Rules for drying brooms for a bath: place, formation, methods, storage rules, what to do if they dry out

Basic moments

Important! You need to dry the broom in natural conditions. Do not try to speed up the process by using an open flame, heater, drying cabinet or oven. In this case, the broom will lose almost all its beneficial properties and lose its aroma.

To avoid common mistakes, remember the following rules:

Do not dry the broom in a draft. Drafts “blow” the scent out of the foliage.
Avoid direct sunlight . In this case, the broom will turn out to be overdried and will quickly lose its foliage.

Beware of high humidity . When exposed to moisture, the green mass will quickly rot and become moldy.
Use only healthy raw materials for drying . Do not take branches affected by diseases and parasites.

The most important thing is to ensure that sufficient distance is maintained between the brooms during drying. They should not hang close to each other. This may lead to damage to the raw materials.

Eucalyptus

Before storage, the eucalyptus broom must be dried. Drying it is done in the same way as with other types of brooms. For this purpose, choose a dark, ventilated place where there is no direct sunlight and high temperature.

The branches need to be tied, create a handle and hang them from the ceiling or on the wall of the room. When choosing the second option, it is necessary to constantly turn the products over to ensure even drying and to eliminate the possibility of rotting.

Eucalyptus must be stored very carefully, as its branches are characterized by increased fragility and brittleness. The best storage location would be an inaccessible, lockable room.

How to choose a place for drying?

Ideal places to dry brooms:

Waiting room

Attic of a private house

Hayloft

Some people dry brooms in garages. However, you need to ensure that there are no foreign odors in the room. Otherwise, during bath procedures you will enjoy the aroma of gasoline, not wood.

In the city, you can dry brooms on a glassed-in balcony. In this case, you need to ensure that the sun's rays do not fall on the branches. For security, you can hang thick curtains on the windows.

So, an ideal drying place should have the following qualities:

Do not have unpleasant or pungent odors.

Be dry and warm.

Have reliable dimming.

Only in this case can you count on a high-quality result.

Storage in the apartment

Residents of apartment buildings are better off buying ready-made brooms shortly before going to the bathhouse. But if you decide to make a broom with your own hands, then set aside a place for it on the balcony in a specially prepared cabinet. It must be dry, dark, and air must circulate. Owners of personal garages can store bath accessories in them.

Before using in the steam room, the broom must be steamed. Birch and linden are poured with hot water; oak and juniper brooms can be poured with mild boiling water. Leave them for 30–60 minutes to soak. Linden branches can be left for only 10 minutes, as they become slippery after getting wet.

It’s even better to first soak the broom in cold water for a couple of hours, and then just water it with hot water. In this case, the aroma will be more intense. A good-quality oak and juniper broom can be used several times if you do not share it with anyone. Rinse it and dry it by hanging it on a nail. Linden and grass brooms quickly crumble, they are enough for only one, maximum two, baths.

How to give a broom the correct shape?

Finished brooms may differ in shape. It all depends on the method of drying them. They are flat and “fluffy”.

Flat brooms are obtained if they are first kept under a load. Brooms with a fluffy crown are the result of hanging drying. Both options have their advantages and features.

Flat or "shovel" shape

It is considered classic and most correct. This broom is convenient for steaming and pumping up steam.

Lush crown

This crown is left if the broom is intended for “aroma”. When dried in a suspended state, the leaves retain much more essential oils and beneficial substances, which are revealed in the steam room.

If necessary, you can combine two drying methods at once. For this:

Ready fresh brooms are laid out on top of each other in a well-ventilated, dark room.
Leave them in this position for 24-48 hours. If you want to leave the brooms for a longer period of time, do not forget to turn them regularly: 1-2 times a day. Otherwise, the foliage will rot and rot.
When the brooms dry out a little, they are hung in a pre-prepared place for permanent storage.

The finished broom turns out to be quite lush, but at the same time it does not have protruding branches that can interfere with the process of visiting the steam room.

Expert opinion

Lovkachev Boris Petrovich

Bath master who knows everything about steaming

Regardless of the chosen drying method, it is recommended to wither the branches a little before assembling the broom. This can be done under a canopy, away from sunlight.

Healing properties

A broom made from birch branches has a huge number of healing components. Many essential oils, tannins, phytoncides, carotene and ascorbic acid have a positive effect on the human body.

