Discoveries

March 17, 2023

Roman Dry Cleaning

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Italian archaeologists recently discovered the ancient Roman equivalent of today’s drycleaners buried in the city of Pompeii, the Miami Herald reported.

Archaeological teams came across a number of buildings while excavating unexplored areas of the ancient Roman city. Pompeii and many of its inhabitants were buried under volcanic ash following the eruption of nearby Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE.

One of the uncovered buildings was a house that was converted into a “fullonica,” or a laundry.

The team explained that fullonicas operated similarly to today’s dry cleaners: Customers bring their clothes to the shop and pay to have their laundry done.

But unlike today’s detergents and chemicals, the ancient Roman cleaner did not have soap to wash soiled garments. Instead, they used urine – both animal and human – as a laundry detergent.

Researchers explained that urine contains ammonia, a base substance that cleans dirt and grease stains.

The Roman laundry process would start with the clothing being washed in vats filled with water and urine. Afterward, the staff would walk barefoot on the clothes. Then, the launderers would rinse them by hand and beat the garments with a stick to remove any leftover dirt.

Once they were dry, the customers could pick them up or have them delivered.

Meanwhile, previous excavations have found 10 other ancient laundry stores across the city, including the Fullonica of Stephanus, first discovered in 1912.

This story originally appeared in the March 17, 2023 newsletter, The Democracy Two-Step.