Birch brooms for a bath: details of preparation, storage and use

admin 08/17/2017 0 Comments

Bath accessories, Brooms

Birch brooms are the most popular bath accessories. They are distinguished by the flexibility of their branches, the velvety surface of their leaves and their fragrant aroma , which together give an aromatic and healing effect.

Birch brooms are the most common bath brooms because they have various beneficial properties. An incorrectly assembled preparation will lose all its healing qualities. The procurement procedure has its own characteristics and rules, compliance with which is mandatory.

The benefits of birch brooms for the body

Fragrant birch brooms have been used in steam rooms for centuries. They have distinctive features that make them a universal remedy for all diseases.

The bath is an effective procedure for cleansing and healing the body, and together with a birch broom it becomes a prevention of viral diseases, a means of cleansing and complex therapy.

They are soft in structure, have a pronounced aroma, hold up well when used and can be steamed more than once.

The benefits of birch brooms for the body are invaluable. They are not only used in cosmetology to cleanse pores and remove excess salts, but also have a strong medicinal effect . The porous structure of the sheets perfectly absorbs sweat.

The tree bark contains essential oils that have a cleansing effect: remove waste and toxins from the body, eliminate excess salts in joints and stimulate blood circulation. To preserve these properties, they must be properly prepared and steamed. They have a complex effect:

• Antimicrobial;
• Expectorant;
• Anti-inflammatory;
• Antiseptic;
• Wound healing;
• Cleansing.

When exposed to high temperatures, essential oils are released from the bark of the branches, which are especially valued in massage. They have a light texture, penetrate well deep into the skin and remove toxins, and also have a relaxing effect and remove excess salts. Oils intensively affect the surface of the skin, giving it elasticity and eliminating any inflammation and rashes.

Birch essential oils have a beneficial effect on hair. They are absorbed into the structure of the hair and scalp, giving hair strength, shine and thickness. It is not without reason that birch decoctions are often used in cosmetology, because the substances in their composition are perfectly absorbed by the body and penetrate the skin, improving blood circulation and nutrition.

Birch contains various beneficial substances, which are better revealed in the bath and have a more pronounced effect. Such substances include:

• Vitamins A, B, C, E, K, PP, etc.;
• Antioxidants;
• Balsamic oils;
• Fatty acid;
• Flavonoids;
• Organic acids;
• Tannins;
• Microelements, etc.

Important! Birch brooms are a universal anti-inflammatory, expectorant and antimicrobial agent, but all these properties are lost if they are not collected according to technology.

Useful properties of birch wood

• If you use this bath attribute correctly, you can cure aches in the body, muscles, and joints. Such health problems can be caused by severe stress on the body or rheumatism.

• The face is cleared of acne.

• A favorable aroma emanates from the heated branches, which is very useful for those who smoke or suffer from asthma. In this way, the bronchi are cleansed of harmful substances.

• The smell emanating from the leaves has a positive effect on the human body, thanks to such beneficial substances as essential oils and phytoncides. All this helps to overcome a sore throat or acute respiratory infection.

• After a body massage, metabolism and subcutaneous blood flow improve. In the first case, lymphatic drainage occurs, which destroys the “orange peel”, i.e. cellulite.

Properly prepared sauna attributes improve the general condition of the human body. He immediately feels that his mood is high, lightness throughout his body. and Especially, it is useful for older people. After steam baths, the body will remain in good shape for a long time.

photo from the website banya.ru

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.

"Competitors" of birch

Naturally, not only white-trunked tree is used as bath paraphernalia, but also other types of trees, for example, eucalyptus, oak or linden, and even nettle, although it is not a tree.

So, now let’s look at what advantages the above trees have:

• Oak - brooms made from it can be found much more often than birch ones. They will become an indispensable equipment in the bathhouse for people with very oily skin texture. Oak has a drying effect on the skin. It also successfully fights high blood pressure (hypertension). These brooms begin to be harvested closer to autumn, since the tree itself begins to bloom during this period.

Before choosing a particular oak tree, pay attention to whether burdock grows nearby. If not, then in the future the leaves of this tree will simply fall off when dried. This is of no use to you.

• Association with linden is balance, balance, calm. A linden broom relieves migraines and headaches, and helps well with VSD, as a result of which the first listed problems appear. It also has a positive effect on the body suffering from insomnia, quickly heals wounds, and helps to recover from colds.

