How to steam an oak broom for a bath

A bathhouse is a leisurely, gradual and consistent affair. Everything must have its own order. The oak broom is the real ruler of the bathhouse empire and it requires special treatment. It is necessary to steam an oak broom for a bath in advance.

Oak broom differs from birch broom in greater strength and density of leaves. A properly steamed broom in a steam room practically does not fall off.

A dense and wide oak leaf captures and brings more bath heat to the body. This broom warms the body well and softens the skin.

However, in order for the beneficial properties of the broom to reveal themselves in full force, you need to know the subtleties of steaming. An improperly soaked broom will lose its leaves, quickly break and scratch the skin.

An overly steamed broom will also not bring pleasure. The branches become limp, the foliage becomes heavy, it heats up very quickly and steaming with it is unpleasant and dangerous. Boiling water drips from the hot leaves onto the body, the leaves stick to the skin and burn very strongly.

To avoid such troubles in the steam room, you need to steam and soak the broom according to the rules.

The second method of soaking an oak broom

This method is suitable for overdried (burnt out) brooms. You need to prepare such bath accessories in advance. Before going to the bathhouse, soak the broom in cold water 16-20 hours before going to the bathhouse.

Over such a long period of time, the foliage of the broom will be saturated with the power of water and will look like fresh. Then remove the broom from the basin, do not shake off the water, but make a kind of bouquet, place the cuttings in the water.

In this position, the cuttings will also become saturated with water and become strong and elastic.

These brooms no longer require additional soaking in hot water.

Such different bath brooms: types, properties, steaming features

There is no doubt that a birch bath broom is considered traditional. But bath brooms made of oak or eucalyptus are also considered no less popular. Let's take a closer look at what they are like and what beneficial properties they are famous for.

As a rule, there are the following types of bath brooms:

Birch is the most popular type of bath broom. It is characterized by good flexibility and strength, ease of use and durability. Thanks to the rough surface of the leaves, a tight fit to the body is ensured and the possibility of burns is eliminated as much as possible. Preparation of branches for it should be carried out at the beginning of summer, in the first - second half of June. You can steam a birch broom using any of the following methods (more details: “How to properly steam a birch broom for a bath - proven methods”);
oak - also very often used in the steam room. Due to its wide leaves, it is ideal for creating intense steam. Branches for a broom should be prepared in August - September, always before the first frost (read: “When to prepare bath brooms and how to knit them, how to do it correctly”). It is preferable to choose an oak tree that does not shed its leaves for the winter. Recommendations on how to properly steam an oak broom for a bath are also listed below;
eucalyptus - has a number of useful properties, so it is often used in the steam room. It is better to harvest branches for a broom from twig-shaped eucalyptus in the last months of autumn, because at this time the concentration of nutrients in the plant reaches its maximum. However, due to the thin branches, which are not very convenient to use, it is better to combine it with birch or oak brooms. In this case, recommendations on how to steam an oak or birch broom in a bath will be relevant;
coniferous - as a rule, assembled from fir branches, but if there is none, a broom made from spruce branches will have similar properties. The use of juniper is also possible, but only for those who can normally tolerate the excessive “prickliness” and its pungency. Preparation of branches for such brooms can be done at any time of the year. However, it is important to know that due to their strong rigidity, even steamed according to all the rules, pine brooms are not suitable for people with sensitive skin;
maple - the least popular of all used, but no less effective and useful. In order for the branches to retain their flexibility, they should be harvested in late August - early September, choosing a young tree with large, wide leaves. The algorithm for steaming a maple broom is the same as for birch and oak brooms;
nettle - unlike other types, it is designed for one-time use only. And also, you should not start the bath massage procedure with it. It is necessary to warm up properly, and only then move on to such a very specific product. In this case, you do not need to make sudden movements, but just barely touch the skin. Nettles should be harvested for a broom in May - June and dried in the shade. The basic rules for steaming a nettle broom are listed below;
wormwood - not often used, but also very useful. Due to its very specific aroma, it may not appeal to everyone. Therefore, a couple of sprigs of wormwood added to the main bath broom will be enough. For harvesting, as a rule, choose a plant that has already bloomed, with strong, but not very dry stems. They should be dried and stored in a cool, dark place. The steaming rules are the same as for nettle brooms.

The third method of steaming an oak broom

I call this method “quickly”. If you are planning to go to the bathhouse spontaneously, you can steam a dry broom in 10 minutes. Boil a kettle and pour boiling water over a broom in a basin or other container. Be sure to cover the bowl with something to prevent steam from escaping.

While you are collecting your bath accessories and getting dressed, your broom will steam and be ready for the bath ritual.

