wear clean undergarments. Ladies fine gowns were rarely washed due to the difficulty of the process and possible damage to trims. Aside from preserving garment quality, doing laundry was a hard, backbreaking job to be avoided as much as possible. Hence, undergarments, detachable collars and undersleeves were donned to protect dresses from skin contact and soiling.
Aprons protect the most vulnerable outside area of a dress, the front, from spills and soiling.
Hair was washed regularly. A pitcher of water was generally sufficient for this task, and herbal rinses were common. Many point out the plastered down appearance of women's hair and claim it is due to filthy condition. Most photos show women with clean, neatly arranged hair.