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

The bath broom is the king of all bath accessories. But only a high-quality and environmentally friendly broom will have a positive effect on your health.

For this reason, it is better to assemble it yourself. But it needs to be done correctly.

Decoration of every Russian bathhouse

It is also extremely important to know how to soak a bath broom to make your bath procedures comfortable. Of course, you can simply buy a ready-made broom in a specialized store with bath accessories. But it’s better to prepare them yourself.

Not everyone understands what types of bath brooms there are. But for a beginner this is not the most important question.

The most important thing is to independently prepare products for the bathhouse according to all the rules. For this reason, we will tell you some rules and secrets of this matter.

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.

What are bath products made from?

Most often, brooms are made from birch and oak. Harvesting birch branches begins on Trinity and continues until Peter's Day, which falls on July 12. At this time, birch leaves contain many useful components that rejuvenate the body. For harvesting work, you need to choose a dry and sunny day. Cutting is done in the first half of the day, when the dew has disappeared from the foliage. Young thin flexible branches are selected from the tree. The cut twigs should be straight and well leafed.

Oak brooms have tanning properties and dry out oily skin

Oak brooms are harvested from mid-June to August, observing the same collection conditions as for birch. They have tanning properties and dry out oily skin prone to excessive sweating.

Less commonly used brooms include eucalyptus brooms. They are harvested in August, when the leaves have accumulated a sufficient amount of essential oils. Such branches are used in the bathhouse for auxiliary treatment of diseases accompanied by cough. Eucalyptus can be hung dried. The round shape does not interfere with its intended use.

Less commonly used brooms include eucalyptus brooms

Ash can be a substitute for eucalyptus. Young ash branches are collected during the flowering period. Its beneficial substances prevent the development of colds. Ash broom is used as a prophylactic after hypothermia.

Coniferous broom can be collected all year round. It is rigid, and for it the fan shape is mandatory. It allows you to take full advantage of it after prolonged steaming. Juniper broom is most often used in steam rooms. It is rough and prickly, but it perfectly helps restore health during exacerbation of a chronic disease of the musculoskeletal system. Juniper contains essential oils that have bactericidal, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It is recommended to be used in the coldest time of the year, when the percentage of acute respiratory viral infections and acute respiratory infections is high. In spring and summer, it increases the body's protective functions and allows you to get rid of an allergic reaction.

Coniferous broom can be collected all year round

Nettle broom is useful for diseases of the musculoskeletal system. Collecting grass on a broom occurs during flowering, when the leaves are maximally saturated with useful substances. It should have a flat shape.

Linden is collected during flowering. It is good to stock up on such a broom for the treatment of colds. Linden essential compounds thin the blood and increase sweating, clearing the blood of infectious agents. To make the bundle easier to work with, it is first dried in a horizontal position under a press, and then dried vertically.

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.

The optimal time of year for harvesting brooms

According to traditions, you need to start preparing such accessories for the steam room from the beginning of June.

Photo of succulent birch branches

It is at this time that all plants bloom. The foliage on tree branches grows stronger, gaining juice and aroma. Therefore, it is at this time that it is necessary to collect plant branches.

It is quite reasonable to start collecting bath brooms in June, because the leaves of the trees are already quite large and filled with essential oil glands.

Young shoots of large size demonstrate high elasticity, so the product made from them will be the best.

But how to cut branches:

Branches should be cut in dry weather;
If the foliage gets wet in the rain, it will subsequently deteriorate, darken, fly around and curl during drying. Therefore, in rainy or too wet weather, branches should not be cut. It's better to wait a couple of days.

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.

Steaming methods

There are several methods for preparing a birch broom.

Contrasting. Its essence is that first it needs to be soaked in cold water, then in warm water (40-45 C?). After 5 minutes, boiling water is added to the basin and the container is closed with a lid. In this way, the broom is kept for 10 minutes, after which it is ready for use. This temperature difference makes the birch branches look almost fresh and fragrant. Before use, experienced bathhouse attendants recommend holding the broom over the heater. This way it will absorb steam.

Any steaming method has its advantages. Their main goal is to restore flexibility to the branches and freshness and aroma to the birch leaves.

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.

What are the requirements for a broom?

It is necessary to properly dry bath brooms so that they are comfortable and the leaves or pine needles do not dry out. Then the dry raw material retains all the substances and essential compounds, which, when steamed, enhance the aroma and increase the beneficial properties.

On a note! Birch, oak and pine brooms should be flat in shape, similar to a fan.

When dry, its weight is negligible and you can hardly feel it.

One broom should have 7 branches, abundantly covered with foliage. At the final stage, they are tightly tied in two places so that the bunch does not fall apart during use. For tying, you need twine made of jute or hemp fiber.

One broom should have 7 branches, abundantly covered with foliage

Initially, the workpieces are tied in pairs, leaving a sufficient amount of thread so that it can be easily cut and tied with a broom without disturbing its shape. This bundle allows you to facilitate the drying process, which takes place in 2 stages.

To obtain a flat shape, tied brooms are laid out on a horizontal surface in a dark, dry place with good air circulation. To do this, make flooring from plywood or boards. The air temperature in this room should be at least 26°C, and the humidity below normal.

In this way, you can dry both oak and birch bath brooms. The fan-shaped shape allows you to cover a larger area of the body. It allows the branches to dry properly while maintaining elasticity. This broom produces a soft and elastic blow. They are good for massaging steamed skin.

To obtain a fan-shaped shape, several fresh bunches tied in pairs are placed in piles in 4 rows. Cover the top with cardboard and place pressure on the top row in the direction where the leaves are located. To do this, use a heavy board, clean dry stones, dumbbells, weights, and bricks.

