A good oak broom for a bath: the details of collection and storage. How to steam and how to steam

Bath accessories, Brooms

Oak leaves and twigs are rich in essential oils and tannins. Oak broom looks impressive, is fragrant, and thanks to the special shape of carved and wide leaves, it is able to perfectly absorb steam.

In bath procedures, it is in second place in popularity, followed only by a birch broom. This attribute has its own characteristics of impact on the body and benefits.

The benefits of oak brooms for the body

Oak brooms have the following healing properties:

1. Due to the size and shape of the leaves, they are excellent at generating steam .
2. Tannins (catechins) have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin and are useful for massage.
3. Normalizes the condition of oily skin prone to rashes, ulcers and inflammation. Reduces the activity of fat glands.
4. They have a positive effect on varicose veins .
5. Thanks to the effects of essential oils, blood pressure is normalized in hypertension .
6. Oak procedures help get rid of fatigue, relieve tension and nervousness, and have a relaxing effect .
7. They have a beneficial effect on the sweat glands, reducing foot sweating .
8. Relieves rheumatic pain.

Many ancient peoples endowed oak with magical properties, the ability to ward off evil spirits, help preserve eternal youth, etc. Oak bath brooms, unlike birch brooms, are rougher. They are not suitable for sensitive skin . Due to the leaves firmly attached to the branches, they are durable.

Optimal procurement time

The quality of the finished broom depends on the correctness of its preparation and storage. Branches collected ahead of time are too soft and slippery, but those harvested on time are strong and last a long time.

Experienced bath attendants know when to prepare oak brooms for a bath: the custom of preparing them for Trinity has long existed.

Most often, this day falls in mid-June, when the leaves have already grown well and become stronger. It is good to follow folk customs, but when collecting oak branches, it is necessary that the leaves are ripe.

The optimal timing for cutting oak bath brooms just right is determined depending on the climatic features of the area and the weather specifics of the current year. Sometimes the readiness of leafy raw materials (juiciness and size) occurs only in July or even at the beginning of August.

If acorns have already appeared on the oak tree, then the best time has passed , the branches at this time are already too thick and have lost their flexibility. But it is useless to break them into brooms after early frosts.

Attention! The collection of oak branches in different areas is carried out at different times. Before harvesting, you need to check them for flexibility and pliability.

Basic collection rules

To ensure that the quality is intended for its intended purpose, when preparing, you must follow the following rules for collecting bath brooms:

• It is best to collect brooms after the dew has disappeared on a warm summer morning in dry weather.
• If it rained before, it is better to wait a few days.
• You can cut branches from trees growing far from roads. Trees no lower than three meters in height with branches half a meter long are suitable for this
• A good sign of the ecological cleanliness of the chosen place is the proximity to succulent burdock trees.
• You cannot cut branches from one tree, exposing it. It is preferable to combine raw materials of different ages, but not younger than two years.
• It is best to choose trees growing in shady and elevated areas.
• Only the side branches are collected and cut off with sharp pruning shears.

After cutting, the branches are folded in a shady place in one layer for an hour. They should be transported carefully. Do not stack them closely to prevent overheating and causing the leaves to fall off.

Interesting! For brooms, branches of both common and red oak are used. Its leaves are wider, and its branches are more flexible and longer. And the Caucasian oak species has very strong leaves, which is very valuable for bathing purposes.

Question answer

Why did most of the leaves fall off a dry broom?

Most likely, the broom drying technology was violated. Perhaps it is too dry. Poor quality raw materials may also be the cause.

Is it possible to prepare raw materials for fresh brooms in August or September?

If the weather is warm outside and the foliage on the oak tree is still dense and green, you can make fresh preparations. However, you should not cut branches after the first frost.

Is it possible to soar children with an oak broom?

Yes, an oak broom is suitable for this purpose. However, all movements should be light and smooth. Children over 3 years old can be taken to the steam room.

What to do if a stored broom becomes moldy?

You need to get rid of this broom urgently. Do not use it in a steam room under any circumstances, as it is hazardous to health.

Is it possible to store dry brooms in a box at home?

Yes, you can. However, care must be taken to create high-quality ventilation. The brooms themselves are best packaged in plastic bags.

How to dry properly

The tied brooms are placed under a weight for a day so that they become flat and convenient for use. And then they start drying them. The drying rules are:

1. The brooms are hung in pairs on a rope in a dark, cool room.
2. The drying area must be ventilated so as not to overdry the product, thereby depriving it of its beneficial properties.
3. Semi-finished products should not be exposed to sunlight.
4. To ensure even drying, the brooms need to be turned over daily.
5. The finished product has a pleasant green color and aroma.
6. If possible, it is better to dry the brooms in dry and clean hay , stacking them in layers in a stack. With this method, the color and natural smell of the product are better preserved.