• Eucalyptus tincture is a must-have for true connoisseurs of Russian baths. It is usually used to water the walls in the steam room. Eucalyptus serves as an antiseptic; it warms up the bronchi and can be inhaled for colds and pneumonia. A broom made from this plant speeds up recovery and fights bruises and skin inflammation.

When to cut brooms for a birch bath

According to traditional custom, the period of harvesting birch brooms for the bathhouse begins 2 weeks after the Holy Trinity , that is, in mid-June. But this rule is not entirely accurate, since due to the peculiarities of the weather in different regions, by the time the right moment arrived, the birch leaves did not have time to get stronger, but the buds were already forming.

June–July is considered a suitable time, but experienced bathhouse attendants claim that by the third week of July, birch leaves become hard.

Attention! Harvesting is carried out only in sunny weather. When collected, wet pinwheels will have an unpleasant odor.

The time for harvesting birch brooms begins at the beginning of June, maximum in the middle of June. When to collect brooms for a birch bath can be determined by the condition of the leaves.

For the preparation you need delicate, velvety, slightly downy leaves. If they become hard, it is too late to collect the broom. It will scratch and leave small cuts when used in a bathhouse.

If, on the contrary, you choose leaves that are too tender, they will fall off the branches during drying. And if the leaves don’t fall off, the broom itself will become slippery and unpleasant to the touch.

When can you start preparing

According to old traditions, the process of preparing attributes for a bath should take place on Trinity, most often this is the 50th day after Easter. Most likely this date will be in early or mid-June.

However, as for more precise dates, birch brooms must be harvested in the second and third decades of June, before catkins appear on the birch trees.

The time for preparing birch bundles of branches can be determined by the condition of the birch leaves. The upper side of the leaf should not be rough; the leaves should be very soft and velvety. In addition, it is important that the leaves stay firmly on the birch tree and do not fly off the branches.

Collection rules: key points

Traditionally, the collection is carried out from the so-called weeping birch. These are tall trees with strong and long branches. The most suitable are birch trees that have not bloomed; they have more elastic twigs and velvet leaves. Choose branches that grow in the shade; their leaves are more delicate.

Advice! Choose trees that stand in the shade, near bodies of water. Their branches and leaves are more juicy and tender.

Do not cut the entire bunch from one tree. Firstly, in this way you are harming it, and secondly, it will be impossible to use it for mating anymore, since its branches will become stiffer and its leaves coarser. How to make a bath broom from birch:

• Collect branches from different trees in the same area;
• Choose branches that are lowest to the surface of the pond;
• Do not cut branches where there are flowers, they will be tough;
• Branches should be straight, no longer than 60 cm;
• Cut branches in one motion without damaging the structure of the branch;
• Use sharp scissors and be careful not to damage the cut branches.

Before knitting a broom, you need to dry the branches a little in the shade.

Carefully! Do not use wire for garter, only thread, otherwise you will get scratched in the steam room. Do not tie the rods too tightly; they will not dry well.

​Rules for collecting birch twigs

Since this is most likely your first harvest, find out in advance where the nearest birch grove is located, so that then, choosing the right moment, go straight to harvesting.

The most suitable place is a shady lowland, where it is quite humid and at the same time not wet: near a river, lake or at least a large stream. Look for young weeping and curly birch trees - the best for making bath brooms.

It is best to cut branches with pruning shears: choose lateral, low-growing ones, those without earrings. It is advisable to be thinner and straighter, the optimal length is 50-60 cm. In addition, choose branches with forks at the rate of 2-3 pieces per broom; they will give it more strength, as has long been noted by folk craftsmen.

And be careful, don’t get too carried away in a barbaric way with just one tree—it also needs branches to live. Better a little, but from more trees.

How to dry properly so that the leaves do not fly off

Properly drying birch brooms should be in the shade in the open air. The brooms are hung by the base in the shade, on the veranda or in the garden, and dried in this position for 5-6 days.

Avoid exposure to the sun as it will dry out the leaves and cause them to curl.

When the leaves become brittle and breakable, it means that the broom is already dry and you need to immediately put it away for storage, otherwise the leaves will fall off.

Advice! Before drying, place the brooms under a press for several days, turning them over periodically, so that excess moisture will be released from the leaves and branches.

How to lay branches

The best quality birch twigs are placed at the base of the broom. The main burden will fall on them. You can say these branches are the base, the skeleton of the broom. When adding new branches, align them in height, shake them off, and press them more tightly to the rest of the added twigs. Scroll the collected branches in your hand.

To make the broom neat, even, and not have to cut it off with a knife or scissors, just lay the branches evenly. Correct the twigs, do not let individual branches stand out from the general mass.

