A bath broom is an invariable attribute of a Russian steam room. It provides a powerful therapeutic effect when performing procedures in the bathhouse.
Many bath attendants are increasingly making brooms with their own hands. The entire harvesting process is not so complicated and consists of timely cutting, bundling and proper drying.
How to properly dry bath brooms in order to obtain practical, safe, comfortable and fragrant attributes for carrying out useful bath procedures? The answer is simple - perform proper preparation and drying.
In well-harvested bundles, the leaves do not crumble during use and have a rich green color without dark spots or signs of yellowing. After steaming, the branches acquire additional elasticity and softness.
To avoid disappointment, experienced bath attendants recommend preparing brooms from coniferous and deciduous trees, as well as herbs.
The most popular bath attributes for a Russian steam room are made from birch, oak, linden, currant, eucalyptus and pine needles. Some knit brooms from herbaceous medicinal plants - wormwood, nettle and tansy.
The optimal time of year for harvesting brooms
According to traditions, you need to start preparing such accessories for the steam room from the beginning of June.
Photo of succulent birch branches
It is at this time that all plants bloom. The foliage on tree branches grows stronger, gaining juice and aroma. Therefore, it is at this time that it is necessary to collect plant branches.
It is quite reasonable to start collecting bath brooms in June, because the leaves of the trees are already quite large and filled with essential oil glands.
Young shoots of large size demonstrate high elasticity, so the product made from them will be the best.
But how to cut branches:
- Branches should be cut in dry weather;
- If the foliage gets wet in the rain, it will subsequently deteriorate, darken, fly around and curl during drying. Therefore, in rainy or too wet weather, branches should not be cut. It's better to wait a couple of days.
Remember
- Observe procurement deadlines. Carry out cutting of branches in early summer. After steaming, young shoots become elastic and soft, and the leaf holds tightly to them.
- Dry according to the rules. Avoid high temperatures and exposure to UV rays. Due to these factors, the foliage turns brown, becomes fragile, and essential oils evaporate.
- Store in optimal conditions . Dampness leads to irreversible consequences: mold appears and a putrid smell appears. High temperatures lead to fragility, evaporation of esters, and leaf fall.
It’s not difficult to prepare brooms yourself, the main thing is to dry and store them correctly. As a result, you will always have a useful attribute for visiting the bathhouse.
Video: how to prepare and dry a birch broom
Types of bath brooms
Products from the most common breeds
Few newcomers to the bath business understand which broom is best for a bath:
- The most popular are birch and oak;
- Also, experienced bath attendants often prefer combined options, when shoots of different trees are collected in one product. For example, several eucalyptus shoots are added to a collection of oak branches.
Combined version of the sauna bundle
Which brooms are best for a bath is up to the steam room lover to decide. There are no clear rules here. Try different options and see for yourself which one you like best.
How to properly dry birch brooms
The main “trump card” of birch is the aroma with which it fills the steam room. It is this air, saturated with oils and phytoncides, that has a beneficial effect on health. Of course, you can also whip each other on the back and sides with a birch broom, because it also heals joints, back and kidneys. But its main “strength” is still considered to be the treatment of the respiratory system and skin.
The preferred shape of a birch accessory – a rounded panicle – depends on these qualities. It is this form that allows the bath attribute to warm up evenly and release as many beneficial substances into the air as possible.
In order for the broom to acquire the desired rounded shape after drying, it must be dried only in a suspended state. The press drying method is undesirable in this case (although possible).
Poles or ropes with suspended bundles are installed in a well-ventilated, darkened room with an air temperature of 20-25 degrees. Birch branches dry out quite quickly, because the leaves of this tree are small and thin. They only need 7-10 days to dry completely.
Features of preparing a broom for a bath
Raw materials for the future broom should be cut only in ecologically clean areas, which are far from highways. This should be done in the morning, after the dew has disappeared. Then the broom can serve for quite a long time.
Advice! Experts recommend cutting off biennial branches. They grow closer to the ground. They are cut 50-60 cm in length.