Prepare a sleigh in the summer or when and how oak brooms are prepared for a bathhouse

In order for the hike to really bring you benefit and pleasure, you need to learn about several rules. Of course, you can find oak bath brooms on the shelves of specialized stores, but to be sure that it is collected at the right time and connected in the right way, it is important to do it yourself.

If you are an avid amateur, then preparing oak brooms for a bathhouse at the right time will not be difficult for you. But if you are a beginner, then it is important to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances of this matter. Let's start by collecting branches.

When to prepare and collect oak brooms for a bath?

Season

To make an excellent accessory for an experienced hairdresser, you need to go for it in the summer in mid-June. But if you have the strength to endure, then it is best to wait until July, then the broom will be simply excellent. The thing is that the leaves are still strong and full of vitality; at the end of August, if the summer was debilitatingly hot, they begin to dry out and even fall off. But not all areas of our vast Motherland have the same climatic conditions, so the timing and duration of the raw material collection season may shift. The main thing is that the branches are juicy and the leaves adhere tightly to them. But still, the time to prepare oak brooms for a bathhouse does not last long, so you need to have time to find a nice day.

Weather

We choose a day for a hike in the forest. The smart decision would be to go in the first half of the day, but when the dew has already disappeared. The weather should be dry and clear; if it is cloudy or even raining, then it is better to postpone the trip.

Photo from the site https://ic.pics.livejournal.com

Process of collecting raw materials

It may surprise some, but in order to cut suitable branches, it is important to carefully select the tree. Never collect sprouts that are already broken. The twigs should be flexible, and the leaves on them should be large. This will make subsequent knitting easier.

It is important to remember that you are not a barbarian and do not want to cause damage to nature, so you need to work with pruners carefully, cutting off the side branches and not injuring the young oak tree. Take some branches from different trees, don't leave them completely bare. Hold the tool at an angle so that the cut is oblique. The length of the twigs should be about 50 cm.

It is better to choose an oak tree growing in the shady part of the oak forest. A good sign indicating that you have come to the right tree is burdock. Also good are those plants that do not shed their leaves in the cold season; there is a chance to make a very durable broom from them.

Photo from the site https://elit-ss.ru

How to store a broom after use?

Since the broom can be used repeatedly, after bathing procedures it is important to properly prepare it for subsequent storage.

To do this you need:

Rinse the broom in cool water to remove soap and scum.
Shake the product to shake off excess liquid.
Carefully straighten the branches of the product.
Hang the broom in a warm, dry room with good ventilation

Under no circumstances should you dry a broom in a steam room or near a stove. Firstly, a dried out broom can catch fire from the heat of the stove. Secondly, this way it loses all its beneficial properties. Never store wet brooms!

An oak broom can be an excellent helper in a steam room. It has a beneficial effect on the body, strengthens the immune system and calms the nervous system.

Oak broom - benefits and disease prevention

Since time immemorial, it has been considered a symbol of longevity, good health and endurance. An oak broom (photo of the product is attached) thickens the epidermis, so it benefits people suffering from eczema, scrofula, various skin rashes and profuse sweating. In addition, it eliminates ulcers, all kinds of inflammation, acne and itchy skin. Helps lower blood pressure, calms the nervous system and prevents varicose veins.

Tags: bathhouse, broom, oak, steam, correctly

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Oak - how much there is in this word

Among the ancient Slavs, oak was revered as a sacred tree and was dedicated to the head of the pagan pantheon, the god of thunder and lightning - Perun. A powerful crown, dense wood, and a deep root system very often provoke the fact that a spreading tall tree simply attracts thunderstorms, and if so, if Perun loves it, then people are simply obliged to honor it. Often Slavic settlements in forested areas were located on the edges of vast oak groves. The light energy of this tree provided the spiritual needs of the family, and the wood met the material needs. Still would! She is good in the hearth, and in construction, and in carpentry, and even in crafts. And today, in the age of high-tech polymers, oak provides a lot of humanity’s needs in a wide variety of areas:

Oak construction and semi-precious timber is very expensive, but at the same time, a favorite position for carpenters and joiners. Dense solid wood, beautiful texture, developed texture make the wood of this tree in demand at all stages of construction: from laying the main crowns of the bath house to finishing the dressing room with blocks. As for bog oak, not every craftsman can drive a nail into its face - its surface is so strong and unyielding, its characteristic blue-black color;
Oak acorns are a favorite delicacy of pigs and, oddly enough, gourmets. Yes, some connoisseurs prefer a drink made from acorns even to real coffee, rather than barley or chicory coffee;
Oak bark is a source of tannins. And if earlier this feature was used by tanners, now it is mainly used by pharmacists. Oak bark is very effective in stopping bleeding in the oral cavity, strengthening the gums, and the walls of blood vessels as well;
A strong decoction of oak bark can nobly color wood of less valuable species, giving it exquisite charm and depth of visual perception, and ink nuts provide raw materials for the preparation of universal dyes that will color everything: from paper to fabrics;
In the southern regions of the country, cork oak is feeling more and more confident. Its developed subcortical layer is an indispensable natural raw material for wine and cognac bottles;
Finally, oak leaves are a very valuable additive when preserving cucumbers. Knowledgeable housewives claim that the presence of oak leaf in the seasoning gives greens hardness, elasticity, and vigor. A truly crisp cucumber can only be achieved with an oak seed at the bottom of the jar.