Many bathhouse attendants trim off the unruly ends of birch branches; I don’t really like this method of tidying them up. Chopped branches can in no way compare with the most delicate thin birch tips of twigs.

Article on the topic: How to insulate the walls and ceiling in a bathhouse

Place the branches in one hand and hold them tightly. The future broom handle is in your hand; there should not be any birch leaves in it! At the stage of laying branches, the handle of the broom can be of different lengths and the branches can stick out in different directions. This problem is solved after you collect the fluffy king of the steam room.

How to store birch brooms for a bath?

A prerequisite for their storage is a dark, cool, well-ventilated room with optimal humidity. The ideal option is a haystack. They are placed inside with leaves so that the handles are on the outside and placed in a circle.

Also, an attic is suitable for this purpose, but it must be poorly lit. Can be stored in the dressing room. A glazed balcony is suitable as an alternative, but you should minimize sun exposure and place brooms in cardboard boxes

Advice! You can extend the shelf life of brooms by sprinkling salt on top of them.

It is better to store them by the handle, so as not to damage the structure of the broom. Separate each one from each other so that they are ventilated and do not “suffocate”. Be sure to avoid drafts, otherwise they may crumble.

Assembling a broom: what is important for a beginner to know

To collect a broom, you should follow some rules:

• The branches must have fully blossomed leaves.

• It’s better, of course, when a branch has a couple of branches.

• The ideal length would be branches of 40-55 cm.

• The thickness of the branch is about 0.4-0.6 cm.

• To make the broom convenient to take in your hand in the future, its diameter should be no more than 4.5-5 cm.

• Branches that have already been cut should be knitted immediately and then hung in a room where air circulates well.

• The dressing is done in several places, departing from the main part 4-5 cm and 10-11 cm.

• At the base, the branches are carefully cut off.

The ideal option for a matching broom is a combination of several trees: linden, birch, oak. And for a preventive effect, you can add nettle sprigs to the base of the broom.

If the broom is dried correctly, the leaves do not lose their color and do not tend to crumble in the future.

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.

Common Mistakes

Inexperienced bath attendants, when preparing brooms for a bath for the first time, often make mistakes. This happens due to a lack of experience, necessary knowledge and skills. It is possible to prevent such problems if you study other people’s common mistakes:

• The collection of birch branches is not carried out in a timely manner: too early or late. This subsequently reduces the quality of the finished products.
• Birch branches are cut on a rainy day or before noon, when the dew on the leaves has not yet dried.
• The process of knitting prepared raw materials is disrupted.
• The requirements for drying technology are not met: the bundles are exposed to the negative influence of the sun.

When preparing brooms for a bathhouse, only a few strictly comply with all the requirements. To prevent the mistakes described above, it is worth following all stages of the technological process and storing finished products correctly.

Important! After the first frost, harvesting plant materials (cutting birch branches) is strictly not recommended. In any case, it will only be a waste of time.

In order to avoid mistakes when drying birch brooms, it is important to familiarize yourself with common mistakes in advance Source sad9.ru

How to choose the right one when purchasing?

If it is not possible to make a broom yourself, then you can purchase a ready-made one. They are inexpensive and in terms of quality you can find an excellent option. To do this, you should know how to choose the right broom when purchasing:

• Turn the bunch leaves side down and shake a little. If a lot of leaves fall off, it means that the harvesting technology was violated.
• Touch the leaf; it should be dry, but not crumble in your hand.
• A well-made bundle should fit in your hand. The lower branches are specially trimmed to make it comfortable to hold.
• Smell the broom: the presence of a smell of dampness or mold is a sign of improper preparation and violation of storage conditions.

The bunch should be tight, but not too tight, so that the air can circulate and the leaves can ventilate.

Knitting tips

The handle is processed by wrapping the stripped part of the branches with twine. The entire area is rewound without knots and leaves, and at the end the remaining branches or material are carefully trimmed. Thus, you get a neat handle that will not lead to the formation of calluses in the process of whipping a bathhouse visitor. The optimal length is considered to be a handle of 15 centimeters, in which there is no winding under the very leaves, which allows you to make the broom more voluminous. It fits comfortably in the hand and does not slip out of the hand when clapping.

Many experts, when talking about how to prepare brooms for a bath, recommend adding mint stalks, thyme, chamomile or young shoots of black currant between the branches. This will give the product a wonderful aroma and enhance the healing effect of the procedures.

