Ancient Roman Bathhouses Were Actually Very Unclean, Spread Around Intestinal Parasites. Modern-day bathrooms are actually pretty clean (though not as clean as the International Space Station) in comparison to two thousand years ago.

Was the water in Roman baths clean?

Spring water, such as that which supplied the Aqua Marcia, was the cleanest, whilst river water was worse (particularly that of the Aqua Anio Novus upon Frontinus' initial appointment as aqueducts commissioner), and lake water varied in quality.

How did Romans keep bath water clean?

The Romans saw bathing as a social activity as well as a way of keeping clean. They built communal bath houses, such as can be found at Bearsden in Glasgow, where they could relax and meet up. The Romans used a tool called a strigel to scrape dirt off their skin.