The World History Encyclopedia reports that when one used a garderobe, the waste went directly into a river or a moat, depending on the castle. In some instances, however, All That’s Interesting writes that the waste ended up in a pit via a gutter. In that case, a gong farmer would clean these pits out frequently (via The Nonfiction Minute). Because of the smell, they worked at night and often lived outside of town. Per Designing Buildings, it was ensured that if these gutters came close to the ground, they had some kind of protection. In one instance, they were used to invade Chateau Gaillard in France in 1203. After that, walls were often built around them. 

As for toilet paper, it did not exist; hay, grass, or even moss were used to do the job. To get rid of the smell in the garderobe, the structure usually had a small window. and lacked doors. Additionally, herbs were used to counteract against any odors. Nonetheless, medieval hygiene was not great but it wasn’t horrible. Hand washing and bathing were common (per About History).

However, Healthy Way explains that people in medieval times simply did not have the luxury of bathing every day, and if they did bathe, they had to share the bath water with others. Although the cities did reek of excrement, this was due to a lack of a proper sewage system and less because people were using the bathroom anywhere they pleased.

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