It is recommended to make mixed brooms. To the birch branches you can add several branches of juniper or bay tree, a little wormwood, chamomile, St. John's wort, and nettle. This will add more aroma and double the healing properties of the broom.

Using such a broom will help with pain and aches in joints and muscles, and relieve tension after training or physical activity. Essential oils will help combat rashes and dry skin. After the bath, you can prepare a healing infusion from birch branches to strengthen your hair and eliminate dandruff.

Drying by weight

Drying a broom while hanging is considered a classic method. This is the simplest option.

To do this you need:

Choose a suitable place for drying and place a rope or a pole in it on which the brooms will be hung.
Hang the prepared brooms, keeping the distance between them. Under no circumstances should they be hung closely.
Leave the brooms until completely dry.

You can tell that the broom is dry by the characteristic rustling of the leaves. If the leaves break and crunch, then you have dried it out.

Drying by weight is suitable for any brooms. After drying, they turn out lush. Ideal for massage.

Timing for harvesting

The optimal time for harvesting birch twigs is June, maximum until mid-July. If you want to delve deeper into the tradition, plan to collect raw materials for the Orthodox Trinity. The only thing is that the weather should be clear and dry, and the time should be after the dew has dried.

To approach the issue of collecting birch branches consciously, let’s understand why there are such requirements for seasonality. The fact is that from mid-July the trees begin to prepare for autumn and at this time the leaves on the birch trees begin to get rougher - such a broom will scratch the steamed skin. If you go out to harvest before the first ten days of June, you will end up with a “bare” broom, because by this time the birch leaves are still loosely attached to the branches and most of them will fall off before they have time to dry.

Read also Oak bath brooms. Tips for production, storage and use

As for clear weather, there is also no special trick: cut wet branches will quickly turn black and acquire an unpleasant odor. Steaming with such a broom is a dubious pleasure; in the language of experts in the bath and broom business, such a broom “burned out” and lost its qualities.

To check if a birch tree is ready to share its branches with you, you can simply pick a leaf and lick its outside. It’s good if the surface is soft and velvety, sort of with a light fluff. It’s bad when it’s hard and rough: the collection time has already passed, and a broom made from such rods will scratch unpleasantly.

Horizontal drying

During the horizontal drying process, the broom takes on a flat shape. This method is often used by professional bath attendants.

It requires:

Tie brooms of the required size from pre-withered branches.
Place them in stacks in several layers on a dry and flat surface.
Place the weight on top. There is no need to take too heavy a weight, as it can lead to deformation and breakage of the branches.
Turn over and swap brooms daily.

When the leaves are dry, the brooms should be removed for further storage in a pre-prepared place.

Types of bath brooms

Brooms can be made from young branches of birch, oak, maple, willow, and linden. There are bath brooms made from nettle, juniper, spruce, rowan and other plants and trees. Most of the brooms on this list should be prepared in the summer after Trinity, when the leaves are green and full of vitamins and healing oils. If you store them correctly, you can provide yourself with a bath tool for the entire fall, winter and spring - just until the next season.

Oak brooms will be more fragrant if you put herbs (wormwood, mint, nettle) and eucalyptus sprigs inside them.

When preparing rods for a broom, try to treat the wood with care. Remember that it can serve you for many years. Do not touch too young trees, do not destroy them for the sake of a few branches. Some harvesters specifically plant oak and birch seedlings every year to replenish nature’s storehouse.

Drying in hay

If you have a hayloft, you can dry brooms in the hay.
A large amount of dry hay allows you to create ideal conditions for drying and storing raw materials, promotes complete ventilation and rapid evaporation of moisture from the leaves. To dry in hay, you must adhere to the following algorithm:

Cut fresh branches and prepare them. Remove diseased leaves, remove excess branches and jagged edges at the site of the future handle.
Cover the prepared branches with dry hay. It should cover them completely.
Turn the branches over once a day and replenish them with fresh hay.

Important! This drying method is only suitable for individual branches. The brooms themselves are tied immediately before use. Drying in hay is convenient in cases where you prefer to use prefabricated brooms consisting of different plants.

Keep in mind that different plants dry out differently. If 1-1.5 weeks are enough for a birch broom to completely dry, then for an oak broom this period will stretch to 3 weeks or longer. That is why you need to independently monitor and control the process.

Preparation for drying

The process of making a broom can be divided into several stages:

the branches are cut;
sort and collect together;
tied tightly in several places;
form a handle.

