Ever heard of urine for gargling? It seems very rare to do because the smell and taste are disgusting. But the ancient Romans used human and animal urine as mouthwashes to whiten their teeth. The thing is, it actually works.
Urine contains ammonia, nitrogen, and hydrogen compounds, which can act as cleaning agents. Today, ammonia is an ingredient in the most useful cleaning products for glass, porcelain, stainless steel, and for removing dirt from your oven, for example.
Even more surprising, at that time, there were public jars in which the Romans could urinate. Then the residents wait until the urine is sterile and dissolves into ammonia. When it is completely filled, the urine is collected and taken to a Fullonica, or Laundrette, to be diluted with water and poured on dirty clothes.
Urine collectors are taxed because of the smell. A worker would stand in a tub of urine and stomp on clothes, much like the stirrer of a modern washing machine. So, not just as a mouthwash, urine in ancient Rome was used as laundry soap. Emperor Nero of Vespasian imposed a urine tax because he saw the economic potential in it. Urine until the 18th century became one of the most commercial materials.
When compared with today's modern times, was urine very valuable to pre-industrial humans?
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