Humans from all former periods would be pretty amazed how clean we keep or clothes and how much effort we make to keep them almost sterile.

Personal hygiene was always an important part of human culture. The Romans had huge public bathing houses. So cleaning ones clothes was also important. Perfume was also used pretty early in human history - so we always liked to smell nice (because it helps us to catch nicer genetic partners).

In Christian Europe the denial of the body (and sexuality in relation with the original sin of Adam and Eve) brought back the dirt big time. Personal hygiene and clean clothes were not very high on the agenda.

But there is a difference between clean and clinical. There are gazillion products for keeping yourself and your clothes clean. Even the smallest stain of dirt on your shirt is a modern offense. Shirts need to be perfectly ironed and folded. It’s almost like that cleaner (whiter) a person is, the higher the social rank.

So the cleaner you and your clothes are, the nicer and more perfect is your public persona. Public, professional and even our private life’s are dictated by a proper clean appearance.

So no surprise almost everyone owns a washing machine and an flat iron - and there is a dry cleaner at every street corner. We all also own several shirts, dresses, trousers, jackets, socks or underwear - a total luxury until the industrial age for most people. And finally the huge amount of chemical to keep it all clean.

We are truly obsessed with clean clothes and keeping them in perfect condition.