The best brooms for a bath: which one to choose and how to steam properly in a bath?

Coniferous bath brooms are very useful. Some bathhouse attendants do not accept any other types of tree species except deciduous trees; they usually only steam with birch and oak trees, but the benefits of coniferous trees are undeniable. The bark and needles of such trees have long been used in folk medicine to treat many ailments. The following trees can be used to create bath accessories: fir, juniper, spruce, pine.

Varieties

You can find out what kind of brooms are prepared for a bathhouse from history. People have tried different plants for making bath tools, but the following bundles are considered the most popular:

1. Birch. They have many useful properties - flexibility, durability, strength. The leaves adhere well to the body, absorb sweat, waste products and toxins that come out with it. When heated, birch branches emit a pleasant aroma that promotes relaxation. Since the tree grows in Russia and the CIS countries, there are no difficulties in making bath tools yourself.
2. Oak. The branches of this tree have a large number of useful properties, due to the high content of tannins, beneficial microelements, and vitamins. Oak leaves are larger and stronger than those of birch. The service life of the branches is longer.
3. Linden. Previously, such bundles were very popular, but they were gradually replaced by birch and oak products. Now the demand for fake bundles is growing again. With the help of a linden bunch you can cure colds, get rid of coughs and runny nose. A massage with a broom helps relieve nervous tension and get rid of unpleasant thoughts.
4. Maple. The properties of the tree are similar to birch. The leaves are large and absorb sweat well. Maple branches help relieve headaches, cold symptoms, and muscle pain. It is better to collect a maple bunch yourself, since it is difficult to find on sale.
5. Alder. The leaves of this tree can be compared to birch or maple. They absorb sweat with impurities and toxins well. Effective for the prevention of colds, helps cope with muscle pain and nervous tension.
6. Rowanaceae. Such brooms effectively disinfect the surrounding air. Thanks to this, fungal spores die in the steam room. Rowan ligaments effectively cleanse the skin of pathogens.
7. Hazel. It is recommended for people with diabetes to use during therapeutic massage. The leaves contain a large amount of tannins and beneficial microelements.
8. Eucalyptus. An exotic version of brooms for Russians and residents of the CIS countries. The plant cannot be found in Russia. To tie a bundle yourself, you need to order consumable materials. Eucalyptus bunches emit a pleasant aroma when heated strongly.
9. Nettles. The plant has many beneficial properties and is used for the preparation of folk medicines and homemade cosmetics.
10. Wormwood. The leaves of the plant have a bitter odor. Wormwood has a powerful disinfectant effect. A massage using such a broom allows you to quickly relax and forget bad thoughts.

Spruce broom

It is best to always use a fresh spruce broom for steaming. The advantage of this type of bath accessory is that you can collect spruce branches at any time of the year and the benefits will always be maximum. If there is no opportunity to collect a spruce broom right before going to the bathhouse, then you can do this in advance at the end of spring. At this time, the branches are young and soft, which makes its effect on the body gentle.

Benefit for health

The beneficial properties of coniferous trees have been known for a long time. In the bathhouse, a spruce broom is a tool for massage. Its effect on the body is enormous:

• Increases sweating, as a result of which toxins and harmful substances are removed from the body.
• Helps improve blood supply to muscles and internal organs.
• Helps with problems with the nervous system and long-term depression.
• Eliminates pain in the spine due to radiculitis.
• In the spring-autumn period, a spruce broom is an ideal remedy to prevent further development of the disease. It disinfects the body and kills roaming viruses.
• Helps get rid of long-term cough.

How to steam with a spruce broom

A spruce broom, unlike a deciduous one, needs to be properly steamed. This does not simply involve soaking it in warm water, but processing it so that the prickly needles soften well and do not cause harm to the person who is steaming.

Steaming is done as follows: it is kept in boiling water for half an hour, while simultaneously preparing the body while in the steam room. If a spruce bath broom is used in the fight against cellulite, then steaming can be done for less time.

