Making brooms for a bath

Brooms are an original and inalienable attribute of the Russian bath. Thanks to them, the steam room creates an incomparable atmosphere and spirit. It is not by chance that the preparation of brooms for a bath, their storage and use are subject to centuries-old folk traditions. At first glance it seems that there is nothing complicated in the preparation of this bathing attribute. However, not everyone knows about the subtleties that do not allow you to lose the aroma of leaves and their shedding over time.

How and when to harvest sauna brooms

Traditionally, the brooms are billeted on the Trinity, which is celebrated in mid-June. At this time, blossom trees, grass and shrubs. The leaves on them are already strong, they have properly gathered juice and have the greatest flavor. Choose a sunny fine day and in the morning go or go to the forest. Branches can be cut with a knife or simply broken off with hands.

Helpful advice. Do not collect branches for brooms in wet weather, as wet leaves quickly fold into a tube and fly around. It is better to do this when the dew comes down, but the heat will not yet come into full force, that is, in the afternoon.

For brooms, fresh twigs are chosen, since they contain a large amount of phytoncides, various essential oils and other active substances. From them break off the twigs length of 50 -60 cm and release their lower part from the leaves and small branches. First take a few thick branches and collect them in a bundle. Then, more thin branches are attached to it, bending inwards. A broom is made easy, so that when you wave it, your hand does not get tired. Therefore, do not overdo it with the number of branches in one product. The sling should be made 15 cm from the edge of the handle, closer to the leaves. For this, twine or polyethylene rope tightly tighten the handle of the broom in two places. In conclusion, the edge of the handle is leveled with an ax. They also cut off too long or strongly protruding branches.

Finished products should be stored in the shade. After all, under the influence of direct rays of the sun, all useful essential and aromatic substances will necessarily fade. It is best to dry the brooms suitable dry, darkened part of the attic bathhouse, garage or the house itself. Well if you have a heap of hay. It will be very nice to bury the brooms in it. In the city, they can be identified on the balcony or loggia, in extreme cases in paper bags on the mezzanine cupboards.

There is another method of harvesting brooms. It does not imply their immediate production. The harvested branches are first dried, for example, on the roof of some farm building. To do this, do this:

• Spread the meadow hay on a flat surface.
• On it put twigs next to each other with small gaps.
• On top again cover them with another layer of hay.
• Every 3 days the branches are turned over for a month.

Then the branches are covered with fresh grass and left to dry until the beginning of October. Only after that knit brooms according to the technology described above. This method allows you to dry the leaves with the maximum amount of nutrients.

Helpful hint. When choosing a place for billet harvesting, make sure that it is kept as far as possible from industrial plants, livestock complexes and roads. Products of human economic activity adversely affect the wildlife.

Features of harvesting and useful properties of brooms from various plants

In addition to birch, there is a mass of plants, the brooms from the branches of which are used in bath procedures for medical and recreational purposes. You can use only one kind of broom in the broom, but often combined variants are used in practice, when, for example, branches of other healthy plants are weaved into a birch or oak broom. And there are quite a lot of them. Let us dwell in detail on each of them.

Birch

The most common is a birch broom. The time of its preparation was mentioned above. The best birch tree is a young weeping birch growing near a pond. Ideally, if it has never bloomed. In such trees the leaves are more tender. The branches need to be cut thin, long and straight. In order not to damage the tree, it is necessary to take twigs only lateral or root shoots.

Billets are paired in pairs and hang in a well-ventilated shaded room. A week later, the blanks are permanently bonded and deposited. They should have a dark green matte color and exude a pleasant birch smell, which is further enhanced in the steam room.

A birch broom works well for painful joint and muscle pains after active physical activity. It perfectly cleans the skin, especially with its tendency to develop acne. Thanks to the substances contained in the birch, the process of healing of abrasions and small wounds is accelerated. Birch has a pronounced soothing effect.

The expansion of small bronchi helps to sputum and stimulates the ventilation of the lungs. Therefore, asthmatics, smokers, allergy sufferers should definitely use a birch broom. Its leaves also contain vitamin C and provitamin A, essential oils and tannins.

Oak

Oak twigs can be collected throughout the summer. Cut them from the oaks that grow in a dark and damp forest or oak grove. Binding and drying of brooms from oak is carried out in the same way as birch. Brooms from oak do not absorb sweat very well, so they are always dry. At the same time they almost never fly around and are well perceived by people with oily skin. Oak still helps with hypertension. Contained in it tannins, perfectly clean the entire skin.

After using an oak broom, the dermis becomes opaque and elastic, and inflammation foci disappear. The aroma of leaves effectively lowers arterial pressure, beneficially affects the central nervous system. All this contributes to the removal of permanent stresses. Oak broth is used as a curing agent during the course of skin diseases and excessive sweating of the feet.

