Chasing Dirt: The American Pursuit of CleanlinessAmericans in the early 19th century were, as one foreign traveller bluntly put it, filthy, bordering on the beastly perfectly at home in dirty, bug infested, malodorous surroundings. Many a home swarmed with flies, barnyard animals, dust, and dirt; clothes were seldom washed; men hardly ever shaved or bathed. Yet gradually all this changed, and today, Americans are known worldwide for their obsession with cleanliness for their sophisticated plumbing,