The ability to skillfully knit brooms is acquired with experience. Branches for them must be taken from the middle of the tree. There they are quite flexible and rich in nutrients. You can buy ready-made brooms at the market, learning how to choose them correctly.

The height of the finished product can be from 30 to 60 cm. Everyone chooses the density as desired. Some people like fluffy little brooms, while others like big, loose bundles. Be sure to take care of the handle. It should be free of knots, properly rounded, neither thin nor thick, so that it is comfortable to hold on to in the bathhouse.

How to store finished brooms?

There are several ways to store bath brooms. This allows each person to choose the most suitable and optimal option for themselves. Let's look at this issue in more detail.

Hanging storage

This is the most common and proven method. Dried brooms are placed in a previously prepared place, hanging them on a pole or rope.

Important! Since fluctuations in humidity and temperature are observed in any room, brooms stored in a suspended state may dry out. Additionally, thin branches can become brittle and brittle.

However, the negative consequences of such storage can be minimized.
To do this, each broom needs to be wrapped in paper. It will be stored in this position until use. Also be sure to maintain the distance between brooms. The optimal gap between them should be 15 centimeters.

You can use an attic or a dressing room as a storage space. As a last resort, you can hang brooms on the balcony or veranda. Most importantly, they should not be exposed to direct sunlight.

Storage in a city apartment

In a city apartment, the easiest way to store brooms is in a large cardboard box. Before placing them in it, make sure there is good ventilation. To do this, you can make several small holes on the top and sides.

Place the dried brooms in rows on top of each other. Line each row with newspaper or wrapping paper. It will maintain an optimal level of humidity and prevent air stagnation.

You can place the box in a closet or on a glazed balcony. If the room is excessively dry and hot, the brooms will dry out quickly. In rooms with high humidity they can rot.

You should not store brooms on the mezzanine, since the air at the top is usually much drier and hotter.

If possible, dried brooms can be packed in vacuum bags. This will extend their shelf life and prevent them from drying out.

Important! If there is no box, you can use a large bag made of natural fabric for storage.

Please note that regardless of the method you choose, dry brooms should not be stored for longer than 2 years. The longer you store them, the less beneficial properties they retain. The aroma of the leaves also evaporates.

Storage conditions for brooms

To ensure that the bath product remains intact and unharmed for a long time after preparation, optimal conditions are created for it. The following general indicators are of great importance:

air temperature (should be from 10 to 25 degrees Celsius);
ambient humidity (dry place);
lighting (no need to place the accessory in direct sunlight, otherwise it will dry out and lose its aroma);
ventilation (storage location must be ventilated).

In addition, they are hung vertically at a short distance from one another. You should not prepare more than thirty pieces for the season. After a year or two, the quality of the leaves deteriorates significantly.

The second method is to place the brooms one on top of the other and press them with a slight pressure (board or fiberboard). The top is covered with a dark cloth that allows air to pass through and maintains the elasticity of the rods.

How long do bath brooms last? In good conditions, the shelf life is 2-3 years, and some tree species (for example, oak) can last up to five years.

What to do if the broom is dry?

Even a very dry broom can be revived.

To do this, you need to follow a simple algorithm:

Before steaming, you need to sprinkle it generously with cold water.
After this, the broom should be left on the shelf in the bathhouse so that the foliage is saturated with moisture. If desired, the crown can be covered with a damp cloth.
After 15-20 minutes, the broom can be steamed in any way familiar to you.

You can tell that the crown has dried out by a simple sign: its leaves become more brittle. Instead of the characteristic rustling sound, they make a cracking sound and crumble even with minor mechanical stress.

What is good about freezing brooms?

Many of us freeze mushrooms, berries, vegetables, and even herbs for the winter. I want something fresh and fragrant in winter. The situation is the same with freezing brooms.

Not everyone has the opportunity to keep an excellent steam room broom intact. Often, by the end of the cold season, the kings of the steam room lose their properties and their appearance deteriorates.

Thin branches dry out, bend and the broom becomes more like Baba Yaga's broom

Let's not forget about the most important element - the foliage. A dry leaf withers and crumbles in any case

Often, the owners of their own bathhouse kingdom use the attic of the bathhouse to store brooms. Warm, hot air, according to the laws of physics, rises and sometimes it gets hot in the attic under the roof - the brooms simply dry out

When brooms are frozen, such troubles are not terrible. In the refrigerator there will be constant sub-zero temperature conditions without fluctuations and tearing of the sheet tissue.

How and where to store bath brooms?