Sometimes, looking at a photo from a bathhouse, you can see that branches of coniferous trees have been added to the broom. It’s worth saying right away that they can only be placed inside, since the needles can damage the skin when whipped.

The weight of the broom is selected according to your own feelings, but, naturally, it should have such a mass that it is easy to hold during procedures.

How to properly steam a broom so that it lasts for several times

To feel all the benefits, you need to know how to steam a birch bath broom. A dry bundle can be steamed in two ways:

• Place the leaves in boiling water and leave for half an hour. During this time they should soften. If the rods leave marks when used, you still need to keep the bundle in boiling water.
• Place the leaves in cold water and wrap in a wet cloth. Then the bundle should be placed in a bag overnight. Before the steam room, you should place it in boiling water for a couple of minutes, and then you can use it.

Dry brooms need to be steamed well so that they do not leave marks on the skin, but at the same time, the main thing is not to over-expose them so that they do not become sour.

Advice! Do not throw away the water in which the broom was steamed. It can be used to rinse hair.

Storing brooms

The final stage of preparing a broom for bath procedures is proper storage. To store dried bundles, clean, cool and well-ventilated rooms are used - attic, barn, garage, pantry, balcony.

Careless or improper storage can lead to loss of product shape and falling leaves.

If many bundles are prepared, they can be placed in batches on a separate shelf. To prevent the leaves from stagnating, it is recommended to ventilate the bunches by swapping them: lift the lower ones up and lower the upper ones down.

If brooms are stored on the balcony, it is necessary to provide additional protection from sunlight, otherwise the leaves will turn yellow and quickly fall off.

How to steam fresh brooms?

There is no need to steam fresh birch brooms. Indeed, as soon as you have tied a broom, you can immediately use it in the bathhouse. It can be soaked in water at room temperature for 5-7 minutes, but under no circumstances in hot water. If you pour boiling water over a bunch, the fresh leaves will simply cook and fall off.

It is important to wet them a little, but not to let them gain too much moisture, which can also lead to shedding. Fresh preparations can leave painful marks on the skin, so you can hold it in a bath at a high temperature for a while so that the pores of the leaves open, and then immediately start using it.

Buy or make it yourself?

In fact, there is no difference if you trust the person from whom you buy the brooms and have no doubts about the origin of the birch twigs and their environmental friendliness. The easiest way, of course, is to buy a broom directly in the bathhouse, because any self-respecting establishment should have a selection of fresh bath accessories by default.

It’s another matter if you like non-standard solutions and want to give yourself one hundred percent to the bath culture: a birch broom prepared with your own hands, carefully knitted from painstakingly selected and prepared twigs is a reason to brag to your friends and, of course, it’s much more psychologically pleasant to take a steam bath with such a broom. Shall we talk about savings? No, let's just do something fun!

How to steam properly for health and pleasure

The process of using a birch broom differs from using bunches from other tree species. This is due to the tenderness of birch leaves and the elasticity of the branches.

You cannot whip the birch too hard, otherwise marks will appear. It should be used like a fan, which attracts heat. There are several recommendations to consider:

• The broom in the bathhouse should always be wet. Once it dries, it needs to be re-wetted in water.
• Touches should be superficial and soft. No harsh slaps. They can leave burns and wounds.
• You should barely touch the broom to the skin and try to avoid blows from branches.
• At temperatures above 60 degrees, you need to keep the broom wet at all times; if not in use, immediately put it in water.

To get all the benefits of birch, you should massage correctly. Using soft, light and painless blows, you need to work the entire surface of the body. If you feel discomfort, then you should not hit, but stroke it - the effect will be the same.

You can use bundles to collect warm air. To do this, lift it up and lower the air flow to the lumbar or back area. The broom should touch the body, at least a little. Otherwise, hot air will stagnate between the leaves and the body, causing burns.

Slight, but sharp, whip-like movements with the tip of the branches are very useful. The procedure should end with light stroking to soothe the steamed skin.

A useful contrast is when, after a hot steam room, the bath attendant takes a cool shower. Thus, blood circulation improves and the effect of using birch branches is enhanced.

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Features of the workpiece

Finding a beautiful tree, cutting the first branches you come across and tying them with ribbon into a broom is not enough to get a really high-quality tool that will remove excess from the body and saturate it with useful substances.
Making brooms is a whole science, the secrets of which are willingly shared by experienced bathhouse attendants who know everything about the bathing business.

What do our ancestors say?

