Fullones, or fulleries, were places where cloth was washed and scoured. Fullones softened cloth straight from the loom, and also washed garments in need of cleaning. Because soap was not widely used in Rome (being an import from Gaul), grease and dirt was removed from cloth with the use of alkalis mostly obtained from human and animal urine. Slaves would trod and stamp barefoot on the cloth in large tubs or vats in order to work the alkali throughout all the cloth. Other substances, such as nitrum and fuller's earth was also used, but it was urea that was mainly used in the cleaning of cloth. Since urine was necessary for the cleansing process, fullones often placed vessels on street corners where passers-bys could relieve themselves. After being washed, the cloth was hung to dry. Once dry, the wool was brushed, sometimes with hedgehog skin or thistle. The wool then was bleached with sulfur, and sometimes cimolian earth was employed to whiten the cloth some more. Finally, the wool was pressed with a pressorium. Because of the chemicals in urine, fulleries smelt and would have had a negative effect on the health of the workers there. Some fulleries also dyed cloth, however, smaller fulleries restricted their business to cleaning and scouring cloth. References and Links: LacusCurtius . Cleaning Clothes in Ancient Rome (Smith's Dictionary, 1875) La Fullonica Temetfutae La Fullonica a Pompei