How and when to prepare brooms for a bath: preparation time, rules for drying, knitting, storing and steaming bath brooms, photos and videos. Everything you need to know about bath brooms

Visiting a bathhouse is not only a pleasant, but also a useful procedure, and a broom is an integral part of it. There are a huge variety of bath brooms, each of which has a special effect on the body.

However, in order to get the maximum benefit from using brooms, you need to know what time is best to collect them.

Let's look at the most popular types of plants used for making brooms. These include:

• Oak- has an anti-inflammatory effect, helps lower blood pressure, calms and reduces Negative influence stress on the body. Recommended for those with problematic skin prone to oiliness;
• Birch- perfectly cleanses the skin, promoting the regeneration of the upper layers of the skin. In addition, it helps relieve pain in joints and muscles after prolonged physical activity;
• Juniper- can be used as a prophylactic during the cold season, as well as for radiculitis and rheumatism;
• Linden- most often used for colds, providing a bronchodilator and antipyretic effect;
• Rowan- Best used during the day as rowan helps increase activity levels. Can be used by people with weak blood vessels and problem skin;
• Tansy- just like rowan, tansy helps eliminate loss of strength and fills you with energy. These brooms are especially good for women who have problems with cycle disorders;
• Nettle- This plant can relieve joint pain. It is often used for rheumatism, severe nervous tension and stress;
• Sagebrush- used to treat rheumatism, jaundice and skin lesions. Wormwood vapor has a beneficial effect on the condition of the liver and stomach;
• Eucalyptus- helps very well with a runny nose or cold due to the high content of essential oils;

Combining several types- the beneficial properties of these brooms directly depend on the plants that make up them. You can collect several types of herbs, relying solely on the characteristics of your own body.

Collecting brooms for a bath: when is the best time to harvest?

Each type of tree has its own time and period for preparing brooms for a bath. You should not collect tree branches in cloudy or rainy weather.

The best time to break bath brooms is early in the morning before the dew dries.

So, here are the dates for collecting brooms for the bath:

• Collection time birch trees- It is best to collect in early summer immediately after Whitsunday.
• Collection time oak- can be collected throughout the summer.
• Collection time linden trees- in early spring during the flowering period of the tree.
• Collection time mountain ash- collected from June to July.
• Collection time eucalyptus- the best time is August-November.
• Collection time coniferous species- coniferous species can be harvested all year round.
• Collection time herbs, such as nettle, tansy, wormwood- depending on the type of herbs, such brooms are collected during their flowering period.

Collection rules for deciduous trees

Collection rules for coniferous trees

Since coniferous brooms cannot be stored for a long time, they can be collected all year round.

It is important to note that any herbs and plants cannot be collected near roads and railways, as well as within city limits.

How to tie a strong broom correctly

The knitting rules are the same for both deciduous and coniferous, as well as herbal brooms. In order to get the right broom you need:

• select and lay the thickest branches - they will play the role of a frame;
• it is necessary to place thinner and more flexible branches around them;
• the number of branches can be any, the main thing is to ensure that the handle fits comfortably in the hand and is convenient for swinging.

How to dry properly after harvesting and mating

After you have tied the branches, they need to be hung in a dark, dry place, away from drafts and moisture. The optimal places are attics, garages, sheds and dressing rooms. It is important not to overdry; for example, for hardwood, the optimal drying time is 1.5-2 weeks.

How to make it flat?

It is worth knowing that a good oak, birch or pine broom should have a flat shape and look like a fan!

To give a flat shape, the branches are placed on thick plywood, giving them the appearance of a fan., and press down on top with a board or sheet of plywood and apply oppression. After a week, the products can be inspected and turned over to dry evenly.

How to prepare brooms for a bath for the winter?

Everything is very simple: the preparation is not carried out for use at the current moment, but taking into account the fact that you will be steaming in the bathhouse all year long. Therefore, harvesting is carried out in anticipation of the winter period.

How and where to store it correctly

• Finished products must be stored in a dry and dark place.
• They must be protected from moisture penetration.
• For better preservation, products can be stored in paper bags or surrounded with fresh hay.

Frozen brooms

In some cases, you can freeze a fresh broom by pre-packing it in a vacuum. Thanks to this method You can preserve not only the beneficial properties of the plant, but also its aroma. Finished products are frozen at a temperature of -15 degrees. It is best to choose branches with dense foliage or from coniferous plants.

Bamboo brooms

These brooms, as a rule, are not harvested because bamboo does not grow in central Russia. There is absolutely no need to dry them and then steam them before going to the steam room. They are used in the bathhouse quite rarely and mainly for massage. More wide application they received in SPA procedures.

Useful video - review

Check out the video on how to prepare and store bath brooms

Basic errors during procurement

• Failure to meet procurement deadlines. For example, if harvested early, the foliage has not yet become strong, but if harvested late, it can quickly fall off. This is especially true in the future.
• Drying under straight lines sun rays, which will “kill” all the beneficial properties.
• Washing branches before mating and collecting them in rainy weather can lead to spoilage.
• Collecting branches with damaged foliage.

Many experts, speaking about how to properly prepare brooms for a bath, always mention that you can make “mixes” by adding stems of various herbs(for example, chamomile, oregano, thyme, mint and other plants to your taste).

It is impossible to get a good broom without following the rules of collection and preparation. Thanks to the tips described above, your visit to the steam room will not only be a pleasure, but will also bring maximum benefits.

There is nothing complicated in preparing brooms for a bath, but, as in every business, there are some nuances: you need to know when it is better to knit brooms for a bath, which branches to choose, how long they should be, how to preserve brooms for the whole year without losing quality .

When to knit brooms for a bath

Our ancestors prepared raw materials for bath brooms in the first half of June - on Trinity Day after Green Christmastide. If you are far from church calendars and rituals, collect branches in early June, when the foliage has already grown and become stronger, but has not yet become faded and withered.

On church holidays or calendar dates can only be oriented by region: our country is large. In some places it’s almost summer on Trinity Sunday, and in others the leaves have barely sprung. So it’s better to focus on the condition of the foliage.

When are birch brooms harvested?

Not much time is allotted for harvesting birch brooms: a week at most. You need to have time to prepare birch branches when the leaf has already turned green, and not light green, but before the earrings bloom. If time is missed, the foliage becomes very hard and falls off greatly in the bathhouse. So the harvesting period for birch brooms is very short.

But time is not the only criterion. When choosing branches for a birch broom, you need to be guided by appearance leaf. It should have a deep green color, the plate should be smooth. There should be no aphids or other pests or diseases. But, most importantly, there should be no earrings on the branches. And for greater effect, you need to cut birch branches with a broom during the specified period, but after a rain. Only the birch must already be dry, otherwise when steaming the leaf will darken and curl.

More advice from the older generation: cut a broom when the leaf on the birch tree is no larger than an old five-kopeck coin, and it should feel slightly sticky to the touch.

But with sticky leaves you get a “soapy broom”. It has an excellent effect on the skin: it becomes silky and soft. But at the same time, leave the steam room with your skin covered in mucus. Not everyone likes this feeling. So here you have to choose: either more comfortable sensations with more “mature” foliage or elastic skin.

Birch brooms harvested in May smell differently than summer ones: they add a smell very similar to the smell of propolis. At this time, there are light stripes on the skin of the twigs, which release this aroma. Such stripes are not found on all branches; they need to be selected separately. When you run your hand along such a branch, you feel the tubercles - these are the same resinous, odorous secretions. If anyone hasn't tried it, try it. Very pleasant sensations, although the sheet is sticky at this time.

Some bathhouse lovers especially appreciate birch brooms that grew near water - a river or lake (but not in a swamp). Such plants have long, elastic and flexible branches. Twigs, growing roots or stumps of birch trees are good. They are flexible, elastic and tender.

On trees, the lower climbing shoots are considered the best. They are cut for a broom. It is better not to cut single young ones without side branches, even despite the large, beautiful and dense leaf: it turns out to be a whip. And this is not at all what is required from a bath broom.

If you don’t need to cut more than two or three pieces of a young tree, you can harm the plant. Know when to stop - take care of nature!

Old people who love baths say that even in a birch grove you can’t take branches for a broom from every tree. But only from those whose birch bark on the trunk seems to shine a little. Moreover, the spots on the birch bark are not gray, but rather brownish in color. There are not very many such trees, but they exist. Try to find at least a few and stack the branches separately. Then evaluate the difference and next time you won’t regret it.

When preparing brooms, birch foliage should be dense and smooth. Some people recommend trying a birch leaf with your tongue. If it is rough, the branch is not suitable, if it is smooth and velvety, it is an excellent raw material.

You can navigate by the stem of a young birch leaf. If it has already turned reddish, you can cut it, but if it is green, it’s too early.

The video shows how to choose birch branches and correctly knit brooms from them.