In order for the broom to be stored for as long as possible and to preserve all its beneficial properties, you must remember the following rules:

Brooms should not be stored on solid boards or the floor. The base must have good ventilation. Otherwise, the foliage may rot or become moldy.
Fresh brooms that have just been collected and tied should not be placed under the load. You need to give them a little time to wilt.
You cannot store brooms in the steam room. There they quickly deteriorate due to changes in humidity and temperature.
Brooms that are reused must be thoroughly rinsed and straightened before drying. Only after this can they be hung to dry.

Dry brooms can cause a fire, so storing them near a stove or other sources of open flame is prohibited.
Do not store brooms near sources of strong odors. The foliage quickly absorbs it and then releases it when steamed.
Protect brooms not only from the sun and moisture, but also from insect pests. Inspect the crowns from time to time for insect damage.

Methods for storing birch and oak trees

Today there are many known methods for storing such devices. This allows each person to choose the best option.

Pair hanging

The standard way to store a birch broom is to hang it in pairs. This old method has been used since ancient times. It is worth considering that when using this method it will not be possible to avoid losses.

Changes in humidity parameters and climatic conditions negatively affect the condition of the broom. As a result, the branches bend in different directions. However, it is quite possible to minimize the risk of damage to the material.

To ensure that the products keep their shape perfectly, they can be wrapped in paper. Such devices should be placed separately from each other. It is recommended to do this at a distance of 15 centimeters. It is recommended to store the device in this way in a barn or attic. A veranda would also be a good option.

Under the ceiling in the dressing room

It is permissible to keep brooms ready for storage under the ceiling in the dressing room. It is not recommended to do this in the steam room or in the washroom. To implement this storage method, you should drive nails into opposite walls under the ceiling, maintaining a distance of 30 centimeters. After this, it is recommended to parallelly pull and secure a rope or fishing line behind the nails. Brooms should be placed on the resulting shelf. This method has a significant advantage. Thanks to its use, the dressing room will smell like birch leaves.

Question answer

Is it possible to dry pine brooms?

Coniferous brooms do not tolerate drying very well. Sometimes fir brooms are dried. However, even they are stored for a limited time. If you like pine brooms, it is best to use fresh branches each time. In extreme cases, the broom can be frozen.

What to do if traces of mold appear on the broom?

You need to get rid of such a broom immediately. It can be burned. Do not use it in a bath under any circumstances, as this can cause serious health problems.

Why did the broom begin to crumble a lot?

If the broom is crumbling a lot, it is most likely dry. Violation of the rules for the preparation and drying of raw materials is also possible.

How many years can a dry broom be stored?

It is recommended to store dry brooms for no longer than 1.5-2 years. The longer you store a broom, the less useful it remains. In addition to vitamins, the aroma leaves it.

Why can't you dry your broom in the sun?

Some people dry their brooms in the open sun. However, doing this is strictly prohibited. Firstly, such a broom dries out quickly, and its foliage becomes brittle and fragile. Secondly, ultraviolet radiation destroys most of the beneficial substances.

Features of brooms of different tree species

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 the negative effects of stress on the body. An oak broom is recommended for those with problematic skin prone to oiliness;
Birch - perfectly cleanses the skin, promoting regeneration of the upper layers of the skin. In addition, a birch broom 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;
Wormwood - 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 its 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.

When to prepare raw materials for oak brooms?

In order for an oak broom to please you during bath procedures, when preparing raw materials it is important to adhere to strict rules and canons :

For a fresh broom, you need to collect branches before June 15

This product is softer, more flexible and aromatic. Young leaves contain a large amount of useful trace elements and tannins.

For winter storage, raw materials are harvested in July

It is believed that brooms harvested in July are more durable and resistant to long-term storage.

Collect raw materials in warm, dry weather before lunch

The branches must be dry and free of dew. If it is foggy or lightly drizzling outside, it is best to postpone the harvesting of branches until a more appropriate time.

The length of the branches must be at least 50 cm

Pay attention to young and flexible branches, without signs of damage or disease. Collect from young trees that reach 3 meters in height.

Depending on the region, procurement dates may shift by 1-2 weeks. However, it is important to remember that you should not collect branches for a broom after frost. Since such a broom will quickly crumble, and the benefits of its use will be minimal.

Important! You can collect raw materials from both regular and Canadian oak trees. The most important thing is that the branches are collected in an ecologically clean area, away from the city, highways and highways.