Juniper

Branches of juniper for making a broom are harvested in late spring or early summer. Fans of the bath and related procedures, know the whole benefit of such a broom. This shrub can produce resin, which has a very beneficial effect on our health. From juniper branches make independent brooms, include them in other "bouquets" or simply lining the floor. Harvest juniper until the middle of summer. To use the branches, they are steamed for about half an hour. Juniper can stimulate increased sweating, it increases blood flow in the deepest layers of muscles, and sometimes in some internal organs. Juniper brooms are good for carrying out a massage with a sick spine, in case of sciatica and neuralgia.

Eucalyptus

For eucalyptus billets( if anyone has such an opportunity), the leaves of the eucalyptus are used. Branches are cut in August. Experts recommend that they be included in the most common birch or oak "bouquets."A broom made from the branches of this southern tree is filled with 1-3% essential oil, with this, and its healing qualities are associated with colds. Most of all, it helps with sore throat and runny nose. He is put to the face in the steam room and breathes through it with his nose for several minutes.

Cherry, currant, alder, linden, ashberry, coniferous

Cherry and currant billets are made in the very beginning of summer. For this purpose, the useless young shoots are cut, as well as the shoots at the roots. Brooms from alder, linden, ashberry are best prepared from July to mid-August.

The easiest way is with brooms from coniferous trees. They can be produced at any time of the year, since it is impossible to store such products. Dry needles must be showered. Virtually all coniferous trees have healing properties. The needles contain antioxidants and a lot of vitamin C. This contributes to the healing of wounds on the skin and has a powerful general health effect. In addition, the coniferous smell in the steam room just will not leave anyone indifferent. Steaming brooms from coniferous trees should be done with caution, especially pine and cedar, as their needles are quite stiff even after steaming.

Nettle

For medical and general health purposes, it is not uncommon to use nettle brooms. If properly produced, they will not burn the skin. To do this, you need to dip it in turns two or three times in boiling water, then into cold water. Then it can be safely used in the steam room. In the city you can not find ecologically safe thickets of this plant. Nettles that grow along the highways are not good. It is necessary to tear the shoots of young plants in a clean area. Brooms from nettles perfectly tone and relieve muscle pain, help with radiculitis and articular aches. Nettles for brooms are torn before and during the flowering, that is, in July.

Sagebrush

But brooms made of wormwood, in contrast, can not be done during the flowering period of the plant. Pollen pollen can irritate the skin, so it is necessary to tear off the faded but not dried stems. This plant has a bright, incomparable aroma and healing properties.

Helpful hint. Broken branches in the forest for brooms can not be densely packed during transportation. This can lead to overheating and shedding.

How to quickly steal the sauna broom

There are several different ways of steaming the brooms for a bath. Most often do this: for 2-3 minutes lower the broom into a basin with ice water, then keep as much in warm water and, finally, place hot water. Do not use boiling water. The pelvis is covered with some kind of lid or other basin, so that the broom is well "steamed".Take it out after it starts to emit a delightful scent.

Water that is left from steaming is used to water stones and walls. This will create even more flavor in the bath. Fresh or slightly dried brooms are never steamed, as they are too much impregnated with water and become heavy. Their thermal conductivity greatly increases. For this reason, you can get burned.

The history of the appearance of a sauna broom

The history of a bath broom covered with fog, as well as the history of a Russian bath. It is known that it was used by the ancient Slavs. The broom makes the bath doubly useful and has a health effect on the entire body. Since ancient times oak and birch brooms have been famous for their qualities. They were always considered curative. In the old days healers used them to expel the sick for medical purposes.

When the tradition came to the West to receive a Russian bath, the broom did not take root there. Today, the western baths look like an ordinary steam room or sauna, as in the Scandinavian countries.

You can not use brooms in the sauna, because it is physically impossible. The air in it is too dry, and the leaves simply fly around. Sometimes historians connect the origin of the Russian bath with the Turkish neighborhood. However, although there is steam in the Turkish bath, the brooms were not used there. In general, in no country in the world is it customary to steam with the help of a broom. Therefore, a broom is an attribute of Russian paired ones.

In the Russian outback before the 19th century, the tradition of steam was closely related to various pagan rituals. For example, the newlyweds were soared after the wedding night. And the newlyweds were supposed to take a bath together. Before visiting the church, people also bathed themselves. It was believed that a good hot bath and a broom would be cleared of all sins. And to this day people in the village go to bathe in the bath most often on Saturday evening, which is also a kind of tradition.

To properly use the bath, and rationally use all of its medicinal qualities, it is necessary to prepare bath brooms in time. Doing this, too, is necessary to get the best health effect.