We prepare oak brooms

The harvesting period for oak brooms is longer: starting from the end of June, and some are harvested in August and early September. Depends on the year and region. But even in the same region, it differs greatly from year to year. In some areas you have to hurry: later the foliage is affected by diseases and becomes lethargic or spotted. But sometimes, after disease damage in August-September, the foliage on the oak tree grows back. Then you can also get excellent brooms.

During summer harvesting oak broom pay attention to the condition of the leaf: it should be an even, dense green color, without spots. The main rule: there should not be an acorn yet. As when harvesting birch, branched shoots with large leaves are taken.

But there are lovers who harvest oak brooms in September. In this case, the leaf turns yellow or yellow. They say it also “works” very well.

For gourmet bathhouses, oak brooms, made from tree branches near which burdock grew, are highly prized. Their shoots are considered the most durable and flexible. Trees should grow in shady corners of the forest and be young: on old ones it is difficult to find non-knotted branches of sufficient length. The foliage should be large and abundant.

The preparation of oak brooms has its own specifics:

• firstly, the cut branches are stored in a shady place for an hour and a half, and only then can they be transported;
• secondly, after the oak broom is tied, you need to put pressure on it to give it the shape of a fan - this shape is the most common, but some people prefer oak brooms of the traditional spherical shape.

When to cut linden brooms

If you want a linden broom with color, you have a week and a half to prepare it. And then at the expense different breeds blooming in different time. But in general, best period It is considered when most of the flowers have already opened. The aroma in the bathhouse is amazing.

Linden with flowers smells amazing, but they won’t be able to “work” properly - the leaf is soft

There is a linden broom and a later preparation. He also has a period of two weeks - from August 15 to September 1. This is what experts say, who claim that previously collected linden branches contain, of course, more useful substances, but the leaf on them is too soft and, when steamed, curls and wrinkles so that it is absolutely impossible to steam with it.

Preparation of coniferous brooms: spruce, juniper

The “widest collection range” is found in coniferous species. There are no restrictions here. In Siberia, coniferous brooms are made both in the most severe frosts and in the summer...

Choose a warm, fine, dry day for harvesting. The branches begin to be cut after the dew has dried. They choose the young and flexible. There are no other recommendations.

How to make nettle brooms

Despite the “terrible” sting, you just need to try the nettle broom. Then you will really enjoy steaming with it. Harvesting them for the winter is problematic, except perhaps inserting a few branches into birch and oak trees. No other way. But you can steam fresh all summer long.

Young shoots without color, about 40-50 cm long, are cut off. They are made short and fluffy. It’s better to work with gloves: it stings. It turns out to be quite soft: only for one person.

There are quite a few ways to steam a nettle broom. Basically, they dip into hot (not boiling water) water for 3-5 seconds, then into cold water. All.

The second option is to dip it in cold water, then after steaming, trample on it in the steam room with your feet, hold it over the steam, adding a ladle of water.

Regardless of how you prepare the broom, they need to “work” on the already steamed body. That is, you first need to steam with birch.

There is one thing about using a nettle broom: it strongly stains the wood. Therefore, it is better not to put it on the shelves. Bring a rug and place it on it.

All other brooms (and what they are like and how they affect the body, read the article “How to steam a broom for a bath”) are collected in the same time frame as birch brooms until August 2.

If you want to knit a broom from herbs, you need to know the timing of its flowering - at this time they have the highest concentration of useful substances.

How to choose branches for a bath broom

Branches are cut from young trees that grow in sunny, non-wetlands, away from roads and enterprises with harmful emissions.

The length of the branches is selected depending on the selected broom size. Usually it is from 40 to 70-80 cm. Whichever is convenient for you. The thickness of the handle is selected in the same way. The diameter rarely exceeds 5 cm - it is difficult to swing too large and heavy, although it is a matter of taste and habit.

The branches should be smooth, free of diseases and dried parts. The foliage is thick and juicy, not too tough. It is advisable to choose branches with two or three branches - the broom will not only be more magnificent and beautiful, it will also be denser and will “capture” steam well. When you walk over your body with such a broom, you do not whip it, but massage it.

How to knit brooms for a bath correctly

Having selected suitable branches, you can immediately collect them into brooms. Some bath lovers advise pre-soaking them for several days in an unlit, well-ventilated place. They say the branches need to be “withered.” It's easier to work with them then.

The shoots are thicker on the inside and thinner on the outside. If there is a bend on the branches (and most often this happens), then the bend should point inward. Also make sure that the matte surface of the sheet is directed inward, and the shiny surface is directed outward. It should turn out that their shiny side is directed in one direction. When folding, give it the shape of a fan or a “bouquet” - they do it in different ways. The fan broom is more common: it seems to hug the body. The feeling is pleasant.

For the handle, remove the foliage from the bottom. Its length is selected individually, but the most optimal, established experimentally, is two palm widths. It is also necessary to expose the butts of the branches so that the brooms are better preserved during use. If everything is done correctly, then one broom can be enough for two trips to the steam room.

When folding the branches, they are turned over and shaken several times so that they are distributed more evenly. For knitting, it is better to use natural materials: thick twine, hemp rope, medical bandage or other similar materials. It is better not to use metal wire: it heats up in the bathhouse and such a broom is very uncomfortable to hold in your hands.

There are several knitting techniques:

Used for knitting and clamps. Some are plastic, some are metal. They quickly tighten the handle and hold it tightly. Moreover, after drying, it will be possible to tighten it. To prevent all these puffs from rubbing your hand, then wrap the handle with thick cotton tape: sold in hardware stores, sometimes in hardware stores or haberdashery stores. You can wrap the handle with thick cotton rope (after using the broom, you can remove it and tie the next one).

There are still many ways to knit brooms. Some people use nautical knots, which make it possible to tighten the rope after drying, others place two parts of the branches crosswise with the butts, then tie them not very tightly, then forcefully connect the two parts and tie them finally at the butt and higher. Almost every master has his own secrets. But they are very reluctant to share them. Try first simple methods, then adjust it as you like. There will be your personal method of knitting a bath broom.

Proper drying

No matter how you knit the brooms, they still need to be dried. They are immediately piled up, one on top of the other. They stay like that for a day or two. They become flat under their own weight. Then they can be tied in pairs and hung on a rope or pole in a dark, well-ventilated room.

If it is possible to hang brooms in the attic, they can be tied in pairs (without cutting off the remaining twine for tying) and hung to dry on poles. The best brooms are made under a double roof: the heat will not “burn” the leaf, but will dry it out. But ventilation must be good. If you don’t have the luxury of your own attic, you can hang the broom on a nail in a well-ventilated place. In any case, you need to find a room where it is not exposed to direct sunlight. Only under such conditions the leaf remains green and does not fall off.

With any drying method, the brooms should not be placed close to one another - there should be free space between them. At first, in order for the branches and foliage to dry evenly, they need to be turned over once or twice a day. When they are completely dry, they can be stored.

How to store bath brooms

Dried brooms can be stacked on a bookcase or shelf (the room again should be dry and well ventilated). But from time to time, the brooms need to be rearranged so that those located at the bottom are in the middle or at the top. Moreover, the brooms should not be exposed to light: the leaf will turn yellow.

If you have your own hayloft, you can stack the brooms on dry hay, placing them loosely next to each other. Cover the top with dry hay. This is how our ancestors kept them.

For apartment dwellers, there is also a storage method: make small holes in a cardboard box, put brooms into it without crushing it, alternating the handle and the crown. In this case, you also need to periodically shift them, lifting the bottom ones up.

You can also store brooms in the refrigerator: they are packed in a plastic bag or wrapped in cling film, placed on the bottom shelf, in a dark, dry corner.

As you can see, tying a bath broom yourself is not difficult. But this is just the beginning. Brooms, even the most wonderful ones, can be ruined by steaming them incorrectly. Read here how to avoid such trouble. Don’t forget to read the article, “How to take a steam bath properly.”

When to prepare bath brooms and how to knit them, how to do it correctly

The Russian bathhouse is famous throughout the world for its unique healing properties, and this fame would not be the same without the use of unique bathhouse brooms during procedures. In the article we'll talk on how to properly prepare brooms for a bathhouse: timing, methods of knitting, nuances of drying and types of trees used.

Optimal time frame for harvesting branches

Since ancient times, it has happened that when preparing bath brooms, they were guided by the holiday of the Trinity. This Orthodox holiday falls on the 50th day after Easter. For both holidays, the date varies slightly from year to year, but usually the time for tying brooms into the bathhouse occurs in June. Christians also focused on the seventh week - the week before the holiday of Trinity. This week was called green (Green Christmastide) and ended with the Slavic holiday of agriculture. Read also: “Everything you need to know about bath brooms.”

If we speak from the point of view of the bathhouse attendant, then brooms are knitted in the summer due to the beginning of flowering of the necessary plants and the abundant growth of herbs. The maximum effectiveness of a broom will be only when its foliage is fresh, juicy and exudes a pleasant lingering smell, while releasing various beneficial human body substances.

The correct timing for tying a bath broom is very important:

• if you cut off the branches early, then when steaming it will become slippery, and the leaves will break off;
• It is also impossible to be late in this process, since by autumn the foliage will begin to lose its strength.

