Each bathhouse has a special atmosphere in which you can relax after a hard day, cleanse your body and spirit. Any owner wants his bathhouse to be as comfortable and convenient as possible; he makes high-quality interior decoration, selects suitable furniture for the bathhouse and, of course, accessories.
Accessories for a bath: what are they and why are they needed?
Bath accessories are certain accessories that are necessary for performing bath procedures. Accessories also play an aesthetic role. High-quality and stylish little things help create the right atmosphere and comfort, making being in the bathhouse even more pleasant.
Accessories for a bath can be bought in a store, and some of them can be made with your own hands.
The range of bath accessories is unusually wide, each item has its own specific function.
Bath thermometer
Not a single experienced bath attendant can say with confidence that his many years of experience will allow him to regulate the temperature in the steam room more accurately than when using an electronic thermometer for baths and saunas. Each visitor to such establishments has his own limit for the body’s temperature sensitivity.
For various types of baths and saunas, optimal temperature limits for receiving procedures have been established:
- in a Russian bath they range from 40 to 60 degrees Celsius;
- in Turkish - similarly;
- in a Finnish sauna – 100-110 degrees Celsius. The reason for such high heating is that the human body tolerates dry steam much more easily than wet steam.
The temperature is determined by visitors in advance if they have established preferences, or is selected as the steam room heats up. By constantly checking the thermometer for the steam room, you can choose the optimal temperature. If there is overheating, it will be enough to ventilate the room, but in this case you will have to reschedule the paired procedures until the optimal temperature is established.
In private and commercial buildings, a simple mechanical or electronic bath thermometer with an external temperature sensor is used. Standard mechanical devices operate on the principle of thermal expansion of bodies. The body that is sealed into such a thermometer for a steam room can be presented in any state of aggregation - from gas to a solid structure.
If we are talking about a gas thermometer for a sauna, then it is worth noting its high error and the widest range of temperature values, which makes its use impractical. Such devices have a low price and a simple design.
The best electronic thermometer for a sauna with a remote sensor detects changes in temperature conditions through a proportional change in the resistance of the conductor in the structure. Naturally, modern electrical devices are an order of magnitude more expensive, but the accuracy of the measurements they make is significant.
Typically, electronics of this type are produced in the form of universal devices, which include not only a thermometer, but also other measuring instruments.
The most common devices for installation in a bathhouse:
- liquid thermometer - with a working container in the form of a flask. A narrow test tube with a special liquid and a marked scale are placed inside such a container. With temperature changes, the liquid column increases or decreases as it expands or vice versa. The value opposite which the upper limit of the column is set is the room temperature;
- a dial thermometer is the same mechanical thermometer as a liquid one, but its significant difference is the iron-nickel spring. When the air temperature changes, the spring itself increases and contracts, which in turn affects the mechanical needle. The arrow moves along a circular scale and, stopping at a certain value, indicates the temperature inside the room;
- An electronic thermometer is the most modern and most accurate device, in which a special sensor acts as a functional temperature meter. As a result of its work, an electronic sauna thermometer displays all received data on a graphic display. The positive quality of this device is its highest accuracy. However, an electronic thermometer for baths and saunas has a significant drawback - it cannot be installed directly in the steam room. Based on this drawback, it becomes difficult to install an electronic thermometer. It is necessary to ensure that the sensor from the electronic thermometer is placed in the steam room, and the device itself is placed in the next room. For this purpose, a meter cable is used, provided in the basic configuration of the device. Naturally, difficulties arise in monitoring the temperature in the room on the part of visitors taking bath procedures.
Based on the foregoing, we can conclude that it is best to install a pointer or liquid version of the device in a steam room. If we are talking about a private sauna, where all the wishes of the clients are satisfied by the bathhouse attendant, then you can use an external sauna thermometer if there is a permanent operator monitoring the readings of the device.
Bath broom
It is impossible to imagine a real Russian bathhouse without a broom. It can be made from a wide variety of plant types; birch, oak, linden, and juniper brooms are popular.
Different types of brooms provide different healing effects. For example, juniper will be a good preventative against colds, wormwood will help relieve stress, bamboo strengthens blood vessels, eucalyptus improves skin condition. Try different types of brooms or make mixed bouquets to feel their effect.
Making a broom with your own hands is not difficult; you can do it yourself. If you don’t have the time or desire, then it’s easy to find suitable brooms in stores and markets.
Buckets, steamers and gangs
These accessories are a must have in the bathhouse. They are used for steaming brooms, dousing with cold water, etc. Accessories can be bought or made with your own hands.
Oak, linden and aspen are suitable for making buckets and steamers. Pine and cedar are used for gangs. They come in different sizes, usually from 10 liters.
To make these accessories you need to prepare well-matched boards, a bottom made of blanks, a metal hoop and twine. Wooden buckets, steamers and bowls look neat and fit harmoniously into the bathhouse interior. But you need to take into account that wood is a natural material that can dry out, crack and become moldy over time. To protect it from this, it is important to scald a bucket or steamer with boiling water after each bath procedure, wipe it dry and put it away from the stove.
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Fir bath broom
If a wooden container is not used for a long time, it may lose its seal. Ordinary cold water will help remove microcracks; pour it into a container and leave for several hours.
An alternative to wooden containers are ordinary plastic basins.
Basic requirements for devices in the bathhouse
Technical means for monitoring air parameters in bath rooms differ significantly from their counterparts used in ordinary living rooms. It is worth understanding that any bath and sauna thermometer with a hygrometer is subject to excessive exposure to steam and moisture.