Harvesting oak branches
How to knit a broom correctly
Some people do not tie the products in advance, but make peculiar sheaves from the prepared branches. The upper branches of such a sheaf provide reliable protection to the lower ones. Hay is placed on top of the sheaf for additional protection.
And only when a person is going to take a steam bath in a bathhouse, he pulls out the required number of branches from such a sheaf and ties a broom. However, this technology is quite inconvenient.
It is better to prepare in advance the number of bundles you need for the steam room for the year.
Knitting a broom for a steam room should be carried out according to the following rules:
- First, spread the cut branches on burlap for several days;
- Then you need to collect brooms from the withered branches.
Knitting technology
Knitting instructions:
- place the branches in a pile;
- place a cord on a stack of branches;
- wrap a stack of branches with cord;
- pull the cord;
- tie the cord into a strong knot;
- tighten the knot on the stack of branches;
- trim the ends of the cord;
- hang the brooms to dry.
Advice! Don't forget to clear the branches of knots and leaves in the area that will later become the handle.
If you know how to brew such a broom, you can steam with it several times.
Birch brooms drying
As for the handle of the product, it should be made quite long. This makes steaming much more convenient. After all, it will not slip out during vigorous swings.
Advice! Don't make the product heavy. Otherwise, it will not be convenient to use.
Drying process
So, the brooms are collected in a certain quantity. Now all that remains is to choose a drying space, which can be:
Drying process
Which space to choose is not so important, the main thing is that there:
Brooms should not be dried on the balcony
Bath broom drying technology
How to properly dry bath brooms? There are quite a few ways to carry out this procedure.
However, they all have one important rule in common: drying should be done exclusively in the shade.
- When exposed to direct sunlight, the foliage will curl and fade. In addition, all essential oils and aroma will disappear from it. At the first steaming, such a product “goes bald”, leaving all its foliage in the basin;
Advice! Brooms should be dried avoiding strong drafts.
- The best place to dry is a dark, cool and dry place. Products must be hung or stacked very carefully. At the same time, they need to be turned over daily to ensure even drying;
- The simplest drying method is hanging on a pole;
Drying by hanging on poles
- A fan-shaped broom is considered ideal. To get it after a week of drying, they should be tightly tied and placed tightly against each other. Due to this, they will flatten over time. And only then can they be transferred to a storage location.
Advice! A well-dried product has leaves that have a matte greenish tint and a pleasant natural scent of balsamic oil.
If the broom is too dry
There are times when the broom gets too dry. In such a situation, do not get upset and throw away the product. Everything can be corrected.
This kind of bathhouse broom needs to be steamed longer than usual, and then left on the heater. The hot stones will emit steam, which will be absorbed by the branches.
What are bath products made from?
Most often, brooms are made from birch and oak. Harvesting birch branches begins on Trinity and continues until Peter's Day, which falls on July 12. At this time, birch leaves contain many useful components that rejuvenate the body. For harvesting work, you need to choose a dry and sunny day. Cutting is done in the first half of the day, when the dew has disappeared from the foliage. Young thin flexible branches are selected from the tree. The cut twigs should be straight and well leafed.
Oak brooms have tanning properties and dry out oily skin
Oak brooms are harvested from mid-June to August, observing the same collection conditions as for birch. They have tanning properties and dry out oily skin prone to excessive sweating.
Less commonly used brooms include eucalyptus brooms. They are harvested in August, when the leaves have accumulated a sufficient amount of essential oils. Such branches are used in the bathhouse for auxiliary treatment of diseases accompanied by cough. Eucalyptus can be hung dried. The round shape does not interfere with its intended use.
Less commonly used brooms include eucalyptus brooms
Ash can be a substitute for eucalyptus. Young ash branches are collected during the flowering period. Its beneficial substances prevent the development of colds. Ash broom is used as a prophylactic after hypothermia.
Coniferous broom can be collected all year round. It is rigid, and for it the fan shape is mandatory. It allows you to take full advantage of it after prolonged steaming. Juniper broom is most often used in steam rooms. It is rough and prickly, but it perfectly helps restore health during exacerbation of a chronic disease of the musculoskeletal system. Juniper contains essential oils that have bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is recommended to be used in the coldest time of the year, when the percentage of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections is high. In spring and summer, it increases the body's protective functions and allows you to get rid of an allergic reaction.