If complied with optimal timing to start mating, the service life of the broom will be long, and the foliage will not fall off during use. Sometimes bath attendants, when talking about when to prepare bath brooms, advise starting this process at least 2 weeks after Trinity, since the early holiday (in early June) takes place at a time when the young foliage has not yet gained its strength.

It is also important to take into account the climatic features of the region where the bath broom is harvested.

When to cut birch and oak branches

If we're talking about about how to knit brooms for a bathhouse from birch, then there is a clear period of time from the 11th to the 30th, when there are no earrings on the trees yet.

But it is necessary to take into account the general condition of the foliage:

• the outer part of the sheet should not be rough, but on the contrary, it should feel soft and velvety to the touch;
• when you try to pull the sheet, only a small part of it should come off, and not the entire plate.

If we talk about the timing of harvesting oak brooms for a bathhouse, then they fall in the second half of July or the beginning of August. By that time, the leaf should not only get stronger, but also acquire a rich green color in comparison with the young color that is characteristic of it at the beginning of summer

If you do not wait the right time, early mating will lead to a decrease in the strength of the oak broom. But you can’t be late either! The deadline for preparing oak brooms for a bathhouse is the time the first acorns appear.

Rules for knitting bath brooms

In addition to the timing of preparing bath brooms, there are a number of other rules that you should know in advance in order to get a strong, durable and most effective bath broom.

You can cut branches only during the dry period, since high humidity will lead to their damage during the drying process. The leaves, when the moisture begins to leave, will darken, curl and fly off. If it rains in the region during the period of harvesting branches for a broom, then it is worth cutting it a little later.

Usually, when knitting brooms for a bathhouse, they go for suitable branches away from city streets to environmentally friendly areas. The branches are cut off before lunch, when morning dew has already dried. It is worth selecting branches that are 2 years old, which grow lowest to the ground (not to be confused with shoots at the roots).

You can trim them using sharp pruning shears. The length should be about 60 centimeters. By observing these conditions, you can get a high-quality, reliable and effective broom for several procedures.

Why is summer the best time to collect birch brooms for a bath (or oak)? Everything is quite simple. By this time, the leaves not only have time to grow, but also contain optimal quantity essential oil glands. The branches are elastic, which ensures maximum pleasure from lashing them over a steamed human body.

Often brooms are tied using sheaf technology, pre-assembling a structure from prepared branches. An armful of branches is folded in such a way that they are divided into internal and external ones, which protect them. The structure is covered with hay on top and placed in a sheaf in a dry shed for storage. The branches are obtained exclusively for bundling a small broom for each trip to the bathhouse.

If the branches have already been prepared, then they should be tied, having first been laid out on burlap. A set of branches from already withered branches is fastened together. The thickness of the bundle can vary depending on the tastes of the bathhouse visitor, but the broom should be from 40 to 80 centimeters in length so that it is fairly easy to use.

Preparation of branches looks like this:

1. The branches are cleared of knots and leaves in the place where the intended handle will be located. Its length should be approximately a third of the entire broom.
2. Thick branches are placed inside the binding, and thin branches are covered from the outside, bending them slightly inward. The entire knitting should take on a flat shape.
3. It is important to ensure that when folding the foliage is directed in one direction and ultimately the bundle should resemble a fan.

By correctly performing all the steps, you can obtain a broom of sufficient thickness and density. It will be pleasant to the body and will last at least 2-3 trips to the bathhouse.

The handle is processed by wrapping the stripped part of the branches with twine. The entire area is rewound without knots and leaves, and at the end the remaining branches or material are carefully trimmed. Thus, you get a neat handle that will not lead to the formation of calluses in the process of whipping a bathhouse visitor. The optimal length is considered to be a handle of 15 centimeters, in which there is no winding under the very leaves, which allows you to make the broom more voluminous. It fits comfortably in the hand and does not slip out of the hand when clapping.

Many experts, when talking about how to prepare brooms for a bath, recommend adding mint stalks, thyme, chamomile or young shoots of black currant between the branches. This will give the product a wonderful aroma and enhance the healing effect of the procedures.

Sometimes, looking at a photo from a bathhouse, you can see that branches have been added to the broom coniferous trees. It’s worth saying right away that they can only be placed inside, since the needles can damage the skin when whipped.

The weight of the broom is selected according to your own feelings, but, naturally, it should have such a mass that it is easy to hold during procedures.

How to dry branches for bath brooms

There are several ways to dry branches for bath brooms, but they all have one thing in common: you need to place the cut branches in the shade. In the sun, the foliage very quickly curls and burns, and its natural aroma and color disappear. The very first trip to the bathhouse will lead to all the leaves falling off the steamed branches. Read also: "Which bamboo brooms are best to use for a bath - types and features."

The formation of drafts in the drying area of ​​the branches is also unacceptable. Based on all of the above, we can conclude that the branches for the broom should be dried in a dark, dry and cool place. Bunches can be either hung or laid out.

Uniform drying can be ensured by periodically turning the bundles. If the broom has been dried correctly, the foliage will turn green with a matte tint, and the aroma of balsamic oil will be formed, which will intensify when steamed.

In the Russian outback, you can often find the option of drying a bath broom in a fresh sheaf of absolutely dry hay. Brooms are placed in such a sheaf in several layers in a circle. Between the layers is a layer of fragrant hay. The advantage of this drying method is that it preserves the shape of the product and all its basic qualities: smell, color, etc.

If the broom was overexposed during drying, then you should not throw it away, but you just need to steam it longer and put it on the heater before starting the procedures. After a couple of branches will reach the required conditions. After the procedures, you should not leave fallen leaves on the stove.

In modern bath complexes, you can carry out procedures using non-standard brooms, which are previously frozen and placed in vacuum packaging. Such a non-standard way of preparing brooms came from Finland.

Similar to freezing vegetables, the broom does not lose its beneficial qualities and aroma, which allows steaming to bring it into optimal operating condition even from a frozen state.

What not to do when preparing bath brooms

If we are talking about how to properly prepare brooms for a bathhouse, then it is worth pointing out the main mistakes of novice bathhouse attendants, which lead to the rapid fall of leaves and the transformation of a broom into an ordinary bunch of branches.

The most common mistakes:

1. Harvesting was done at the wrong time: if it was too early, then the leaves did not have time to get stronger, and if it was too late, they had already lost their strength.
2. Drying was carried out in open places under the influence of direct sunlight.
3. Wet branches were used, or they were washed before tying, which is absolutely forbidden to do. Dust from the broom can be washed off only after drying and always with boiling water when you first visit the bathhouse.

Bottom line

The article describes in detail how and what kind of brooms need to be prepared for visiting the bathhouse. If you follow all the recommendations presented, the products will last quite effectively for 2-3 procedures and will have the most positive effect on the body of bathhouse visitors.

Preparing birch brooms for a bath - a simple science

A broom is an integral attribute of a Russian bath. Most fans steam bath They believe that the best brooms are made from soft, flexible birch branches.
It is no coincidence that from time immemorial the most common in Rus' was the birch broom for the bathhouse. But everyone's preferences are different. Many people like to steam with oak or linden products. Which one is better? The debate continues to this day...

The harvesting process itself is not too complicated. But in order for the prepared broom to be suitable for the steam room, you must follow certain rules. The preparation of birch brooms for the bathhouse traditionally occurs on Trinity Sunday. But birch does not “ripen” everywhere, and not all types of wood are suitable for brooms. A tall tree with long, thin, straight branches is selected - a weeping birch.

To know for sure whether the branches of this birch are suitable or not, you need to try the leaf with your tongue: if the leaf is rough, the tree is not suitable. The leaf should be velvety and tender. In addition, the taste of the leaf also indicates the harvesting time. As soon as it stops being sweet and begins to taste bitter, it means the time for harvesting has come. Birch trees, from whose branches and leaves brooms will be made, should not grow near roads, near enterprises or in the city center. This should be an ecologically clean area outside the city - clearings, edges, clearings. The preparation of birch brooms for the bathhouse is carried out in the early morning hours after the dew has disappeared. This should be a careful cutting of unnecessary branches. Mostly young, flexible, well-bending branches with small leaves are used.
Cut raw materials should be dried in the shade for an hour.

How to knit a broom

The withered branches at the base are cleared of leaves and twigs and tied with twine. Thick branches are placed in the middle, and thin ones are placed around them. The broom turns out thick. The handle is made 15-20 centimeters long. Tied brooms are placed under pressure to acquire a flat fan shape until completely dry. Then the broom is hung in a ventilated area for a couple of days. It is best to store brooms in the refrigerator, but if this is not possible, then in a well-ventilated cool room: attic, garage, balcony - for two years. The preparation of birch brooms for the bathhouse is completed. Now is the time to go to the bathhouse. But you need to take a dry product with you, and not a freshly cooked one.

