When to collect bath brooms. Prepare and tie birch brooms for a bath - how and when

A broom for a bath is an essential attribute when going to the steam room. Without it, wellness procedures will be inferior. The service life also depends on the harvesting, selection of raw materials, drying, storage conditions. No less attention should be paid to the question of how to knit brooms for a bath. We will try to understand all the nuances in the article.

Why do you need a broom in the bath?

Brooms have been used in the bath since ancient times, there are legends about their healing properties. What is this attribute used for?

People say: “To beat yourself with a broom means to expel an ailment from the body!” And this is a true statement. Whipping with such an attribute is a kind of massage of the whole body. In addition, improves metabolism, blood flow and circulation, sweating. A broom helps open pores, bring out dirt, toxins, bacteria, microbes. The leaves themselves, which contain phytoncides, are also useful. Getting on skin, they act on pathogens, as a result of which they die. BUT essential oils stop aging.

Brooms made from various types of wood and plants even help fight serious diseases. Before choosing the right attribute, you need to learn about its healing properties.

Can you use a broom in the sauna?

When we prepare brooms for a bath, a logical question arises as to whether they can be used in a sauna. In order to deal with this, it is enough to find out the conditions that are created in the steam rooms.

In the bath, as you know, relatively slight temperature, but at the same time quite high humidity. Using a broom, you can achieve those conditions that will be favorable for your body. With this attribute, you can increase the load on the body by creating even more humidity in the steam room, which will contribute to profuse sweating and the removal of toxins.

In a sauna, conditions are reversed: temperatures are high and the air is dry. At the same time, the body experiences huge loads, and the use of a broom will only increase them. FROM low level moisture to achieve profuse sweating is very difficult. The blood begins to circulate rapidly, the heart to work with frantic force. In this case, the use of a broom is contraindicated so that there is no heart attack or stroke.

Bath brooms and their preparation: choosing the best time

It is advisable to start harvesting raw materials for brooms the next day after the Trinity, and finish on Ilyin's day. It is believed that during this period the leaves are juicy, soft and tender. You need to collect branches only in dry, warm weather, in the morning, after the dew has gone. Trees are recommended to be selected only in ecologically clean areas. The crown should be dense, and the branches not very thick.

Experienced bath attendants believe that a tree may not be suitable for a person. To understand whether it is yours or not, you need to bring a piece of foil to the trunk - if it sticks, then the broom must be prepared from this raw material.

We knit a strong broom

"How to knit brooms for a bath?" - perhaps main question among those who like to take a good bath. This attribute should be light, not very thick and massive, so that it is easier for them to wield. Therefore, raw materials for work must be chosen carefully. After the required number of branches has been accumulated, you can proceed to the process itself.

Their lower part must be completely cleared of leaves and branches, if any. Leave about 6 centimeters for the handle, so that it is comfortable to hold, and tie with a thick piece of twine or twine. Before this, you need to carefully distribute the branches: thick ones should be in the middle, and thin ones - along the edges of the beam. The lower part should be leveled so that all the branches are the same length. To give them a round shape, you can chop off protruding leaves with an ax.

The finished broom must be placed under heavy oppression and left there for a day. After that, the leaves will have the same flat shape. Also, brooms can be laid out on the floor and turned over from one side to the other every day. This process will take an average of a week. The main rule is not to stack them on top of each other, otherwise the foliage will become damp and the process of decay will begin.

Will a simple rope work?

When wondering how to make brooms for a bath, a special role should be given to attribute binding:

First you need to tie a place near the foliage. Thus, we will fix the branches of the broom so that they do not fall out when whipped. Then it is necessary to tightly tie the broom, leaving small distances between the twine. You need to do this until the very end of the broom.

You can use twine or construction twine.

The distance for the handle should not exceed 6 centimeters, otherwise the broom will not be connected enough and will quickly fall apart.

Such simple tips will help to increase the service life of the attribute, and there will be no questions about how to knit bath brooms correctly so that they are strong and reliable.

How to properly dry a broom

When going to the steam room, we want the effect of the visit to be maximum. Not only the temperature regime and air humidity affect this process, but also the attributes. What they should be, consider below.

In order for the attribute for the steam room to serve for a long time, you should know how to dry bath brooms. It is imperative to adhere to the rules, only then the fragrant "tool" will retain its healing properties, while the leaves will be dense, strong and with a good saturated color.

The main rule - ready-made brooms should dry well, but not in direct sunlight! The best place for these procedures is the attic. It is worth pulling a thick rope that would withstand more than one broom (and they are quite heavy when raw). Bunches are hung on it, you can in pairs. It is necessary to try to ensure that there is a distance between the manufactured products, so they dry faster. Typically, this takes a week. After all that has been done, the brooms are stacked (on top of each other) and periodically swapped. The bottom ones go up and vice versa.

When wondering how to dry bath brooms, you need to know a few rules:

avoid direct sunlight;

dry only in a cool dry place;

do not put brooms on top of each other, there must be a distance.

If the bundles are poorly dried, mold will go, rotting of branches and foliage will begin.