What is the value of oak in a bathhouse?

Procurement: timing and features

You can cut oak shoots as raw materials for brooms from the second half of June until mid-August. It is at this time that the maximum amount of useful substances is concentrated in the plant, and the leaf blade itself, together with the petiole, is able to resist maximum loads.

A word from Experienced! The most widespread species in our latitudes is pedunculate oak. Harvesting of shoots must be carried out in dry, clear weather, immediately after the dew has disappeared, in the first half of the day. Preference should be given to young, even branches with maximum stem flexibility. Such characteristics of raw materials can be provided by trees that grow on moist, but not swampy soil. The oak companions here are buckthorn, euonymus, lungwort and European hoofweed. The most valuable shoots are produced by the everlasting oak tree. The foliage on such a tree remains on the branches in winter and is gradually destroyed. It is these leaf blades that are most resistant to mechanical stress, which is fundamentally important for a broom.

Cut shoots are sorted, discarded and placed for drying in a shaded, well-ventilated place. 7 - 8 days is enough to lose excess moisture. After this, you can form the broom as such. At the same time, generally accepted rules are followed: thick shoots are used as the base, thinner ones at the edges, the handle is shaped for a comfortable individual grip, a diameter of 5 cm is sufficient in most cases. If you are sure that the preliminary drying was carried out efficiently, then the broom can be purposefully shaped into a fan, loading it evenly over the entire plane with a small weight. The broom ripens and is stored in a dark, dry room.

Which broom is better to choose

Preparing for a bath is an art. Any tree or plant has medicinal properties.

Products for the steam room are prepared:

From birch branches.
Duba.
Linden trees.
Eucalyptus.
And even from nettles.

Most modern medicines and medications contain extracts from plants and herbs. Unfortunately, during the preparation of the drug, some of the beneficial properties of the “forest pharmacy” are lost.

A broom is an effective loss compensator. During the massage, in a short period of time and along the shortest path, it transports into the body all the beneficial substances that nature is so rich in.

It is important to choose the right bath accessory, because the effect it will have on the body depends on it.

Each of the brooms is good and has a number of advantages:

Birch.

This variety can most often be found in the baths of our country. However, how many have wondered why this happens? It turns out that birch provides a deep and at the same time gentle cleansing effect on the skin. Helps remove salts and toxins from the body.

It has flexibility and elasticity, the leaves absorb sweat well. The roughness ensures that the product does not slip off when it comes into contact with the body. In addition, birch buds contain a huge amount of vitamins and essential oils.

Which is an indispensable medicine for convulsions, difficult expectoration and has a good diuretic and choleretic effect.

After such a steam bath session, breathing becomes easier and freer, since a high-quality massage fully cleanses the bronchial network.

It is especially recommended to visit the bathhouse for people suffering from asthma and those who cannot live without a cigarette. Because this procedure helps to expand the small bronchi.

Oak.

It acts on the skin completely differently than its birch counterpart:

Firstly, it thickens the skin rather than softening it.
Secondly, it prevents sweating, while birch twigs enhance it.

Oak branches are rich in useful substances, the only difference being that it has the best effect on ailments such as hypertension and depression.

Oak bark and leaves are the richest sources of essential oils and tannins. Thanks to this, massage with such a product helps make the skin matte, firm and elastic to the touch.

It is ideal for people with oily skin types and for those who want to get rid of cellulite.

A massage with oak twigs lifts your spirits well and increases the vitality of the body, since the enzymes contained in oak are a good sedative for the nervous system.

Photo from the site we build with our own hands.rf

The steamed oak bouquet releases a pleasant, specific aroma. If you need to lower blood pressure, it is simply irreplaceable.

Lime.

It was once called the royal plant. Because linden leaves are very delicate, and the linden itself is light.

Linden is popularly considered to be a tree of peace and balance. Linden infusions are a common folk remedy used to relieve headaches.

Linden enzymes give good results when it is necessary to prevent and treat vegetative-vascular dystonia, which precisely contributes to the exacerbation of migraines and insomnia.

Products made from this wood are well used:

To cleanse the kidneys.
Wound healing.

