Most medieval people probably were dirty, and perhaps even smelly, by our standards – however hard you try, it must be nearly impossible to make a cold, muddy river work as well as a power shower and a washing machine. But only a tiny number of medieval people were truly filthy. Even fewer actually wanted to be dirty.

Medieval times were arguably less dirty than popular myths suggest, though still quite challenging by modern standards. While people did not have indoor plumbing, they did value hygiene; public bathhouses were common in cities until the late Middle Ages, and even peasants would wash their hands and faces daily with basins. The "dirtiest" aspect was actually the urban environment; without underground sewers, streets often collected animal dung, butcher waste, and the contents of "chamber pots" dumped from windows, leading to a significant stench in crowded hubs like London or Paris. However, individuals regularly used linen undergarments to "wick away" sweat and oils from the skin, changing them frequently even if outer wool layers were rarely washed. The "filth" was more a matter of lack of germ theory—drinking contaminated well water and living with fleas—rather than a total personal disregard for cleanliness.