Steaming the broom

Take a dry birch broom into the bathhouse to steam. By the way, do not steam fresh brooms, as they become limp, become heavy, and can burn the skin. Dry brooms are steamed: lowered for 5 minutes into a basin with cold, warm and, finally, hot water. Cover the basin with hot water and a broom so that it steams. When you feel the aroma of essential oils from the broom, you can remove it. He is ready to work on your body, massaging it and improving blood circulation, cleansing respiratory system, making breathing easier for asthmatics and smokers, cleansing the skin well. All that remains is to wish you health and light steam with a birch broom!

Birch broom for a bath - features and independent preparation

The broom is the hallmark of the Russian bathhouse. It is thanks to him that that unique atmosphere and spirit of the steam room is created. Moreover, if this attribute were removed, then a traditional Russian bath would be no different from a sauna.

With the preparation of brooms, just like with carrying out bath procedures, there is a whole tradition connected in Rus'. Experienced bathhouse attendants carefully select raw materials, knowing when it is best to prepare birch brooms for a bathhouse. The result is traditional brooms, which have been used in Rus' for bathing procedures from time immemorial.

In this article we will look at when to cut birch brooms for a bath, how to prepare them correctly and how to choose ready-made products.

Traditional brooms

Today, bath attributes are made from branches of various trees and shrubs, but the most widespread are birch and oak. Birch branches are an excellent material that allows you to obtain high quality products.

In addition, the medicinal effect of this tree has been known for centuries, and birch grows almost everywhere, which makes harvesting much easier.

About the harvesting tradition

Many novice bathhouse attendants are interested in preparing birch brooms for a bathhouse.

And regardless of what kind of wood you decide to harvest, there are several recommendations for properly collecting the material:

1. Harvesting is carried out in certain period Every year. As a rule, most bath attendants choose Trinity Day, which falls in mid-July.

Advice! Before you start harvesting, pay attention to the weather. If it rains, the branches are not collected, just like immediately after the rain. Optimal conditions– this is the presence of dew.

1. For carrying out procurement work, it is best to choose the first half of the day. It was at this time that the dew had not yet left the vegetation.
2. If the weather on Trinity Day is rainy, the collection procedure should be postponed for a couple of days.

About the beneficial properties of a bath broom

Brooms are not only mandatory bath attributes.

In addition, they are very useful, which is reflected in the following points:

1. Massage effect.
2. Each type of wood is characterized by certain beneficial substances that have a certain effect on the body (the benefits of birch will be discussed below).
3. Ecological cleanliness.

Advice! If you do not have the opportunity to prepare it yourself, then you can buy a ready-made one. Only preference should be given not to the product on the supermarket shelf, but to a broom made in rural areas according to the technology used by our ancestors, which is passed on from generation to generation.

Features of birch wood

If the broom is made of birch, then the following is added to the properties described above:

1. When using birch brooms, you can cure aches in the joints and muscles caused by rheumatism or increased physical activity.
2. The skin is also cleared of acne and sebaceous plugs.
3. Warm up hot water birch branches emit a pleasant smell and substances that are beneficial for asthmatics and smokers, since in this way accumulated harmful substances are removed from the bronchi.

We prepare birch branches

Birch broom is the most popular in urban environments. In addition, it emits a pleasant smell, has softness and a number of medicinal properties. In order to make a birch broom with your own hands, you must first choose the right tree.

Advice! When harvesting, it is best to use weeping birch, which grows along a river or lake. Such a tree has long, flowing branches that slope low to the ground.

Instructions for properly collecting branches are based on several points:

1. Good material is obtained from young birch trees.
2. Before starting assembly, touch the leaves: their outer side should be smooth and tender. If it is rough, look for another tree.
3. Thin and flexible branches are a guarantee of a fragrant broom.
4. It is advisable to collect outside the city. The best place is in the forest.
5. Before drying, the birch must be tied very tightly, but there should be free space between the branches. Otherwise, the leaves may lose their color and healing properties.

Collecting a broom

There are general rules for assembling brooms.

Regardless of whether you choose branches of oak, birch, juniper, linden, or even combine them, you should adhere to the following recommendations in your work:

1. The branches should have fully expanded green leaves.
2. It is desirable that the branch have several branches.
3. Branches 45-60 cm long are suitable for mating.
4. The branch thickness is on average 0.5 cm.

1. The broom should collect such an amount of material that the dressing handle has a diameter of no more than 5 cm. This is dictated by convenience.
2. Cut branches must be tied immediately and then hung in a well-ventilated area to dry.
3. We carry out the dressing in two places, departing from the butt 4-5 cm and 10-12 cm.
4. At the butt the branches are carefully trimmed.

Advice! The best option a combined broom is a combination of linden, oak and birch branches. also in medicinal purposes You can add nettles to oak branches.

1. If properly dried, the leaves remain green and do not fall off the branches.

How to choose ready-made brooms

Since not everyone has the desire and ability to prepare bath equipment themselves, there is an option for them to buy it on the market or directly in the bathhouse (find out here how to properly steam a birch broom for a bathhouse).

However, in order to avoid purchasing a low-quality product, you should know what to look for. It doesn't matter how much a product costs, what matters is how well it is made.

Based on this rule, the highest quality broom may be the one whose price is the lowest.

To determine quality, use the following instructions:

1. First of all, the product should evoke a pleasant tactile sensation and fit comfortably in the hand. The thickness of the handle is very important here, as discussed above. So just hold the product in your hand.
2. Inspect for leaf mold. If mold is noticed, this may indicate improper storage or that the bundle was not made from freshly cut branches. You should not purchase such equipment.
3. Shake the broom. If it is dried according to all the rules, then the leaves will remain on the branches. If the drying was incorrect, the leaves will begin to crumble. If you steam a bad broom, then after some time you will be left with only bare branches.

Birch alternative

Naturally, birch is not the only raw material for creating bath equipment. And although these trees are located everywhere, nevertheless, in some cases it is more convenient to use other raw materials, for example, oak or linden.

Let's look at what healing properties and features the wood most often used in the bathhouse has:

1. Oak. Knittings made from oak branches are no less common than birch branches. Oak products are great for people with oily skin due to the drying effect that tannins have. In addition, oak lowers blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension.

Oak harvesting is carried out in August-September, since it unfolds its leaves later than other trees in the spring. The leaves gain their main strength only towards the end of summer.

Advice! When choosing an oak tree, you need to pay attention to the burdock growing nearby. If there is no burdock nearby, such a tree is not suitable, since the leaves will certainly fly off when dried.

1. Linden. People associate the linden tree with peace and balance. This broom is natural remedy for headaches, used for prevention vegetative-vascular dystonia, which causes insomnia and migraines. In addition to its calming effect, linden perfectly heals wounds and fights colds.

1. Eucalyptus. Every respected bath attendant should have eucalyptus tincture. It is intended for watering the walls in the steam room. And this choice is not accidental, since eucalyptus is credited with a powerful antiseptic effect; it is used to warm the bronchi and inhalation.

A eucalyptus broom allows you to maximize the healing effect by saturating the skin with essential oils that help fight bruises and inflammation muscle tissue and sprains.

Conclusion

To ensure that bath procedures not only bring pleasure, but also have a healing effect, you need to use the right equipment. Above, we looked at how to correctly choose and prepare one of the main bath attributes yourself (see also the article “Fungus in the bathhouse - folk and modern methods of control”).

Watch the video in this article and you will learn more interesting things.

A broom for a steam room made of oak branches is in second place after birch in popularity among bathhouse lovers. This “second line” is due, perhaps, only to the lower prevalence of the tree (birch is still easier to find in Central and Northern Russia), and oak in its qualities is almost in no way inferior to its “competitor”, and in some positions it even surpasses his.

The timing of harvesting oak brooms for a bath and the procedure for knitting will be discussed below, but in order to know about their main qualities, about what diseases it is useful to use oak, you need to know the characteristics of this type of wood, since these factors are closely interrelated.

What is oak famous for?

This tree is considered the most powerful in terms of energy among all species growing in Russia. There are strong beliefs, by the way, not denied by scientists, that by coming into contact with oak under any life circumstances, a person receives part of its strength, which means that the body has additional potential to fight various ailments.

That is why very often in Rus' they planted oak trees near the house and turned to them for help, asking for health for many years. Today, living in multi-storey buildings and not having a country plot, it is difficult to grow your own “family” oak, so many turn to bonsai. This art allows you to grow an exact copy of a real tree, only in miniature form, in a flowerpot. An oak grown using this technique will always be present in the house, sharing its energetic forces.

But this tree is rich not only in powerful energy - it contains in its bark, branches and leaves a large number of substances useful for the human body - gallic and ellagic acids, pectins, pentosans, flavone compounds, starch, sugar, phlobaphene, proteins, tannins and others substances.

For medicinal purposes, they always try to prepare oak raw materials during the period of active sap flow in order to preserve all the beneficial properties in it. Any preparations are dried in a place protected from the sun, and can be stored for five or even more years without losing their medicinal qualities.