Important! If the broom turns out to be too dry, there is no need to discard it. An accessory of poorer quality will have to be steamed longer than successful ones.

How and where best to store

The finished brooms will dry well in a week, then they can be stored on racks in a room with good ventilation.

A dry dressing room or barn is suitable for this. You can also lay them on the floor, turning them over daily for ventilation.

An excellent storage location is a dry attic. It is best to place well-dried hay under the brooms.

City residents can keep bath accessories on a balcony , loggia, basement or in a frost-free garage. It should be cool, not damp, and it should be possible to ventilate them.

Brooms are placed in paper bags and cardboard boxes. The most modern methods of storing them are vacuum packaging or dry freezing.

If stored improperly, the products turn yellow, their appearance changes and their unsurpassed aroma disappears. If all the above rules are followed, the products are suitable for two years.

Basic errors during procurement

Inexperienced harvesters who do not know how to make a broom for a bath from oak make the following typical mistakes when collecting and preparing oak branches:

1. They are cut off either too early or too late. Raw materials prepared ahead of schedule are too brittle with small leaves. When harvested late, the branches are old, rough, and difficult to bend. The best time to cut brooms is mid-summer.
2. Drying the product in the sun. In this case, the process is completed too quickly, and as a result, the leaves lose their shape, color and smell. Proper drying should take place in a cool, ventilated and shaded place.
3. Harvesting in damp, rainy weather or immediately after the rain stops. Wet leaves do not dry well and may become moldy. When prepared correctly, they should be completely dry.

Important! If all rules for collecting, drying and storing raw materials are followed, the healing properties of oak and its unsurpassed aroma, intensified during the bath procedure, are preserved for at least 2 years

Contraindications

Doctors categorically insist that there are a number of contraindications for visiting a Russian bath, these include:

• various oncological diseases;
• epilepsy;
• heart defects, heart attacks (any signs of heart failure);
• acute respiratory tract diseases, which include: bronchitis and pneumonia;
• Visiting the bathhouse is strictly prohibited for children under four years of age, as well as for elderly people and pregnant women at different stages.

We wish you a pleasant time in the Russian bath!!!

How to steam it correctly so that the broom doesn’t fly around right away

Steaming a broom before going to the steam room is a mandatory procedure. Then he will more fully release his beneficial substances in the steam room. There are several methods for preparing a broom:

1. Keep in cool water for two dozen minutes, and then transfer to hot water for a couple of minutes. During this time, cover with a basin so that the broom softens well.
2. Place first in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then on the bath stones, but make sure that it does not burn on one side; to do this, turn it evenly. And then repeat it all over again.
3. If the broom is too dry, then this procedure will need to be done longer than usual.
4. In the morning, soak it in hot water for ten minutes, then dip a rag in it and wring it out. Wrap the broom in fabric and put it in a plastic bag before the steam room. And in the bath, put it in a bucket of hot water for a few minutes.

A well-prepared bath attribute exudes a special aroma. After the steam room, the broom should be rinsed with warm water and then hung on a rope to dry .

Attention! There is no need to pour out the water remaining after steaming the broom. If you moisten hot bath stones with it, the oak aroma in the steam room will intensify.

The most minimal set for a bath

• Bathrobe (necessarily terry);
• Bath towel);
• Headdress.

Initial standard set

A robe and a large towel should be the first thing in your backpack, they are called “baths”.

The following things are also needed:

• additional (replacement) linen;
• large sheet (to cover the shelf);
• rubber slippers;
• a hat or small towel (to cover your head);
• shower gel and shampoo;
• broom.

Be sure to take more drinks with you; drinking a lot of liquid will have a positive effect on your relaxation in the bathhouse. Alcoholic drinks should not be taken, but juices, mineral waters, and other healthy liquids are perfect.

A trip to the bathhouse will go very well if you make a body mask or scrub at home with the addition of coffee.

How to steam: basic methods

It is best to visit the steam room together; one of those steaming should lie down, and the other should hold the broom with his hand in a mitten so as not to get burned . When using this attribute you need to remember:

• It should be wet, for this it is good to place a bucket of warm water in the steam room.
• You should not make sudden movements with the fan, so as not to injure the skin.
• If the temperature in the steam room exceeds 60 degrees, then the steam from a high broom can cause burns.