The preparation of bath brooms for our ancestors had some sacred meaning. Attention was paid to every detail. In pursuit of personal benefits, Mother Nature was always grateful for providing food and shelter. Our ancestors sincerely believed that, having taken something from nature, we must thank it.

Here are a few signs and beliefs associated with the preparation of birch bath brooms:

You cannot cut branches from one tree - this will cause damage to it, which will lead to a number of diseases, and can also cause complete drying out. It is considered optimal to cut no more than 10-15 branches from one tree, the height of which is more than 2.5 m. Branches were not cut off from young seedlings a priori.

If a tree has two trunks from the root, then it is not suitable for making a broom - any anomalies were considered a sign of the tricks of evil spirits capable of penetrating branches and foliage. Our ancestors considered it unsafe to steam with such a broom, since the bathhouse was a place of cleansing not only of the body, but also of the soul.

A drying tree and fallen bark were also reasons why it was impossible to take raw materials for a future broom.

If there are bird nests on the tree, then the cut from them is also not taken. Excessive movements can disturb the birds, which will leave their nesting places.

Each time, when cutting a branch, it was customary to ask the tree for forgiveness, and then thank him for the benefits that would be brought to a person while using the broom.

Unity with nature allowed our ancestors to live long and happy lives, not knowing about the deadly diseases that we have to face now. Perhaps there is some higher meaning in this, so do not forget to be grateful to the trees that you have chosen for harvesting branches for a broom.

When, where and how to make a cut?

Our task is to choose the right time for cutting. The interval varies from active leaf development to the moment of bud ejection. It is best to prepare raw materials for Trinity or the week when this holiday falls.

You can assess the readiness of birch for harvesting in the following ways:

1. 
   Pluck a small branch and gently pull the leaf. Its break should be in the middle. If the leaf comes off at the point of attachment to the branch, then it is not yet mature and has not been properly saturated with useful substances. There is no point in harvesting such branches, since at the first steaming the foliage will remain in the bucket.

2. Take any sheet and rub the back of it over your face. The skin should be as soft and tender as possible. If there is coarsening, then this indicates preparation for the ejection of the kidney. Time is running out and it’s better to wait for the new season.
3. Rub the sheet in your hand. The aromatic juice should be actively released. If the leaf is very dry and practically does not release liquid, then this indicates that it is already old.

Naturally, these tips do not prohibit you from preparing raw materials for a broom in August, and some bathhouse attendants prefer brooms with buds, which give an incredible aroma in the steam room. A broom harvested at one or another stage of the growing season has various properties, but the peak of benefit occurs at the end of May - mid-June.

The best time of day for cutting is from 10 to 12 noon, when the dew has already evaporated from the surface of the leaf and the juice is still actively circulating.

The cut is performed as follows:

An even branch with abundant landscaping is selected. Its length must be at least 60 cm.

A cut is made using pruning shears. It is not recommended to break off branches, since at the break site an uneven edge is obtained, which will still have to be trimmed in the future.

It is better to take no more than 10 branches from one tree.

To form a full-fledged broom, you need to prepare at least 15-20 branches.

Pay attention to the appearance of the branches. The leaves should be a rich green color and the bark should be free of insect damage.

As for the location of birches, the best qualities are found in the weeping birch, which grows on the banks of reservoirs.
It has more benefits, it dries better, and when steaming it does not shed its leaves. If it is extremely difficult to find such a tree, then you can choose absolutely any birch tree in a forest area.

The main thing is not to cut a tree that grows in an industrial area and accumulates toxic substances. It is not recommended to harvest raw materials from trees whose height is less than 2.5 m.

How to form a broom correctly?

Experts identify 2 reasons why a broom loses its properties when steamed:

Firstly, birch does not dry well if the pieces are immediately tightly tied together. No matter how hot and dry it is outside, moisture always remains inside the broom, which, closer to autumn, will provoke the formation of fungus. When soaring, such a broom will thin out the unpleasant musty aroma, and the leaves will become covered with black specks.

Secondly, if you twist the broom right away, then when it dries completely, it will significantly lose volume, and when steamed, it will break up into separate branches. It will be extremely inconvenient to work with such a tool.

Based on this, bath attendants determine the key rules for forming a birch broom:

1. After cutting, the branches should be laid out under a canopy for 3-4 days so that the foliage loses some moisture.
2. At a distance of 30-40 cm from the edge, you need to remove all small twigs and leaves, leaving this area to form a handle.

3. When the raw material has dried, you can begin tying the broom. To do this, the prepared branches are stacked on top of each other so that they look inside the broom.
4. The formed broom is tightened with natural thread or twine, tightening the base for each turn.