Oak bark

Decoctions of oak bark are used to strengthen the walls blood vessels, reducing excessive sweating, healing burns, purulent wounds, treating gums and getting rid of other inflammatory processes mouth, with serious frostbite of the skin and bleeding hemorrhoids.

Decoctions are also considered an excellent antidote for poisoning with heavy metal salts and mushrooms. They are used as a vitamin remedy for rickets and scurvy, and as a hemostatic agent for internal bleeding.

It should be noted that this is a fairly strong remedy, so before giving it to children, you should definitely consult a doctor.

Oak leaves

For medicinal purposes, young leaves are harvested along with branches. This process is carried out until mid-May, while the leaves are light green. They are dried by hanging under awnings and used throughout the year.

Decoctions are an excellent remedy for cuts and abrasions; they disinfect and help heal ulcers. In addition, they are used in the treatment of children suffering from nocturnal enuresis.

Oak fruits - acorns

Only those acorns that fall from the tree are considered mature. They are collected and dried away from sunlight - in attics or sheds with good ventilation, and final drying is carried out in ovens.

Dry fruits are cleaned, then fried until red, ground in a coffee grinder and consumed like coffee. This drink is useful for various diseases and has the following effects:

• Bactericidal, astringent, antitumor and enveloping properties.
• It strengthens and cleanses the stomach.
• Treats gum disease and soothes toothache.
• Stops bleeding various kinds, including uterine ones.
• Cleanses the body in case of poisoning.

Broom for steam room made of oak branches

All this was told for good reason - all the components of this magnificent tree, except for the listed methods of use, are widely used in “bath practice”. Decoctions are made from the bark, leaves and acorns, which are poured onto the heater, and brooms, useful in all respects, are knitted from branches with young leaves.

• The oak broom has fairly wide and strong leaves, so it rather resembles a fan. Thanks to this quality, they are excellent at pumping the heat coming from the heater to the body.

Using a broom is quite comfortable - it seems to be used to scoop up hot steam and direct it towards yourself. This quality can be called the first of its advantages over other breeds used for making bath brooms.

• It is good to massage with the help of an oak broom, since the tannins contained in its leaves and branches have an excellent effect on the skin, making it more elastic.

• In addition, oak brooms reduce excessive sweating, as they cleanse the skin and activate the metabolic process. Thanks to this same quality, the skin becomes less oily and receives reliable protection from inflammation.

• Using an oak broom in a steam room helps to significantly reduce blood pressure, which is very important for people suffering from hypertension.
• To put your nervous system in order, you also need to go to the steam room, taking an oak “bouquet” with you, since the substances it releases have a calming effect.
• This broom is suitable for various massage techniques - they are passed over the entire body, lightly patting it on the skin, pressed against the body, collecting sweat, rubbing certain areas, and also laying oak branches on the bench in the steam room.

So that the broom can be used several times, and at the same time it retains all its medicinal properties, the raw materials for it must be properly prepared and dried. A well-prepared oak broom can be used in a steam room three to five times.

Preparing brooms from oak branches

In the southern regions of the country, oak brooms are harvested from mid to late May, while in central Russia this event is held in the second half of June. At this time, the leaves are small in size and have a delicate structure, and the branches have not yet gained thickness or lost flexibility.

You can, of course, harvest throughout the summer, however, the closer to autumn, the stiffer the leaves become and the thicker the branches, so the broom will be heavier and less flexible.

You should not cut the branches too early, since the leaves will be too tender and have not absorbed any useful substances, so steaming will not give the desired therapeutic effect, and the strength of this broom will be extremely low.

Branches for such purposes are taken from the bottom of a large tree, which grows in the thickest part of the oak forest, where it penetrates least of all sunlight. A good guide to choosing a tree for cutting a broom will be the burdocks growing underneath it, which have large, succulent leaves. It is quite difficult to find single branches on old oak trees, so most often a branch with a thick leaf covering with good annual growth is selected. If the young growth on an old branch has the required length of 500 ÷ 550 mm, then it is cut off and subsequently formed into brooms.

Branches are also taken from young oak trees that are only three to four meters high - such trees have the optimal branch thickness and foliage size for a broom.

Winter oak branch

Good brooms are made from “winter oak” - this is the name given to one of the varieties of tree that does not shed its leaves in the winter. The leaves change their hue from green to golden, but do not fly away, but remain firmly on the branches, although the sap flow in them stops. This type of oak does not grow in oak forests, but singly, and most often on high hills or on small hills.

It should be noted that better brooms are obtained from branches from trees growing in oak forests than those cut from single trees.

Rules for collecting branches

Traditional healers and experienced herbalists have developed rules that help preserve cut branches for bath brooms and collected medicinal herbs for a long time:

• All natural raw materials - both branches and herbs - must be harvested in the morning, but only after the dew has disappeared, in dry and clear weather.
• You should not take limp branches that have already been broken off, as when steamed they will absorb more moisture and become heavy.
• The broom is cut only from those branches that have high flexibility - they bend well and do not break.
• When preparing brooms, wood should be treated with the utmost care. You should not cut it down completely or deprive it of large side branches, as this can only harm the plant. If only young shoots are cut off in different places of the oak tree, then this helps it, since thinning out branches is very useful. If you treat the tree correctly, it will supply raw materials for baths and medicinal decoctions for many years.
• You should not pick off young oak trees, for which the loss of several branches can be disastrous. You need to let the tree take root well and get stronger before using it for your benefit.

Knitting brooms

After cutting the branches, leaves and twigs are removed from their lower part, and then they are laid out on the table in one layer and left for one hour and a half. They should not be left piled in a heap, as such storage can cause the leaves to quickly fall off.

After this time, you can start knitting branches into brooms:

• Each of the branches is shaken, and then they are folded into a “bouquet”. The branches are aligned along the top leaves - they should be located at the same height and create the required density of the broom.
• Branches with thicker trunks are placed in the middle, but there should not be more than three of them in each broom, otherwise the fan will be too hard and can damage the skin. The thickness of the broom handle should not be more than 50 mm, otherwise it will be uncomfortable to hold. The length is usually 100 ÷ 120 mm, and the height of the fan is 450 ÷ 500 mm.
• Further, Bottom part branches left without leaves are compressed and tied with twine in two places - immediately under the leaves and below, forming a broom handle. You need to remember that you can’t tighten the handle too much yet; it will finally be tied when the broom dries out a little.
• Some modern amateurs bathhouses adapted plastic self-locking clamps - “ties” for tying brooms. They tie the branches lightly at first, then, after drying, they tighten them a little, and before using the broom, they tighten them tightly.

• The handles of tied brooms are trimmed with pruning shears. And then the finished bundles are placed under not very heavy oppression. This is necessary so that the brooms acquire a flat fan shape, and the branches do not stick out in different directions. The brooms are left in this form for one to two days.

• After this, the brooms are hung in a ventilated shed or attic. Under no circumstances should you dry them in the sun, as the leaves will be overdried and may simply crumble.

Video: a visual example of tying an oak broom

Steaming an oak broom

All bath lovers have their own ways of steaming brooms:

A fresh broom is dipped in hot water for one to two minutes, and then you can steam it.

• The simplest and quick way prepare a dry broom - this means lowering its fan into cold water for three to five minutes, and then immediately transfer to a container with hot water and leave for the same time.
• Another method involves rinsing the broom in cold water and placing it completely in a warm bowl. After immersing the broom, close the container with a lid and leave for 10 ÷ 15 minutes. The main thing here is not to overexpose it in water, otherwise it will become limp and quickly crumble.
• If for some reason the broom is very dry, place it in warm water for 5 ÷ 7 minutes, and then pull it out, shake it off and hold it over hot stones, turning it periodically. Both the fan and the handle will steam well, and the broom should become soft.
• Some bath attendants soak dry brooms in cold water in the morning and leave them in it until late in the evening. Then they are taken out and wrapped in thick cloth overnight. A broom soaked in this way is not only soft, but also gives a very rich forest aroma. In addition, it is enough for several vaping sessions.
• Sometimes steaming occurs in a contrasting way, when the broom fan is moved from cold to hot water, left in each container for 1 ÷ 2 minutes, and before entering the steam room it is doused with boiling water.

• Other bath lovers prefer to prepare a broom the day before going to the steam room. After keeping the brooms in hot water for 15 ÷ 20 minutes, they are wrapped in plastic and left overnight. After entering the steam room, such a broom remains to be heated over the heater - and it is completely ready for bath procedures.

Do not throw water from steamed brooms onto the street. During the stay of the oak leaves in it, it is saturated with useful substances, and a kind of decoction is obtained. It is used to rinse the body, wash the hair, or poured onto the heater to create healing steam. After using this water, hair acquires a pleasant shine and receives a significant dose of vitamins. A decoction of oak leaves also has a positive effect on the skin, thanks to all the natural substances that this plant is rich in.

Naturally, it is difficult to get the desired results in one trip to the steam room with an oak broom - you need to do these bath procedures every week for a long time. Only in this case can you significantly improve your physical health and receive energetic strength from this amazing tree.