Typically, any device has a wider measuring range and an extended scale of values. Naturally, during production, such devices are given such a shape and properties that they are absolutely safe and convenient for use in a bathhouse.
Any thermometer, barometer or bath hygrometer must meet the following criteria:
- increased resistance of materials used in production to random mechanical loads, moisture, steam, and elevated temperatures;
- tightness of the structure (especially functional elements responsible for collecting information about air parameters in the room);
- the optimal maximum temperature for heating the product body, allowing you to touch it with bare hands without any discomfort;
- competent product design with increased safety of measuring elements;
- readable scale markings, simplifying the process of reading data from the device.
Today, any remote bath thermometer or other device is made from high-quality materials that are absolutely safe for the human body. When heated, none of the materials emit any harmful substances.
It is necessary to buy any technical means for a bath in specialized stores, since only in this case will they fully comply with all regulatory requirements. There is a high risk of purchasing a defective barometer or thermometer with a hygrometer for a bath, so you should be careful and not skimp on such important devices.
Buckets and scoops
The best option is to buy two at once. You will need one in the steam room to splash water on the bath stones, and the other to collect water into a container. The first should be small - up to 0.5 liters, but the second can be larger.
The most popular material is wood. It is natural and has low thermal conductivity. It is undesirable to use plastic, since this material is artificial and stands out from the general style. There are also scoops and ladles made of metal, but with a wooden handle.
It is permissible to use metal products in a bathhouse, but it is better to avoid them. In high temperature conditions, the metal becomes very hot and can burn the skin. Even though the handle of the bucket is made of wood, there is a possibility of accidentally touching the metal part of the bucket to your body.
Creating comfortable conditions in the bathhouse and sauna
Many lovers of baths and saunas know that even the most experienced bath attendant can make mistakes when creating comfortable conditions in a steam room. Every professional in this matter knows that even a minimal exaggeration of the temperature regime can lead to dire consequences (read: “What temperature in a steam room should be - from optimal to maximum”). Elderly people and children are the first to be at risk of getting heatstroke when the temperature in the steam room rises.
Excessive exposure to the steam room can lead to a general loss of strength among visitors. Increasing the pressure can cause nausea and dizziness in visitors, and if the air humidity is exceeded, breathing will be difficult and the cardiovascular system will be under additional stress.
If all these parameters have a value less than the normative one, then the effect of the procedures will not be productive enough. You should not trust the feelings of an experienced bathhouse attendant when it comes to creating an optimal microclimate within the steam room. It is best to entrust this task to automated devices that will provide accurate information about the specified air parameters in the steam room.
For example, a stylish thermometer for saunas and baths in the shape of an hourglass will fit perfectly into the interior of the room. The cost of such a decorative element is not high, but in terms of functionality it is simply irreplaceable. Installing such a device is quite simple.
Bath caps
Bath caps today are represented by a huge assortment. They can have various patterns, designs and inscriptions. In addition to the fact that a hat is a stylish accessory, it also plays an important role - it protects the head from overheating. It is advisable that you have several hats in your bathhouse (depending on the capacity of the steam room) so that each visitor can protect her head.
They can be made from natural wool, linen, cotton, felt and felt. All fabrics “breathe” well.
Towel
The temperature in the steam room is high, even the shelves are heated, so it is advisable to have a towel with you that can be placed under it. The towel should be long enough so that you can lie on it, and when you go to the rest room, you can wrap yourself in it.
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Some even sew a special elastic band into the towel so that it does not slip, and make pockets.
It is better to prepare two towels for the bath: one for the face and hair, and the other for the body.
Hygrometer for soft steam
In addition to taking into account the temperature, it is necessary to focus on selecting the optimal humidity in the steam room. Steam that contains no more than 30 percent moisture is considered dry and healthy. If this value does not correspond to the standard value, then the soaring procedure will not be effective.
It is worth noting that in Russian baths the air humidity can reach 85 percent, and in washing rooms - 95%. If the bathhouse has a relaxation room, then the humidity level in it should not be allowed to rise above 60% so that the rest is truly relaxing and enjoyable.
The functionality of a hygrometer for baths and saunas is in some sense similar to the operation of a mechanical thermometer. A special thread is installed as a sensor element in such a hygrometer. It lengthens or shortens with fluctuations in humidity, thereby transmitting the necessary information to the device scale. Over time, the sensitivity of the device decreases as the thread weakens, but it can always be adjusted manually.
To configure the bath hygrometer you must use:
- plastic bag;
- kettle;
- a stand for the device of such a size that the device can be placed at the same level as the spout of the kettle.
Sequence for setting up a bath hygrometer:
- The bag is placed over the device so that the other half is placed over the spout of the kettle. This design can be secured using threads, elastic or twine.
- Then the device is placed on a stand opposite the spout of the kettle so that the package does not burn.
- The burner is lit and the kettle is brought to a boil.
- Then you need to make sure that the device’s arrow reaches the maximum mark and remains there while the water boils (about 3 minutes).
- If there is a significant deviation from the 100 percent mark, it is necessary to tighten the thread tension using a screwdriver.
If we are talking about setting up a thermometer-hygrometer system for a sauna, then you can also adjust the thermometer. When the kettle is boiling, the temperature should be between 97 and 100 degrees Celsius.
Slippers
The floor in the bathhouse is wet, so choose non-slip slippers. It is recommended not to take plastic shoes as they slip on the tiles. Rubber shoes for a bath are more suitable.
It is better that each visitor has his own slippers.
It's no secret that fungus can easily be transmitted through shoes; in addition, if you wear shoes that are several sizes too large, you can easily get tangled in them and fall. Slippers that are too small also reduce stability.