5. The finished broom is inspected for the presence of knots in the handle. If there are any, they are cut off with a sharp knife.

The birch broom is hung with the handle up for further drying.

Arrange all branches lengthwise. Fold long ones to long ones and short ones to short ones. This way you can get perfect brooms without trimming.

Drying rules

If you prepare a broom before the end of June, it will be completely dry by mid-September. It is important not to overdry it, so drying should be done in a well-ventilated area, protected from sunlight and precipitation. The ideal option is to hang the broom by the handle under a canopy.

Drying is hampered by both the sun, which literally incinerates the leaf, evaporating all the moisture, and the rain, which will feed the broom, preventing the complete evaporation of moisture. Therefore, you need to take care of the place where the broom will spend the near future.

You cannot dry a broom in the attics of houses, although our ancestors stored their summer preparations there. It's not even a matter of possible dampness, but the fact that mice and rats will definitely run around the broom.

And no matter how much you would like to avoid this, their waste products may end up on the broom. Agree, steaming with such a broom in a bathhouse will not be particularly pleasant, and in some cases even dangerous.

Alternative options

Birch is an excellent solution for a bathhouse. It contains all the useful substances, valuable components and healing properties that are fully revealed in the steam room. If you are not a fan of birch brooms, then they can be replaced with bunches of other tree species. An excellent alternative to birch:

• Linden;
• Oak;
• Eucalyptus;
• Bamboo.

In their structure and properties, oak and linden are not inferior to birch. They also have a beneficial effect on the functioning of the body, improve the functionality of internal organs and help remove toxins, salts and waste.

Eucalyptus will fill the steam room with the delightful aroma of pine needles and enhance the inhalation properties of the bath. For the steam room, you can use any type of tree, the main thing is that during use they do not leave marks, burns or cause pain, because the bath should, first of all, bring pleasure.

An oak broom is a storehouse of useful properties. It has a healing effect, improves the effect of the bath and promotes cleansing and healing of the body. Properly collected and prepared brooms will bring many health benefits.

A bamboo broom is an excellent massager. Very often used in SPA procedures. Such types of massage as: Creole and Old Samurai are widely known.

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Choosing a place and tree for harvesting brooms

Long, strong, flexible branches of weeping birch have long been considered the best raw material for bath brooms. But it is recommended to pay attention to young trees that have never bloomed. They are valued for their very delicate leaf structure. Gardeners know very well that removing young root shoots is beneficial for the tree, and they use it to prepare brooms.

Weeping birch is ideal for preparing bath brooms

When cutting branches, it is advisable to choose a tree that is smooth and beautiful, without growths. The sick birch tree has weakened branches. The product made from them will turn out unsuccessful and will not be useful.

You should not collect wood from trees growing near roads or in contaminated areas. They will do more harm than good. It is best to go to a grove or forest to collect branches. The best option is birch trees growing near ponds.

A birch tree near a pond is best suited for harvesting a broom

Preparation of brooms from specialists begins with testing the bottom of the leaf “on the tongue.” The surface of a good, suitable sheet is velvety to the touch. Branches with rough leaves are not suitable for use. They make rough products.

What raw materials are suitable for a bath broom?

It is recommended to prepare brooms in dry and warm weather. Try to immediately get rid of the temptation to pick branches from the nearest stunted fishing line. Experts do not recommend using workpieces from the following areas:

• in the area of ​​power lines;
• near factories and factories;
• close to major highways and roads.

When cutting branches, pay attention to whether the leaves are securely attached to the base; they should not fall off from simple shaking. Choose branches without thorns, jagged edges, and those that do not drip resin.

Take care of the trees! Cut off the minimum number of branches required. Branches of young trees (up to 3 years old) are ideal for brooms - they bend well and are rich in life-giving force.

In general, there is usually no need to climb to the top of the tree for branches. However, suitable specimens usually grow closer to the ground. If we talk about birch, then the “highest class” are considered to be trees growing near water; they are usually called “weeping birch”.

You can check the “quality” of the future broom when cutting the branches. If the leaves are rough, then it is better not to take such branches. They should be smooth, soft and velvety. It is better to cut young shoots from the sides using pruners.

Do not put fresh branches in bags, sacks or bags - they may become caked and lose their elasticity. To transport home, it is better to carefully bandage future brooms and either put them in the car or carry them in your hands. Do not pull the branches tightly together; they will still need to be dried.