In conclusion, I would like to say that, despite the unique properties of oak, many bathhouse lovers prefer mixed brooms, consisting of oak and traditional birch branches. This complex combines all the necessary qualities for vaping - birch leaves stick well to the skin, collecting sweat and opening pores, and oak ones nourish the skin with vitamins and strength.

Therefore, when preparing brooms, you need to collect different variants, try each of them for yourself and choose the best one.

Having a good broom is only half the battle!

It is better to organize your first trip to a real bathhouse with an experienced person - so as not to unknowingly harm your health. How to steam properly- read in a special publication of our “bath encyclopedia”.

What could be better than a Russian bathhouse? The Slavs visit the bathhouse to cleanse the body, provide moral relief and relaxation, and an integral attribute of the procedure is a bathhouse broom. Of course, you can buy a broom in a public bathhouse, but experts prefer to prepare birch, linden, oak or nettle brooms themselves. We will tell you in this article about when and in what timeframes the preparation of bath brooms is carried out.

When are birch brooms prepared for a bath?

The brooms are prepared depending on the type of plant from which the bath accessory is planned to be made. Traditionally, harvesting begins on Trinity Day, the date of which is floating:

1. In 2015 it falls on May 31st.
2. In 2016, Trinity Day is celebrated on June 19th.
3. In 2017, the holiday falls on June 4th.

Birch broom

The first 2 weeks after Trinity, as it says folk wisdom, are most favorable for the procurement of raw materials. The leaves on the trees and plants have accumulated juice and concentrated high concentration useful substances.

Depending on the plant species, the broom has a number of distinctive characteristics.

Linden bath broom and nettle broom: beneficial properties and preparation time

The linden broom can be diluted with branches of alder, rowan or willow. Such a broom is prepared from the first days of July to the beginning of August, choosing trees that grow away from the industrial zone. A linden broom strengthens the skin, improves sweating, and helps relieve headaches.

Linden broom

The nettle bath broom is truly healing. It is used to treat joint pain, break up salt deposits, skin diseases and muscle weakness. Nettles are harvested before or during flowering - this is approximately mid-summer. Remember that nettle broom can be used once; if you want to treat radiculitis with it, then stock up on medicinal herbs during the season.

Advice! To prevent the nettle from stinging, give the broom a contrast bath by immersing it in boiling water for 3 minutes, then in cold water for 3 minutes, repeating these steps 2-3 times. To enhance the effect, steam the broom in boiling water and use immediately.

When are oak brooms prepared, and what are they used to treat?

An oak broom is a magical remedy for oily skin, reducing the number of rashes and reducing the intensity of skin secretions. Regular use of an oak broom in a bath will give the skin matte and freshness.

Oak broom

Proper preparation allows you to use a broom from this breed 3 times. The procurement of raw materials begins in mid-August, continuing until mid-September.

Advice! For oak bath brooms, trees are selected under which burdock grows. It is believed that the leaves will not fall off during use.

How and when to harvest birch brooms

For the procurement of raw materials, birch trees growing in wet lowlands are selected. Preparations begin to be collected after Trinity until August 2 (Ilyin’s Day). It is better to cut branches from a young birch tree that has not yet had time to become covered with buds. The branches should be young and flexible, and their length should be about half a meter.

1 birch broom takes about 20-30 branches, which are folded in the shape of a fan so that the leaves lie in the same direction. At the base, the broom is tightly tied with natural rope; remember that the branches will dry out and must initially be firmly fixed. It is best to tie the broom in two places.

The broom has restorative properties, relieves muscle pain after a long workout, heals wounds and soothes irritated skin. Using a birch broom, lung diseases are “knocked out”, which is especially useful for smokers.

Fans of bathing procedures tie brooms as needed, and stack the collected raw materials in layers so that the upper branches protect the middle ones. Such a sheaf is placed in a barn or on a warm balcony, covered with hay or natural fabric. Direct knitting is done as follows:

Tie the broom tightly before drying

• The branches are selected according to length and laid. Thicker branches are placed inside, thin ones frame the broom. Where the handle will be, the branches are leveled, sharp branches are removed from them.
• A cord is applied and the broom is pulled together.
• Next, a knot is knitted and a handle is formed. The handle is made using twine, then the ends of the branches are additionally wrapped with fabric, which will protect the bathhouse attendant’s hands from calluses.

The size of the broom is a matter of taste, but it should not be less than 40 cm and no more than 80 cm. Otherwise, using the broom will simply be inconvenient.

How to properly dry finished brooms?

Drying is done outside, but the brooms are hung in the shade. In direct sunlight, the leaves curl, wither, and lose their color and aroma. After steaming an “overheated” broom, all the leaves will fall off and empty vines will remain.

It is most preferable to hang brooms on the veranda or under trees on a simple rope. Note that drafts also have a negative impact on the branches of the broom. After drying, the brooms are removed, folded tightly together and sent for storage. As a result, the broom becomes flattened and during bathing procedures one gets the feeling that it is “hugging the body.”

How to steam bath brooms correctly?

Steaming determines the hardness of the broom, and it is carried out in very hot water, but not in boiling water. To obtain stiffness, the broom is dipped in a basin of water for 15-20 minutes, and for lovers of soft brooms, it recommends 40-50 minute steaming. After this procedure, the broom is slightly dried by hanging it over the stove. Bathhouse attendants recommend keeping the broom in cold water for about 20 minutes, and then sharply immersing it in hot water.

Important! The water in which the broom is steamed receives some of the beneficial properties, so it is used for aromatic steam in the bathhouse, rinsing hair and bathing.

If you have overdried the broom, then before using it, you should cover it overnight with a damp towel or put it in a container of cool water.

Storage rules

Places with low humidity and temperature are selected for storage. A barn, garage, or insulated balcony are suitable, because under the pressure of high temperatures, the broom loses its freshness and leaves.

Steaming a broom

You can also store a broom using Finnish technology, subjecting it to shock freezing at temperatures above -40 C. The brooms are first packaged in sealed bags, for example, cling film.

The preparation of bath brooms should begin in specified deadlines, otherwise you will get a broom with too young or old leaves that will fall off the branch on the way to the bathhouse. Properly prepared brooms will give you a boost of energy and health until the next season!

Oak broom for a bath: video

Bath brooms: photo

Birch brooms– the most popular bath accessories. They are distinguished by the flexibility of their branches, the velvet surface of their leaves and their fragrant aroma., which together gives an aromatic and healing effect.

Birch brooms are the most common bath brooms because they have various beneficial properties. An incorrectly assembled workpiece will lose all its healing qualities. The procurement procedure has its own characteristics and rules, compliance with which is mandatory.

Fragrant birch brooms have been used in steam rooms for centuries. They have distinctive features that make them versatile medicine from all diseases.

Bath – effective procedure cleansing and healing of the body, and together with a birch broom it becomes a prevention of viral diseases, a means of cleansing and complex therapy.

They are soft in structure, have a pronounced aroma, hold up well when used and can be steamed more than once.

The benefits of birch brooms for the body are invaluable. They are not only used in cosmetology to cleanse pores and remove excess salts, but also have a strong medicinal effect. The porous structure of the sheets perfectly absorbs sweat.

The tree bark contains essential oils that have a cleansing effect: remove waste and toxins from the body, eliminate excess salts in joints and stimulate blood circulation. To preserve these properties, they must be properly prepared and steamed. They have a complex effect:

• Antimicrobial;
• Expectorant;
• Anti-inflammatory;
• Antiseptic;
• Wound healing;
• Cleansing.

When exposed to high temperatures, essential oils are released from the bark of the branches, which are especially valued in massage. They have a light texture, penetrate well deep into the skin and remove toxins, and also have a relaxing effect and remove excess salts. Oils intensively affect the surface of the skin, giving it elasticity and eliminating any inflammation and rashes.

Birch essential oils have a beneficial effect on hair. They are absorbed into the structure of the hair and scalp, giving hair strength, shine and thickness. It is not without reason that birch decoctions are often used in cosmetology, because the substances in their composition are perfectly absorbed by the body and penetrate the skin, improving blood circulation and nutrition.

Birch contains various beneficial substances, which are better revealed in the bath and have a more pronounced effect. Such substances include:

• Vitamins A, B, C, E, K, PP, etc.;
• Antioxidants;
• Balsamic oils;
• Fatty acid;
• Flavonoids;
• Organic acids;
• Tannins;
• Microelements, etc.

Important! Birch brooms are a universal anti-inflammatory, expectorant and antimicrobial agent, but all these properties are lost if they are not assembled using technology.

Steam room massage: what are the health benefits?

A massage with a birch broom in the steam room allows the pores of the leaves to open and the bark to release all its oils, so the procedure has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

During the massage, the leaves stick to the body, but do not rush to remove them, they remove toxins and absorb salts along with sweat. Thanks to its elastic structure, it can be used more than once without losing its properties.

