I tried to bathe Smokey once when I first got him, because he was stressed from the move, and stopped cleaning himself, and was very very stinky. All I had was a stand up shower stall, and I thought I could wash him in there. That was a mistake that cost me some blood.
A year and half or so ago he had mats in a very inconvenient place which led to his own little klingon invasion. He got stinky again. This time I tried to bathe him in a rubbermaid partly filled with warm water and baby shampoo. I got him in there, but he was crying and struggling and then started making nips at me, though not committed ones. Shot across the bow, so to speak. I took the hint. In retrospect, a fluff monster like him, waterlogged, would probably only make the matter fur issue worse.
So I brush him daily and let him worry about the cleaning. He does a good job.