The technology of the health procedure consists of the following stages:

1. Massage helps improve blood circulation and normalizes metabolism. First, the body is stroked from the feet to the head in one direction and the other several times: first from one side and then from the other. Therefore, in the office you need to turn off your mobile phone (phone search service mobihobby.ru), take a break from everyday worries and immerse yourself in the sensations that the touch of the massage therapist’s hands will give.
2. Compress. The fan captures the steam and it falls onto the lumbar region for a couple of seconds. This procedure helps with injuries, muscle pain and sciatica.
3. Stretching. It is practiced for sacral pain. To do this, use two brooms. They are first placed on the lower back, and then one is moved to the back of the head, and the other to the legs. All these movements are repeated several times. They should be slow, the broom should not be lifted at all, and if a burning sensation occurs on the skin, it should be cooled in cool water.
4. Quilting. With quick and light movements, the end of the broom is rubbed over the back and rear parts of the body for a minute. Then they are quickly stroked. The same is done for twice as long when shifting onto your back.
5. Whiplash. With this procedure, greater steam capture occurs when the fan is raised high. Every 2-3 such movements are combined with a compress (stage No. 2).
6. Plowing. It is carried out by lightly touching the skin with a broom.
7. Shaking. This is a strong heating of the body, alternating with its cooling with the help of a fan, which is first lowered into cool water. First, raise the broom high, and then press it for a couple of seconds to different parts of the body.
8. Trituration. During this procedure, using the palm of your hand, pressing on the leaves, rub the body in different directions, and rub the legs and arms only lengthwise.

You need to sit down and stand up after a set of procedures slowly and carefully, for fear of dizziness.

Carefully! The steam room is contraindicated for people with various diseases. In each case, the duration, intensity and temperature of this bath procedure are individual. Before doing this, you must consult a doctor.

Useful, but not critically necessary things

When visiting the bathhouse, “cleaning” is mandatory. At the same time, all natural components are most effective, and “chemistry” remains far behind and does not constitute any competition at all.

Before the cleansing procedure it is recommended:

Bring a lemon with you. Before the steam room you need to thoroughly rub your body. This fruit has special properties that help the pores open quickly and widely.

Honey mask. Making a mask from honey: add sea salt (150 g), coffee (boiled grounds from a finely ground product), sugar, sour cream (2-3 spoons), a little essential oil (a few drops) to liquid honey (can be melted) (200 g). ). This mask is rubbed in before the steam room, where you go for 10-20 minutes. After this, the skin becomes soft and silky like a baby's.

Nourishing cocktail for the face. You need to combine cream, ground bran, and yeast. The mass should be applied to the face at the end of the bath procedures. After this mask, the face becomes soft and has a good shade.

Good alternative

Bath brooms can be different:

• A birch broom is considered the best. It is flexible, light and comfortable, useful for various pains, releases substances that calm the nervous system and purify the air in the steam room.
• Maple broom has high medicinal properties , since the leaves are rich in alkaloids, vitamins and catechins. They help neutralize harmful substances and have tonic and analgesic properties.
• Willow branches are the best remedy for osteochondrosis and relief of pain in the lumbar region.
• Bird cherry broom has bactericidal properties and a subtle almond aroma.
• Eucalyptus brooms are irreplaceable for colds, injuries and joint pain. This is also inhalation. They are often combined with oak or birch.
• Coniferous brooms differ favorably from deciduous ones in that they are harvested year-round. They are contraindicated for people with sensitive skin. Resin or pine resin is useful for rheumatism, respiratory problems, and helps improve skin health. To get rid of pain, just lie on pine paws in the steam room. This is inhalation and massage at the same time.

Other types of bath brooms are also used, and mixed, universal versions are not uncommon. Sprigs of medicinal herbs are also placed there.

In any of these cases, a healing and hardening procedure is provided.

Also, don’t forget about the bamboo broom. This type is not a traditional bath accessory, but it is very good for massage procedures.

A Russian bathhouse with a traditional steam room and a massage with an oak broom - what could be better for your health! This is a remedy for blues and stress and an excellent hardening procedure. But not everyone can do it; there are a number of contraindications for a steam room.

Within reasonable limits, after consulting a specialist, almost everyone can afford bath manipulation with a healing broom.

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Safety precautions in the bathhouse

It is very important to understand that drinking alcohol between drinks can negatively affect your body. This is not just tempting, but dangerous! Such a visit to the bathhouse will never bring any benefit, but on the contrary, it can negatively affect your overall health.

Remember, the bathhouse does not tolerate if:

• less than two hours have passed since a heavy meal;
• a large amount of alcohol in the body;
• taking cold liquid between sessions;
• smoking during or after the procedure;
• presence of jewelry and cosmetics on the body;
• lack of headdress (special cap for the steam room).

You should not wet your hair before entering the steam room for the first time. The amount of time spent in the steam room should be equal to the time spent in the dressing room. Never dry your body with a towel, as this will only increase sweating.