The main indications for the use of birch brooms in baths are diseases of the upper respiratory tract(bronchitis, asthma), joint pain, inflammation of the biliary system, skin rashes, etc.

Main medicinal properties:

• Remove toxins from the body;
• Increases skin elasticity and tone;
• Stimulates kidney function;
• Removes mucus from the lungs;
• Eliminate inflammation and acne;
• Improve blood circulation.

Using a birch broom in a bathhouse is comparable to inhalation, since birch oils penetrate deeply into the lungs and stimulate expectoration. Massage with a broom improves blood circulation and improves skin tone. It has various beneficial properties, and under the influence of high temperature in the bath, all its properties are enhanced.

When to cut brooms for a birch bath

According to traditional custom, the period of harvesting birch brooms for the bath begins 2 weeks after the Holy Trinity, that is, in mid-June. But this rule not entirely accurate, since due to the peculiarities of the weather in different regions, by the time the right moment arrived, the birch leaves did not have time to get stronger, but the buds were already forming.

June–July is considered a suitable time, but experienced bathhouse attendants claim that by the third week of July, birch leaves become hard.

Attention! Harvesting is carried out only in sunny weather. When collected, wet pinwheels will have an unpleasant odor.

The time for harvesting birch brooms begins at the beginning of June, maximum in the middle of June. When to harvest from birch can be determined by the condition of the leaves.

For the preparation you need delicate, velvety, slightly downy leaves. If they become hard, it is too late to collect the broom. It will scratch and leave small cuts when used in a bathhouse.

If, on the contrary, you choose leaves that are too tender, they will fall off the branches during drying. And if the leaves don’t fall off, the broom itself will become slippery and unpleasant to the touch.

Collection rules: key points

Traditionally, collection carried out from the so-called weeping birch. These are trees high altitude with strong and long branches. The most suitable are birch trees that have not bloomed; they have more elastic twigs and velvet leaves. Choose branches that grow in the shade; their leaves are more delicate.

Advice! Choose trees that stand in the shade, near bodies of water. Their branches and leaves are more juicy and tender.

Do not cut the entire bunch from one tree. Firstly, in this way you are harming it, and secondly, it will be impossible to use it for mating anymore, since its branches will become stiffer and its leaves coarser. How to make a bath broom from birch:

• Collect branches from different trees in the same area;
• Choose branches that are lowest to the surface of the pond;
• Do not cut branches where there are flowers, they will be tough;
• Branches should be straight, no longer than 60 cm;
• Cut branches in one motion without damaging the structure of the branch;
• Use sharp scissors and be careful not to damage the cut branches.

Before knitting a broom, you need to dry the branches a little in the shade.

Carefully! Do not use wire for garter, only thread, otherwise you will get scratched in the steam room. Do not tie the rods too tightly; they will not dry well.

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.

How to store birch brooms for a bath?

A prerequisite for their storage is a dark, cool, well-ventilated room with optimal humidity. The ideal option is a haystack. They are placed inside with leaves so that the handles are on the outside and placed in a circle.

Also, an attic is suitable for this purpose, but it must be poorly lit. Can be stored in the dressing room. A glazed balcony is suitable as an alternative, but you should minimize sun exposure and place brooms in cardboard boxes

Advice! You can extend the shelf life of brooms by sprinkling salt on top of them.

It is better to store them by the handle, so as not to damage the structure of the broom. Separate each one from each other so that they are ventilated and do not “suffocate”. Be sure to avoid drafts, otherwise they may crumble.

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. TO typical mistakes relate:

• 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.

Useful video instructions

See how to make a birch broom for a bath:

How to choose the right one when purchasing?

If it is not possible to make a broom yourself, then you can purchase a ready-made one. They are inexpensive and in terms of quality you can find an excellent option. To do this, you should know how to choose the right broom when purchasing:

• Turn the bunch leaves side down and shake a little. If a lot of leaves fall off, it means that the harvesting technology was violated.
• Touch the leaf; it should be dry, but not crumble in your hand.
• A well-made bundle should fit in your hand. Specially trimmed lower branches so that it is comfortable to hold.
• Smell the broom: the presence of a smell of dampness or mold is a sign of improper preparation and violations of storage conditions.

The bunch should be tight, but not too tight, so that the air can circulate and the leaves can ventilate.

How to properly steam a broom so that it lasts for several times

To feel all the benefits, you need to know about birch. A dry bundle can be steamed in two ways:

• Place the leaves in boiling water and leave for half an hour. During this time they should soften. If the rods leave marks when used, you still need to keep the bundle in boiling water.
• Place the leaves in cold water and wrap in a wet cloth. Then the bundle should be placed in a bag overnight. Before the steam room, you should place it in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then you can use it.

Dry brooms need to be steamed well so that they do not leave marks on the skin, but at the same time, the main thing is not to over-expose them so that they do not become sour.

Advice! Do not throw away the water in which the broom was steamed. It can be used to rinse hair.

How to steam fresh brooms?

There is no need to steam fresh birch brooms. Indeed, as soon as you have tied a broom, you can immediately use it in the bathhouse. It can be soaked in water at room temperature for 5-7 minutes, but under no circumstances in hot water. If you pour boiling water over a bunch, the fresh leaves will simply cook and fall off.

It is important to wet them a little, but not to let them gain too much moisture, which can also lead to shedding. Fresh preparations may leave painful marks on the skin, so you can keep it in the bath for a while high temperature so that the pores of the leaves open, and then immediately begin to use.

How to steam properly for health and pleasure

The process of using a birch broom differs from using bunches from other tree species. This is due to the tenderness of birch leaves and the elasticity of the branches.

You cannot whip the birch too hard, otherwise marks will appear. It should be used like a fan, which attracts heat. There are several recommendations to consider:

• The broom in the bathhouse should always be wet. Once it dries, it needs to be re-wetted in water.
• Touches should be superficial and soft. No harsh slaps. They can leave burns and wounds.
• You should barely touch the broom to the skin and try to avoid blows from branches.
• At temperatures above 60 degrees, you need to keep the broom wet at all times; if not in use, immediately put it in water.

To get all the benefits of birch, you should massage correctly. Using soft, light and painless blows, you need to work the entire surface of the body. If you feel discomfort, then you should not hit, but stroke it - the effect will be the same.

You can use bundles to collect warm air. To do this, lift it up and lower the air flow to the lumbar or back area. The broom should touch the body, at least a little. Otherwise, hot air will stagnate between the leaves and the body, causing burns.

Slight, but sharp, whip-like movements with the tip of the branches are very useful. The procedure should end with light stroking to soothe the steamed skin.

A useful contrast is when, after a hot steam room, the bath attendant takes a cool shower. Thus, blood circulation improves and the effect of using birch branches is enhanced.

Alternative options

Birch is an excellent solution for a bathhouse. It contains all the useful substances, valuable components and healing properties that are fully revealed in the steam room. If you are not a fan of birch brooms, then they can be replaced with bunches of other tree species. An excellent alternative to birch:

• Linden;
• Oak;
• Eucalyptus;
• Bamboo.

In their structure and properties, oak and linden are not inferior to birch. They also have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body, improve the functionality of internal organs and help remove toxins, salts and waste.

Eucalyptus will fill the steam room with a delightful aroma of pine needles and enhance the inhalation properties of the bath. For the steam room, you can use any type of tree, the main thing is that during use they do not leave marks, burns or cause pain, because the bath should, first of all, bring pleasure.

- a storehouse of useful properties. It has a healing effect, improves the effect of the bath and promotes cleansing and healing of the body. Properly collected and prepared brooms will bring many health benefits.

- an excellent massager. Very often used in SPA procedures. Such types of massage as Creole and Old Samurai are widely known.

Greetings, our dear readers. I may be a little late with the release of the article, but I think having studied this topic, it will be useful to you at next year. Although why is it too late, for example, the preparation of brooms for a bathhouse in our region of Siberia has just begun.

In the European part of the country they have already finished preparing brooms. This is where the question arises: when do you need to prepare birch brooms for a bathhouse? I studied this question and tested the result as follows:

• Collected brooms before the required time;
• On time;
• And prepared it after the required period (the month of August).

As a result, I realized what was true and what was not. And since our country is huge and the climate sometimes varies greatly in different territories, there is no single rule for the entire country. Summers are different and birch trees bloom and live differently.

Then it became clear that it was necessary to monitor the weather and the development of the birch itself. And when the time comes, there will be about 1-2 weeks to prepare the brooms.

When does the preparation of brooms for a bathhouse in Siberia, or in the Urals, or in the Moscow region begin? It turns out it all depends on the region. And it also varies from year to year. Some say that after Trinity Day, 1-2 weeks, but in the old days it was determined precisely by observations and trial and error. Indeed, due to different climatic zones, it is not worth relying on just one date.

Below we will determine when and how exactly to prepare brooms for a bath. And for everything to work out correctly, it is advisable to monitor the weather and the development of the birch trees themselves, figuratively speaking.

When does the preparation of brooms for the bathhouse begin?

In fact, everything is quite simple if you have time to watch the development of birch trees.