Coniferous broom can be collected all year round
Nettle broom is useful for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Collecting grass on a broom occurs during flowering, when the leaves are maximally saturated with useful substances. It should have a flat shape.
Linden is collected during flowering. It is good to stock up on such a broom for the treatment of colds. Linden essential compounds thin the blood and increase sweating, clearing the blood of infectious agents. To make the bundle easier to work with, it is first dried in a horizontal position under a press, and then dried vertically.
The wormwood broom should be hung immediately. Wormwood is collected during flowering and is not used on its own. Its stems are added to a birch or oak bundle in small quantities to enhance their medicinal effect. The herb has disinfectant properties, relieves nervous tension, and helps you fall asleep quickly. The essential compounds contained in wormwood improve memory.
A wormwood broom should be hung immediately
The maple broom is made flat. In its properties it is similar to birch branches. It promotes the release of toxins and wastes through sweat. It is used after recovery from heavy drinking, with constant use of synthetic drugs, to restore strength after a long illness. Young shoots contain vitamin C and tannins, which cleanse and strengthen the body.
The alder broom has a similar property. Aspen leaves contain medicinal and adhesive substances that, like a band-aid, pull out harmful bacteria and their waste products from steamed pores.
A hazel broom is shaped like a fan. All parts of the plant have healing properties of this shrub. The most useful substances are found in the above-ground part during the flowering period. Then the branches are harvested and dried in two stages.
A bird cherry or rowan broom is used to purify the air in a bathhouse.
This broom stimulates the functioning of the internal secretion organs. It helps cure skin diseases, and is recommended for patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, in whom all damage to the epidermis and dermis on the body does not heal well.
A bird cherry or rowan broom is used to purify the air in a bathhouse. They have disinfecting properties and contain a large amount of phytoncides that stimulate and tone the nervous system. To enhance their effect, tansy is inserted into these types of brooms. These brooms can be round because they are steamed in boiling water, and then the benches, canopy and floor of the bathhouse are washed with this water.
Soaking a bath broom
Not everyone knows how to properly soak a bath broom. Before steaming, the product must be washed and rinsed in water. Their foliage should not be soggy or flabby. Carefully monitor the condition of the brooms.
Advice! After steaming brooms in water, you should not pour it out. If you wash your hair with this water, it will have a beneficial effect on the condition of your hair.
If the broom is made from fresh twigs, then it should not be steamed. Simply rinse it with water to remove any dust or dirt from the leaves.
Oak brooms
How to brew a bath broom correctly? There are several methods to perform this task:
First method (operative)
You need to do the following:
- put the broom in a bowl of warm water for a quarter of an hour;
- add hot water to the bowl and cover it with a basin;
- Turn the product over at regular intervals.
Second method (fast)
It's worth doing the following:
- lower the product into a steamer with hot water for a couple of minutes;
- remove the broom and, without shaking off the water, go to the steam room;
- hold a broom over the hot stones of the bathhouse.
Now you know how to properly soak bath brooms, and you can get down to business.
Useful properties of birch brooms
Each disease has its own properly selected broom. Women especially love birch; when steamed, the leaves of this tree become porous and are able to absorb sweat from hot skin, and along with it, remove toxins and dead cells.
After bath procedures with a birch accessory, the skin becomes surprisingly clean and elastic, pustules and wounds heal, and inflammation is relieved.
Advice! There is no need to pour out the water after steaming the birch broom - it is better to rinse your hair with it. The decoction will help get rid of skin itching and dandruff, make your hair silky and thick.
Birch is also the right choice for asthmatics and people suffering from other respiratory diseases. The essential oils released by the leaves will not only fill the steam room with a unique aroma, but will also relieve inflammation in the bronchi and lungs and ease difficulty breathing.
Birch leaves are very useful for heavy smokers. Their aroma helps remove tar from the lungs and reduces cough.
