Odd but Puritans rarely bathed at all - Depends on where you came from but most but...

During the 17th and 18th centuries, many American colonists, including the Pilgrims, believed that bathing was unnecessary and even unhealthy.

They thought that frequent bathing could lead to weakness and illness. Instead, they relied on other practices, such as y changing their undergarments, to maintain personal hygiene.

Historical accounts and evidence:

• Native American accounts describe the Mayflower Pilgrims as not smelling pleasant upon their arrival in Plymouth in the early 17th century. They commented that the could smell Europeans from downwind they smelled so bad.
• The Native Americans that early American settlers encountered had different cultural priorities as far as hygiene. For example, the Wampanoag and other Native American tribes bathed regularly and daily during summer. They washed openly in rivers and streams, whereas Christian European settlers thought their religions taught them not to bathe at all.
• Bathhouses existed in the colonies, but they were not for bathing in the modern sense. Instead, they were used as medicinal cures or for the wealthy to relax.
• Louis XIV, a 17th-century king of France, is said to have taken only three baths in his entire life, reflecting the prevailing attitudes towards bathing in Western Europe at the time. Most people did not bathe at all; not since the Dark Ages after the fall of the Roman Empire
• In medieval Europe, public bathing was associated with immorality and prostitution. By the 16th century, bathing had become stigmatized, and many Europeans, including Jews, reduced their bathing frequency.

Jewish practices: In contrast, Jewish tradition emphasized ritual purity, particularly for women, who were required to immerse themselves in a mikvah (ritual bath of only a dip in water). This was required only for women following menstruation, childbirth, or conversion.

This practice was not related to personal hygiene but rather to spiritual and religious purification.

Orthodox Jewish bathing habits: According to a Quora answer, Orthodox Jews do not have a tradition of bathing once a week. In fact, many Orthodox Jews bathe or shower twice a day for hygiene purposes, debunking the myth that they only bathe once a week.

Feminist Jewish revival: In the 2000s, some feminist Jews revived the ritual bath practice, reinterpreting it as a symbol of empowerment and spiritual renewal, rather than just a traditional obligation.

In summary, European Jews, including Orthodox Jews, did not have a widespread practice of bathing for personal hygiene, as public bathing was stigmatized and ritual bathing was focused on spiritual purification.