The principle is this: we focus on the characteristics of the ripening of birch. Maximum strengthening of the leaf will indicate the imminent appearance of earrings. This short time period, when the leaves are the strongest and there are no catkins yet, is the most suitable for preparing the right bath brooms.

It is also correct to collect branches for brooms in June for the reason that during this period the leaves have already grown to a sufficiently large size. big size. But they save required level essential oil glands, present, however, not only in the foliage, but also in young birch shoots.

Young large shoots retain high elasticity, thanks to which whippings with such a broom are easily tolerated by a bathhouse visitor.

The correct time for harvesting determines the quality, service life, aroma and softness of brooms. For example, if you collect the branches too early, subsequent steaming will make the broom flimsy, short-lived and slippery.

If there are earrings, the harvesting period has been missed

Just the batch that I collected at the end of May turned out to be like rubber. It’s just that the broom turned out to be very soft and actually more slimy, at first I thought that a lot of soap got on the broom.

And the batch that I prepared very late - the leaves are much darker, the smell is not the same and the leaves fly off almost immediately. It turns out that you are steaming with branches - it hurts.

A properly prepared product will “hold the sheet” for as long as possible.

Dry weather is chosen for harvesting.

If the foliage is moistened with dew or rainwater, when dried it will collapse, curl, fly around, and darken. If it rained the day before, it is better to wait a few days, and only after that start collecting branches for making brooms.

In practice, two-year-old branches growing close to the ground have the best properties. It is convenient to use pruning shears for cutting. But you can also use a knife or an ax.

Where and how to collect branches for brooms?

Okay, when the preparation of brooms for the bath begins, we have decided. But where to collect these same branches? This question is of great interest to those who live in a big city. And the answer is obvious.

To assemble branches, choose an environmentally friendly place, away from roads and other pollutants.

Bath brooms are traditionally collected from weeping birch. Typically, these trees have a fairly impressive height, while possessing long, strong and quite flexible branches.

Beautiful brooms are made from the branches of young and previously unblooming birch trees - such trees have the most delicate leaves.

Advice! When choosing branches, make sure that the upper side of the leaves is not rough, the branches are straight and rather thin, and the leaves themselves are velvety and tender.

For greater convenience, the collector can climb a tree, bend it down, tie it to some nearby tree and collect the required number of branches. Birch is quite flexible and durable, so such manipulations, provided they are carried out carefully, will not cause harm.

We have prepared branches, what to do next?

This often happens: they brought branches home and tied brooms. Yes, tighter. We hung it under the canopy and use it when we go to the bathhouse. This is possible, but then the broom may not dry properly, and you will also have to bandage it. Since the branches have dried out and decreased in size, then the broom simply flies apart.

Important! There is no need to immediately tie the collected branches too tightly.

The material is hung on a strong rope under a protective canopy so that direct contact with sunny color. There should be a draft in the room. After a week, the brooms are drying out quite thoroughly.

In this state, they can be placed tightly on shelves in a dry, ventilated room, for example, a dressing room or a barn.

It is better that the finished bath broom looks like a fan, and not looks like a broom. To follow this recommendation, a fresh broom should be laid out on the floor and turned over daily, repeating until the products are dry. Otherwise, the material may dry out or dry incorrectly.

For example, if the harvester tightly ties the birch branches from the very beginning, the leaves in the center of the broom will become dark and “burn”, which is why they will have practically no aroma.

The color of properly dried brooms is a concentrated green, pleasant matte. The branches should emit the aroma of balsamic birch oil, noticeably intensifying when steamed.

Most often, dried pieces are tied in pairs to a rope and stored in this position. You don’t have to knit brooms right away, but combine the branches into small sheaves. The sheaves are wrapped in hay and stored in the attic. Before going to the bathhouse, the required number of branches is pulled from the sheaf and tied into a broom.

We knit brooms correctly.

The image shows the step-by-step sequence of knitting a birch broom for a bath. To better understand the process, please read the more detailed guide for this activity. The necessary information is presented in the table.

Table. Knitting a birch broom.​

Work stage	Description	Photo
Preparing branches for knitting	First, lay out the dried birch branches on burlap and leave for a couple of days. Branches withered in this way are better suited for preparing birch brooms.
Determining the optimal product size	At this point, everything is individual: some bathhouse attendants love massive brooms, others prefer small products. A shorter or longer broom will simply be inconvenient to use.
Cleaning up branches	At the location of the handle, knots and foliage are removed. In general, approximately a third of the total length of the product is subject to cleaning.
Assembling a broom	The cleared branches are collected together. At the same time, the product is given a flattened shape. The frame is created from thicker branches - they must be placed inside the future product. Thin pieces are laid out around the frame. Place them with the curve inward. The leaves should be facing in the same direction, and the branches should be fanned out. In this case, the broom will seem to “hugg” the body of the steamer during the bath massage. One thick and dense product is enough for an average of 2-3 visits to the steam room. After this, it crumbles and becomes unusable.
Making a pen	The previously cleaned and collected branches are wrapped with twine: you squeeze the workpieces with one hand, and wind the rope with the other. There are no secrets here: the main thing is that the branches are tightly fastened. A strip of fabric is wound at the end of the handle - without it, there is a high risk of getting calluses in the future. Recommended handle length is 150 mm. Most high quality is ensured by tying the branches with twine in several rows near the foliage, and not along the length of the handle - a handle with a free end is more convenient to use, it will not slip out even with the most powerful movements.

Helpful advice! When assembling the broom, add some fragrant herbs to its composition.

For example, thyme and chamomile are good, mint and black currant are also good. If nettle, spruce and other thorny plants are added, they should be placed inside the product to eliminate the risk of damage and discomfort.

Don't make the broom too heavy. At this point, be guided by your own feelings: the product should be comfortable and light just for you.

Subsequent drying and storage of brooms.

There are many ways to dry brooms. Regardless of the characteristic features of each method, one main thing remains general rule: brooms should dry in the shade.

Direct contact with sunlight leads to rapid burning and curling of leaves, volatilization of fragrant and useful components, loss of aroma and external qualities. A broom dried in the sun will fall off immediately after steaming.

There should be a moderate draft in the room. The presence of powerful drafts is unacceptable, because... because of them, the final quality of the finished brooms will also not be the best. Ideally, the chosen room should be dry, cool and dark.

While drying, brooms can be either folded or hung. To ensure uniform drying of the branches, as noted, the workpieces must be turned over daily.

The simplest drying option involves hanging brooms from a pole or even a simple rope. To provide protection from the sun, the cord is stretched under a suitable canopy.

It was previously mentioned that the best shape for a broom is a fan. To ensure compliance with this recommendation, approximately one week after drying has begun (in this period the brooms begin to rustle a little) you need to tightly tie the collected branches and lay the workpieces tightly.

They will press together and gradually flatten, becoming like a fan. The method involving drying in hay requires some clarification. Firstly, the hay must be sufficiently dried and fresh. The products are laid in circular layers.

The foliage should be directed directly to the center of the stack. Fragrant hay is laid between the layers. Drying under such conditions contributes to maximum preservation of aroma, color, as well as shape and quality characteristics.

It is possible that the first harvesting experience will end in over-drying of the products. In this case, you shouldn’t get too upset and get rid of the preparations - the brooms can be “reanimated”.

To do this, firstly, the “marriage” must be steamed for a longer time (literally for several minutes), and secondly, after steaming, the product should be kept on the heater. The steam emanating from the laid stones will contribute to the rapid restoration of the brooms.

Important! After carrying out “resuscitation measures”, be sure to remove fallen leaves from the heater.

Summarize.

Preparing brooms for a bathhouse is not such a difficult task. The most important thing is to choose the right time to prepare them and dry the broom well.

Even though not everything will work out the first time, but then you yourself will understand when exactly you can collect a broom and when not.

If a bath broom falls off due to repeated use, you can find an excuse for this - nothing lasts forever. Much more tragic are situations when the foliage instantly flies off after the first steaming. This state of affairs is direct evidence of a violation of the rules for harvesting birch brooms.

Having prepared brooms, ensure their proper and careful storage. The room should be cool, shady and well ventilated. Violation of any of the listed recommendations will lead to yellowing and discoloration of the foliage, it will lose its aroma and freshness.

Hay is good for storing brooms, as well as for pre-drying them. In such conditions, the foliage will be even more saturated with beneficial elements, due to which its aroma will noticeably improve.

For storage in urban areas, you can use plastic or paper bags and vacuum packaging.

Practice also shows that it is best to prepare brooms with a small reserve. However, you shouldn’t be too zealous either: it’s much more pleasant to use a fragrant and fresh broom every time.

And that’s all for us, I hope our article has become a good guide for you on how to properly prepare brooms for a bathhouse. Leave your comments below and also join us on Odnoklassniki and support us on our channel in Yandex.Zen.

Bye everyone and see you later.

Preparing brooms for a bath: timing and how to prepare them correctly. updated: July 20, 2018 by: Subbotin Pavel