And, of course, those who have succumbed to colds can appreciate linden with dignity - steamed linden saturates the air with a beneficial aroma, which, when it enters the upper respiratory tract of a person, contributes to their rapid recovery. It fights well against fever and improves the functioning of the nervous system.

Eucalyptus.

A bath with it is recommended for muscle inflammation and joint pain. To restore the upper respiratory tract and saturate the skin with essential oils that help combat the consequences:

Bruises.
Sprains.
Inflammation of muscle tissue.

To do this, water the heater and the walls of the steam room with eucalyptus tincture. A healing “cocktail” of cool steam and eucalyptus is created indoors, which will replace a bunch of pills and drugs. Eucalyptus will only enhance the healing effect of the process.

With its help you can quickly cope with colds. To do this, you need to do inhalations, moisten the leaves, pressing them to your face and actively breathe through your nose.

Collection from nettle shoots.

Everyone knows that nettle has the ability to “burn” the skin. Therefore, not many people choose nettles.

In order to fully experience all the “delights” of extreme sports, the product is not further processed; the only thing they do is immerse it in boiling water for a short time.

Photo from banyaspec.com

What made the oak tree famous?

The oak tree is a powerful plant among its species, growing in Russia. There are beliefs that if you come into contact with an oak tree under any circumstances in life, a person will be able to receive the power of the tree. The body will have the potential for further life and work.

For this reason, this tree was often planted in Rus' and people turned to them for help, asking for health. Today, many people live in high-rise buildings, so it is not possible to grow their own oak, so people decided to use bonsai. This art makes it possible to grow a small copy of a tree, in a mini form.

Young leaves of the tree along with twigs are used for medicinal purposes.

Almost everyone who likes to steam and leads a healthy lifestyle should know how to steam an oak broom correctly. Many people prefer to use an oak broom and do so for good reason; it has a wonderful effect on the body and spirit of a person.

Methods for storing oak bath brooms

You can store a broom in two ways: dry or frozen.

Freezing an oak broom

Freezing allows you to use a fresh broom at any time of the year.
At the same time, the product retains a maximum of nutrients and the pronounced aroma of fresh oak leaves. However, for this it is necessary to properly freeze the raw materials. To avoid mistakes, follow these rules:

Only fresh branches that have been stored in a cut state for no longer than a day are suitable for freezing.
The prepared raw materials must be well dried and clean.
For greater safety, the broom can be wrapped in cling film. Make sure that the broom lying in the freezer is not pressed by other products.

In this way, the workpiece can be stored for a very long time. However, it is best to use a broom in the first 6-8 months.

Important! You need to defrost the broom on the day of visiting the bathhouse. This cannot be done in advance.

To defrost, take out the workpiece, remove the film (if there was any) and place the broom on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator. In winter, you can take the product to the balcony or put it in any other cool room. Make sure that the broom is not exposed to sudden temperature changes.

Interesting! Oak is the most suitable option for freezing, as it has fairly dense and durable leaves. However, it is best to steam a thawed broom over steam rather than in boiling water.

How to store dry brooms?

To ensure that the broom retains its properties, remember a few simple rules:

It is best to store brooms in a suspended state.
For storage you need to choose a dark, dry, well-ventilated room.
Make sure that the workpieces are not exposed to water or sunlight.

You can store dry raw materials in the dressing room or attic. Don't be afraid that the broom will freeze in winter. Dried products are not afraid of sub-zero temperatures.

Where to store brooms in an apartment?

If you don’t have your own house, barn, or veranda, but like to steam with brooms, you can find a place to store them in a city apartment.

The most convenient and practical way is to store it in a cardboard box. You won’t be able to store a large number of brooms at home like this, but 30 pieces is quite possible.

For ventilation, small holes are made in the walls of the box. Well-dried brooms are straightened and placed tightly on top of each other in a box. You can lay regular newspapers as a layer between the rows.

The box of brooms should be stored in a dry place, but there is one caveat.

In a dry, hot room, the brooms can dry out and the leaves turn into dust. If there is excess moisture, the brooms will become moldy and rot.

Completely dried brooms can be stored at home not only in a cardboard box. They can be placed in large bags (regular checkered trunks).

You can store boxes and bags with brooms in the pantry or on the balcony. But on the mezzanine is not the best storage option; the brooms can dry out, because it’s always warm at the top.

If your household has an old wooden cabinet that has not been used for its intended purpose for a long time, it can also be used as a storage place for brooms.

Recently, freezing brooms in the freezer has become popular. For your own needs, of course, you cannot freeze a large number of brooms in your home freezer. But, as an experiment, you can freeze a few things.

We adopted this innovation from our northern neighbors - the Finns. A large number of brooms will require a separate freezer, so this storage method is more suitable for commercial purposes.