Important! People with sensitive skin need to be careful when hovering with spruce branches and observe the skin reaction.

Indications and contraindications

Massage using brooms is prescribed for the following diseases and symptoms:

• radiculitis, arthritis, back and joint pain;
• colds, flu, ARVI;
• gout, rheumatism;
• prolonged stress, prolonged depression.

Contraindications:

• stomach ulcer;
• malignant, benign neoplasms;
• skin rashes;
• chronic diseases during periods of exacerbation;
• allergic reactions;
• mental disorders;
• inflammatory processes;
• disorders of the cardiovascular system.

Important! You should not visit the steam room when the pressure and temperature increase.

The benefits of spruce procedures from a scientific point of view

If you do not consider yourself a supporter of prejudices and look at all processes from a purely scientific point of view, then this section is exclusively for you.

Spruce is a storehouse of vitamins, microelements and biologically active substances, which, first of all, include phytoncides.

It is no secret that this tree belongs to the group of long-lived trees and, as radiocarbon analysis has shown, on the rocks of Western Sweden there is a specimen that is about 10,000 years old. Obviously, the trunk is a shoot - a clone, however, the root system appeared long before the Nativity of Christ.

The evergreen crown of this plant - the needles - has a number of outstanding properties, among which the following are especially worth noting:

• Antimicrobial, which is expressed in the ability to suppress the development and activity of various pathogenic microorganisms;
• Anti-inflammatory, similar to the first, and based on a high concentration of phytoncides;
• Painkiller. Naturally, in terms of effectiveness it cannot compete with synthetic analgesics, however, for a purely natural remedy, the level of impact on the receptors of the human body is quite noticeable;
• The high content of vitamins, primarily ascorbic acid, causes an active antiscorbutic effect. It is not without reason that in Siberian logging sites, experienced prisoners preferred tea, a decoction of spruce needles mixed with a certain amount of young bark. Despite the very mediocre and peculiar taste of the drink, the pine needles provided the body with a shock dose of vitamin C, and the bark, which has a pronounced astringent property, blocked bleeding;
• It is worth noting the high diuretic, choleretic and expectorant qualities of such raw materials.

Attention! Spruce needles are a good source of essential amino acids and microelements, represented by salts of zinc, iron, cobalt, selenium, copper and manganese. A real green laboratory!

In order to fully reveal the positive potential of spruce needles, we present the following table:

Methods of application

Features of the use of bath tools:

1. Before visiting the steam room, it is necessary to steam the broom so as not to give the person any unpleasant sensations.
2. After 5-6 visits to the steam room, you should replace the used tool with a new one.
3. When carrying out bath procedures, branches and leaves should not be left dry. They need to be constantly moistened with water.

The liquid in which the bundles were steamed can be used to pour over hot stones.

DIY making

Since branches of available plants are suitable for making bundles, you can make brooms yourself. To do this, you need to know when to collect branches and how to prepare them.

Collection and preparation of branches

Features of collecting branches of different trees:

• It is better to collect birch during Trinity, if the weather is dry and sunny;
• oak can be cut from June to September;
• Linden is best collected in early spring;
• Eucalyptus is harvested from mid-summer to early September;
• Rowan is cut at the beginning of summer;
• nettles are collected during flowering;
• coniferous branches can be cut off until the end of October.

It is important to cut branches in dry weather. This should not be done during rain.

Features of the preparation of harvested raw materials:

1. First you need to steam the branches in hot and cold water. The steaming process depends on the type of plant.
2. After steaming, the branches need to be dried. The drying process takes 3–5 days.

Bunches should not be dried in direct sunlight.

Bunch

When the raw materials are prepared, you can begin to form the beam. Main stages:

1. Step back 15 cm from the beginning of the branches, clear this area of ​​leaves and twigs.
2. Place thick branches on the outside, thin ones on the inside.
3. Tie the bundle with tight twine.

