The bath thing is (slightly) misleading to today's sanitary-minded populace.  A bath was a full-body immersion.... and in older times, heating a full bath was a major production.... you had the entire family lined up and cauldrons of water were heated. 
On the other hand, washing by means of smaller containers of water and a wash-rag were the common route to use (or dunking in the local stream/river).  Ever see the movie "Witness" with Harrison Ford as a detective hiding out in Amish country?  There's a scene with washing that is quite clear on how it works.

RosemaryR
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"This...this is magnificent!"
"Oh, yeah. Ooooo. Aaaaah. That's how it starts.
Then, later, there's ...running. And....screaming."