Word of the day – Fullonica
A Fullo worked in a Fullonica, i.e., a place to launder Roman clothes. From my calendar: In ancient Rome, clothes were laundered in human urine, collected from public latrines. Urine contains ammonia, a natrual whitener. The clothes were then rinsed in water to remove the urine smell. The process was quite effective for cleaning clothes but no much fun for the workers at the laundry, or fullonica, who had to spend the day standing in vats of urine stomping on pee-soaked garments.
Edited to answer Rajini Rao’s question about the bile staining the Roman linens.
From Bill Thayer’s website (http://goo.gl/Us0jq):
The clothes were then hung on a vessel of basket-work (viminea cavea), under which sulphur was placed in order to whiten the cloth; for the ancient fullers appear to have known that many colours were destroyed by the volatile steam of sulphur (Apul. Met. IX. p208, Bipont; Plin. H. N. XXXV.50, 57; Pollux, VII.41). A fine white earth, called Cimolian by Pliny, was often rubbed into the cloth to increase its whiteness (Theophr. Char. 10; Plaut. Aulul. IV.9.6; Plin. H. N. XXXV.57).
I have to dig out my photos of Ostia.
Hopefully appropriate for ScienceSunday if not maybe #scienceeveryday
April 28, 2012
Wouldn’t the bile pigments in urine stain white clothes?
April 28, 2012
It’s just from a desk calendar so no real science is there. Maybe someone can turn this into #sciencesunday .
April 28, 2012
I think you already did, Chad Haney 🙂
April 28, 2012
I wonder if there was any fine particulate clay involved?
April 28, 2012
OK, now I’m curious. I’ll update after work. Too bad my Latin is so rusty.
April 28, 2012
Wait it’s only Sunday for Feisal Kamil
April 13, 2014
Not quite a royal bum wiper, but you might be interested Corina Marinescu
April 13, 2014
I remember how nasty-fun was to learn about romans in ancient Rome…hehe
But urine was a quick and rich source of CH4N2O which we both know is a nitrogen-based organic compound. When stored for long periods of time, CH4N2O decays into ammonia. Ammonia in water acts as a caustic but weak base.
But I do not remember the procedure to be like you described. Since I know, the clothes were first washed, which was done in tubs or vats, where they were trodden upon and stamped by the feet of the fullones with urine mixed with water. Nitrum and Sardinian earth was also mixed with water and used for absorbing the greasy dirt.
After the clothes had been washed, they were hung out to dry. As the Romans generally wore woollen dresses, when dry the wool was brushed and carded to raise the nap, sometimes with the skin of a hedgehog, and sometimes with some plants. The clothes were then hung on a vessel under which sulphur was placed in order to whiten the cloth.
But I think urine was used for making colors brighter also because ammonia is a good mordant….ahh all this makes me think at P&G in an ancient form..bahaha.
Thanks for the ancient urine trip Chad Haney =))
April 13, 2014
You are welcome Corina Marinescu. Thanks for adding to the story.