Fir broom

It came into use several hundred years ago. Fir has earned the title of a gentle coniferous tree, because its needles are not as prickly as those of others, so even those with very sensitive skin can use such a broom.

The benefits of a broom

Fir needles contain a storehouse of essential oils, phytoncides, balsamic substances and resins. All this wealth from fir passes into the body when vaping.

Properly performed massage with fir branches and the aroma of essential oils:

• Helps with stress and anxiety, calms the nervous system
• They will not cause passivity, calming and relaxing.
• Stimulates brain activity.
• They will help to avoid many ailments, including rheumatism and respiratory diseases.
• Strengthen the immune system.
• Smoothes the skin and rejuvenates it.
• They will remove germs and harmful substances from the body.
• A light massage combats skin problems.

Important! An excellent fir bath accessory copes with the spread of infection during the cold season.

Preparing the broom

Like any broom, a fir broom must initially be steamed in hot water for 10 - 20 minutes. This time is shorter than for other coniferous species, since fir needles are more delicate. The infusion that remains after steaming can be used to rinse your hair; it will make its structure more elastic and strong.

A fir broom can be used several times. To do this, after the first session, the fir broom should be placed in the freezer or on the balcony if this happens in winter. This way it will last until your next trip to the bathhouse. The effect, of course, will be less, but the body will still receive some of the nutrients.

Procurement process

The preparation of bath brooms from linden begins when the tree blooms, filling with healthy juices. This time usually occurs at the end of May - beginning of June. For preparations, you need to carefully cut off light young shoots, approximately 50 cm long.

It is recommended to go “hunting” on a cool, dry day so that the leaf adheres well to the rods. Avoid trees in environmentally unfavorable places: near roads, in the city center, near factories.

Linden foliage is slightly more saturated with moisture than birch or oak, so drying will take a little longer

Take a close look at the tree: there should be no signs of disease on its bark and branches. Do not cut insect-infested branches for a broom.

Linden brooms should be stored hanging, in the shade or in a dry, ventilated area. If it is impossible to hang the workpiece, place it on straw - it will draw out excess moisture.

When properly stored and dried, linden brooms retain their aroma and healing properties for 3 years.

How to steam in a sauna correctly?

In order to achieve the therapeutic effect of a Russian bath, you need to steam according to the rules. Ideally, have two brooms; massage with them should be easy and quick.

The temperature in the steam room should also be controlled. If the bathhouse is very hot, then the waving movements of the broom should be done carefully, and, conversely, at low temperatures you can swing the broom more actively.

The bath broom should not be allowed to be dry; it is better to constantly moisturize it. Warm or cool water, or the one in which the broom was soaked, is suitable here.

All massage movements must begin from the back area; the skin must first be warmed up. There is no need to hit them hard; this can only cause harm. Experienced bathhouse attendants know that to begin with, you should fan yourself with a broom from your feet to the side of your head - this way the body gradually warms up and prepares for further massage. And only then move on to other actions.

There are several types of bath massage with brooms:

1. Stroking - with light movements a broom is moved over the body, starting from the feet, ending with the head;
2. Compress - combined with stroking - the broom should be pressed to a certain area of ​​the body, for example, knee hollows, calves, buttocks, back;
3. Quilting – light movements of a broom over the body, reminiscent of “strokes”, alternates with stroking;
4. Patting is good to do with two brooms, touching the body with quick and precise movements, the broom is fixed in one position;
5. Whipping - echoes the previous type of broom massage, only after it stroking is used immediately;
6. Rubbing – good to use after bath procedures; lightly press the broom against the body with your hands and move it in different directions, rubbing the skin;
7. Poultices are the same as a compress, but last longer, are effective at high temperatures in the bathhouse, and increase the heat in the body;
8. Stretching - use brooms to “stretch the body” in opposite directions, one broom moves the hand towards the legs, the other - in the opposite direction, this technique helps well with pain in the spine.