Proper storage of brooms
How to store bath brooms so that they do not lose their properties? Only experienced bath attendants can answer this question.
If you have prepared products, it is important to be able to preserve their beneficial properties. To do this, they must be stored in a dark and dry place.
The room should be well ventilated, but there should be no drafts. An excellent option in this case could be the attic of a house or garage.
There is another method that ensures excellent preservation of steam room brooms. However, it is more suitable for rural residents. You can store products in hay.
In this case, they will absorb even more nutrients and natural aromas. City residents can store brooms in vacuum bags.
Storing an oak broom using the vacuum method
How to properly store a bath attribute
No less important than drying is proper storage of the broom. After all, it must retain all its medicinal properties for many months (from June until spring).
In rural areas, brooms are stored in attics and dressing rooms; these rooms maintain the most favorable microclimate. In the city, things with storage are more complicated. For example, brooms are often stored in the garage. And this is not entirely correct, because there are too many toxic volatile substances (gasoline, oils) with which the branches are easily saturated. The pantry is also not very suitable for storing bath accessories; this room is not equipped with ventilation, and the broom can become damaged.
It is best to place the bundles on a closet shelf or in a large cardboard box. Place them on top of each other and press them with a not too heavy flat object (for example, a piece of chipboard or a board). The top of the stack should be covered with a dark, dense cloth; it will allow a sufficient amount of air to pass through, but will prevent the weathering of beneficial essential substances. In addition, the elasticity of twigs and leaves is better preserved under the fabric; such brooms will be enough for 1-2 more procedures.
Harvesting birch branches
Today, a broom made from a truly Russian tree is very popular and is in good demand among bath attendants. Before you start harvesting, you should choose the right tree.
Remember
Preference should be given to weeping birch; it can be found on the shore of a lake (river). It has long, flowing branches that can reach all the way to the ground.
A few points worth noting:
- It is better to choose a young tree as a material.
- Touch the leaves; they should be smooth and soft on one side. Under no circumstances should you choose a tree with rough leaves.
- Check the branches for flexibility; preferably they should be thin.
- It is best to collect in the forest, away from roads.
- Before making a birch broom for a bath (before drying), the raw materials need to be tied as tightly as possible, but there should be a little free space between the branches. In the worst case, the leaves may lose their rich color and nutrients.
How to steam birch brooms
You need to be able to steam a birch broom correctly. You can simply pour boiling water over it and cover it with a basin and leave for 40 minutes. But the best way is multi-stage steaming:
- first, the birch broom is watered with warm water, the temperature of which is about 40 degrees;
- then place in a container with cold water and leave for 2-3 minutes;
- now warm water again, the broom needs to be left in it for 5-7 minutes;
- Add boiling water to the same container and leave it covered for another 20 minutes.
To make the birch broom even more fragrant, bathhouse lovers add a couple of sprigs of mint or currants to it. You can also warm it up before steaming by holding it on hot stones. You just need to constantly turn the broom over and make sure that the leaves don’t dry out.
What to do with dried brooms
It is not enough to dry the broom correctly; you need to know how to store it. Proper storage allows you to use these accessories for one or two seasons.
To find out whether the branches are dry or not, you need to break the leaf. If it has lost its elasticity and breaks easily, but does not crumble, which already indicates that the bath attribute is overdried, the broom is ready.
You can immediately use the birch accessory, and put the remaining brooms for storage. There are several ways to store bath brooms:
- Pack in dark plastic bags.
- Vacuum packed.
- Wrap in thick black cloth. This method makes the brooms “long-lasting” - the fabric retains beneficial oils, which is why the branches do not lose their elasticity. You can steam with this accessory 4-6 times.
- Place in cardboard boxes, pressing them on top with a press.
- Just put it in a closet and air it regularly.
Attention! For those who live in the private sector, the most successful way to store bath brooms is in a haystack. The accessories are laid out with the foliage inward so that the handles are on the outside, and each layer is sprinkled with hay. With this storage, the maximum beneficial properties are preserved, and the branches are additionally saturated with the aromas of dry grass.