The stack is rearranged every other day so that the lower brooms exchange places with the upper bunches. This work must be done constantly, waiting until the leaves and twigs dry, forming a flat shape. When rearranging the brooms, you need to lightly spray them with water. This will allow the leaves to undergo the fermentation process and maintain a stable connection with the branches.

Since it is not possible to dry birch or oak bath brooms on a horizontal surface until completely dry, they are dried on a vertical dryer.

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

Products from the most common breeds

Few newcomers to the bath business understand which broom is best for a bath:

The most popular are birch and oak;
Also, experienced bath attendants often prefer combined options, when shoots of different trees are collected in one product. For example, several eucalyptus shoots are added to a collection of oak branches.

Combined version of the sauna bundle

Which brooms are best for a bath is up to the steam room lover to decide. There are no clear rules here. Try different options and see for yourself which one you like best.

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.

Remember

Observe procurement deadlines. Carry out cutting of branches in early summer. After steaming, young shoots become elastic and soft, and the leaf holds tightly to them.
Dry according to the rules. Avoid high temperatures and exposure to UV rays. Due to these factors, the foliage turns brown, becomes fragile, and essential oils evaporate.
Store in optimal conditions . Dampness leads to irreversible consequences: mold appears and a putrid smell appears. High temperatures lead to fragility, evaporation of esters, and leaf fall.

It’s not difficult to prepare brooms yourself, the main thing is to dry and store them correctly. As a result, you will always have a useful attribute for visiting the bathhouse.

Video: how to prepare and dry a birch broom

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.

How to choose the right birch branches

Experienced bath attendants say that the collection of twigs for brooms should be carried out no later than mid-July. In this case, you need to look at the condition of the foliage - if the leaf is soft, covered with a delicate fluff, but its color is already rich green, it’s time to cut the branches.

Coarse foliage is no longer suitable for bath accessories; during drying, most of these leaves will fall off, and the remaining ones will painfully cut into the skin of the steamer.

You also need to be able to choose the right tree - preferably young birch trees that have not yet bloomed or are blooming for the first time. The side branches, which are closer to the ground, are cut off; they should not have earrings. There is no need to cut all the branches from one tree; there is no need to engage in vandalism.

Advice! Excellent branches for a broom can be found among the overgrowth on the stumps of felled birch trees. This method will also save young trees from depletion.

Trees growing in lowlands, preferably near a pond, are most suitable for bath attributes. The most flexible branches are those of the “weeping” birch; it grows on the banks of rivers, and you can recognize it by its long branches hanging down.

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.

Oak broom photo

The most beautiful bath broom is rightfully considered to be oak. Its carved leaves are shaped like beautiful paper cutouts, and the broom itself generally looks like a curly bouquet.

Oak leaves are amazing in that they remain in their original form for a long time. They are difficult to damage and oak harvests are often used several times.

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.

Useful properties of birch brooms

Each disease has its own properly selected broom. Women especially love birch; when steamed, the leaves of this tree become porous and are able to absorb sweat from hot skin, and along with it, remove toxins and dead cells.

After bath procedures with a birch accessory, the skin becomes surprisingly clean and elastic, pustules and wounds heal, and inflammation is relieved.

Advice! There is no need to pour out the water after steaming the birch broom - it is better to rinse your hair with it. The decoction will help get rid of skin itching and dandruff, make your hair silky and thick.

Birch is also the right choice for asthmatics and people suffering from other respiratory diseases. The essential oils released by the leaves will not only fill the steam room with a unique aroma, but will also relieve inflammation in the bronchi and lungs and ease difficulty breathing.

Birch leaves are very useful for heavy smokers. Their aroma helps remove tar from the lungs and reduces cough.

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.

How to make a comfortable handle?

The handle of the Russian broom needs to be carefully shaped; if there are any knots, they will need to be trimmed so that they do not put pressure on your steamed palm when you steam. Also, the handle needs to be made not only comfortable, it will also need to be cleared of leaves, and its base needs to be evenly trimmed. This is done so that the end of the handle can be used to tap the muscles and massage the body.

Such end tapping, kneading and patting on the muscles gives a wonderful and amazing sensation of a thorough and deep massage. The handle is made ten centimeters long and strong, so that the rods tied into a bundle can be used as a rolling pin, rolling and squeezing the deeply steamed muscles to pull them from the bottom up, then from the top down.

Our Russian ancestors only after such a procedure began to steam directly with the green part of the broom. As a rule, broom greens were made no larger than the size of a human head; To make it spherical in shape, it was formed by carefully selecting branches one after the other.

The ends of the branches from the outside should never be cut off, because they are softer and thinner, otherwise they will become prickly and can damage the steamed skin.

Well, buyers: if the broom you bought is tied with wire, then replace it with linen twine.

When to harvest oak brooms

In Russia, the most common type of oak is the English oak subspecies, which is divided into winter and summer. The flowering season for summer oak begins at the end of April, while winter oak blooms at the beginning of May, with a difference of about 2-3 weeks. But it’s worth noting that this is not the best time to collect brooms.

Oak branches should be filled with juices and gain full strength, for which they are so famous. If you use young branches that have just blossomed, they will be of no use. Oak leaves need to be collected in June after Trinity. Around mid-June, the woody cover of young branches has become stronger and bends well.

You can collect branches at the end of June if they are green and fresh. Basically, this period is suitable for northern types of oak. Collecting brooms in the fall is not recommended due to natural wilting. During this period, the process of nutrient metabolism slows down, the leaves become less durable, the crown becomes thinner and more fragile. Oak harvest is friendly with other trees and herbs. You can dilute its brutal aroma with willow branches, fragrant wormwood and other spicy herbs.

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 using 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.

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. Typical mistakes include:

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.