Using these types of broom massage, you can get rid of many health problems. However, they should be used after thoroughly warming up your body. It is better to do this on your second visit to the bathhouse.

Birch

It has a pleasant aroma of balsamic vinegar and has a beneficial effect on the skin: heals wounds and gets rid of rashes. For those who have problems with the lungs, it is indispensable, because essential oils help the rapid removal of phlegm. And for those who love physical activity, it will help get rid of muscle pain.

How to steam a linden broom correctly

There is nothing complicated about this procedure. We can say that the actions are the same as with birch or oak. Pour warm (but not boiling water) water into a basin and place a linden broom in it. Wait 20-30 minutes. When the branches and leaves become soft, you can safely begin paired procedures.

Linden blossom

Linden in nature

Splash the water in which you steamed the linden broom onto the heater and off you go. If the leaves of a broom begin to fall off, it means that it was not prepared at the right time or you are using very hot water.

If the linden bath broom is fresh, just cut, then it does not need to be steamed at all. Rinse it with warm water to wash away the dust and just keep it in the steam room. High temperature and fresh essential oils will immediately show themselves. The steam room will quickly fill with the pleasant aroma of linden.

Which bath broom is better to choose?

The most popular broom for bathing is the one made from birch branches. Birch leaves contain essential oils, vitamins, tannins, and volatile substances from the leaves destroy microbes and purify the air, which has a beneficial effect on the body.

A birch broom can improve the general condition of the body, skin color, reduce wrinkles and rashes. This broom will be useful for lung diseases and smoking. Recommended for use to improve immunity. A tincture of leaves strengthens hair and eliminates dandruff.

What kind of brooms are prepared for a bath?

Brooms made for visiting the bathhouse are made from a combination of branches of young trees. The tree should grow in a sunny area without swamps, and there should be no factories, roads or other sources of pollution nearby. The length of the branches is determined by the length of the bath broom, which most often ranges from 40 to 80 cm. The thickness of the handle is approximately 5 cm, because a thicker handle will weigh more.

The surface of the branches should be smooth, free of diseases, leaves that have dried out, because they should be juicy and thick. Branches with several branches are selected, which will make the broom wider and denser. This will allow better use of steam and increase the sensation of whipping.

How to dry properly so that the leaves do not fly off

Properly drying birch brooms should be in the shade in the open air. The brooms are hung by the base in the shade, on the veranda or in the garden, and dried in this position for 5-6 days.

Avoid exposure to the sun as it will dry out the leaves and cause them to curl.

When the leaves become brittle and breakable, it means that the broom is already dry and you need to immediately put it away for storage, otherwise the leaves will fall off.

Advice! Before drying, place the brooms under a press for several days, turning them over periodically, so that excess moisture will be released from the leaves and branches.

Basic errors during procurement

If after the first steaming the broom falls off, it means that a mistake was made when preparing or storing it. The main mistakes when preparing brooms are due to a lack of experience and neglect of recommendations. Even the slightest failure to comply with harvesting rules can cause the fragility of a birch broom. Typical mistakes include:

• Incorrect time for collecting rods. The optimal time for collecting branches is determined by the leaves. If you collect them earlier than expected or later, it will fall off. The best time to collect is mid-June, but you need to pay more attention to the leaves.
• Incorrect drying. If you dry the branches in the sun, then all the leaves will certainly curl up and fall off. The broom must dry for a week in the shade, otherwise the leaves will wither or dry out.
• Using wet branches. The rods should be collected in sunny weather. If you use wet branches, an unpleasant odor will appear and the branches themselves will become stiff.

Advice! Do not wash branches before harvesting. All dust will be washed away during use in the bath.

If you are making a preparation for the first time, then it is better to tie a couple of brooms and, following all the recommendations, collect, tie and store them as expected, so as not to be upset if something does not work out.