Well, there's some truth to it. Bathing in the sauna on Saturdays used to be the norm during winters especially on the countryside, a can of water and a vat beside the bed for washing your eyes in the morning. There often was a large cauldron in the cattle shed as well where you could wipe yourself with warm water after all the milk bails and churns had been washed. In the summertime swimming was one way to take care of personal hygiene in the "Land of a thousand Lakes" - actually over 180000 of them. - There's a favourite song about lumberjacks who turn their shirts inside out on Saturdays when they go to a dance.
I guess it was pretty similar all over the world until the mid 1900's. City people had had showers and plumbing already in Ancient Greece and Ancient Romans continued the tradition but I bet the farmer living a day's walk from the town didn't use such luxuries too often.
Funny that although shower is actually a British invention it's the Americans who have taken taking a shower to another level. Then again, I haven't heard about landslides caused by collapsing groundwater cavities in Europe.
Finally, to show that Americans may also have their blind spots in hygiene: There was this middle-aged couple in an old fancy hotel in Paris, France. The hotel maid showed them all around the suite and the lady was all aah's and ooh's. Finally they came to the bathroom with all luxuries including a bidet bowl. And the lady asks 'Ooh such a pretty tiny tub! Is that for washing babies in?' -'Non, Madame, it is forr washing les bébés out!'
Oh it a post WWII thing in US probably.
I visited the remains of my ancestors old family farm house that is partially still standing. Pre-1900 a lot of poor farmers didn't have wells. Water was deep in the dry Texas plains. Rainwater catchment was the primary source. There was still an brick cistern next to the house, but it couldn't have been more than 300 gal. I doubt they were taking two hot showers a day.
My mom told me stories of visiting them when she as a young girl and there was a tin stall outside and their grampa would fill a bucket with water and it has nail holes on the bottom. They each got a bucket's worth for their shower and it was ice cold.
My great aunt was telling me stories about when she was a little girl she visited some cousins who lived in the big city and not on a farm. Big city was probably pop 5000 I bet. They had an INDOOR upstairs bathroom with a tub. She was terrified to pull the plug on the tub after her bath assuming the water just drained out in to the living room downstairs.
Amazing how much things can change in two generations.