Not every broom is equally useful. Choose the right option for you

There are many types of brooms, they differ in the raw materials from which they are made. Consider the most popular:

Russian bath, oak broom - what else do you need for happiness? The aroma and essential oils of the branches and leaves of this tree help reduce blood pressure, normalize the work nervous system. For owners of oily skin, oak resins will help to narrow the pores, while the foci of inflammation, if any, will heal twice as fast.

Are you suffering from sciatica? Fir and juniper will help in the fight against this disease. A broom from these plants relieves fatigue in the muscles, spine, and is used for neurological diseases.

What could be better than a Russian bath? The Slavs visit the bathhouse to cleanse the body, relieve morale and relax, and a bath broom is an integral attribute of the procedure. Of course, you can buy a broom in a public bath, but connoisseurs prefer to prepare birch, linden, oak or nettle brooms on their own. About when and in what terms the procurement is made bath brooms, we will tell in this article.

When are birch brooms for a bath harvested?

Preparation of brooms is made depending on the breed of the plant from which it is planned to make a bath accessory. Traditionally, harvesting begins on Trinity Day, the date of which is floating:

In 2015, it falls on May 31st.
In 2016, Trinity Day is celebrated on June 19.
In 2017, the holiday falls on June 4th.

The first 2 weeks after the Trinity, as folk wisdom says, are the most favorable for the procurement of raw materials. Leaves on trees and plants have accumulated juice and a high concentration of nutrients is concentrated in them.

Depending on the breed of the plant, the broom has a number of distinctive characteristics.

Linden bath broom and nettle broom: useful properties and terms of harvesting

Linden broom can be diluted with branches of alder, mountain ash or willow. Such a broom is harvested from the first days of July to the beginning of August, choosing trees that grow far from the industrial strip. Linden broom strengthens the skin, improves perspiration, and helps relieve headaches.

Nettle bath broom is truly healing. It is used to treat joint pain, breaking up salt deposits, skin diseases and muscle weakness. Nettles are harvested before or during flowering - this is approximately the middle of summer. Remember that a nettle broom can be used once, if you want to treat sciatica with it, then stock up on healing herbs during the season.

Advice! So that the nettle does not burn, a contrast bath is arranged for the broom, lowering it for 3 minutes in boiling water, then for 3 minutes in cold water, repeating these steps 2-3 times. To enhance the effect, the broom is steamed in boiling water and used immediately.

When oak brooms are harvested, and what they treat

Oak broom is a magical remedy for oily skin, reducing the number of rashes and reducing the intensity of skin secretions. Regular use oak broom in the bath will give the skin dullness and freshness.

Proper preparation allows you to use a broom from this breed 3 times. Harvesting of raw materials begins in mid-August, continuing until mid-September.

Advice! For a bath broom, trees are selected from oak, under which burdock grows. It is believed that the leaves will not crumble during use.

How and when to harvest birch brooms

For the harvesting of raw materials, birch trees growing on wet lowlands are selected. Preparations begin to be collected after the Trinity until August 2 (Ilyin's day). It is better to cut branches from a young birch that has not yet had time to bud. The branches should be young and flexible, and their length is about half a meter.

For 1 birch broom, about 20-30 branches leave, which are folded in the shape of a fan so that the leaves lie in one direction. At the base, the broom is tightly tied with a natural rope, remember that the branches will dry out and they must first be tightly fixed. It is best to tie the broom in two places.

Broom has restorative properties, relieves muscle pain after a long workout, heals wounds and soothes skin irritation. With the help of a birch broom, lung diseases are “knocked out”, which is especially useful for smokers.

Fans of bath procedures tie brooms as needed, and the collected raw materials are folded in layers so that upper branches defended the middle. Such a sheaf is laid in a barn or on a warm balcony, covered with hay or natural cloth. Direct knitting is done like this:

The branches are selected in length and stacked. Thicker branches are placed inside, thin ones frame the broom. Where there will be a handle, the branches are leveled, sharp branches are removed from them.
A cord is applied and the broom is pulled together.
Next, a knot is knitted, a handle is formed. The handle is made with twine, then the ends of the branches are additionally wrapped with a cloth that will protect the attendant's hands from calluses.

The size of the broom is a matter of taste, but it should not be less than 40 cm, and not more than 80 cm. Otherwise, it will be simply inconvenient to use the broom.

How to dry ready-made brooms?

Drying is done outside, but brooms are hung in the shade. Under direct sunlight, the leaves curl, wither, lose their color and aroma. After steaming the “overheated” broom, all the leaves from it will fall off, and empty vines will remain.

It is most preferable to hang brooms on the veranda or under the trees on a simple rope. Note that drafts also have a negative effect on the broom branches. After drying, the brooms are removed, folded tightly to each other and sent for storage. As a result, the broom is flattened and during the bath procedures one gets the feeling that he "hugging the body."

How to steam brooms for a bath correctly?

Steaming determines the stiffness of the broom, and it is carried out in well-hot water, but not in boiling water. To get stiffness, the broom is lowered into a basin of water for 15-20 minutes, and for lovers of soft brooms, it recommends steaming for 40-50 minutes. After this procedure, the broom is slightly dried by hanging it over the stove. Attendants also recommend keeping the broom in cold water for about 20 minutes, after which it is sharply immersed in hot water.

Important! The water in which the broom was steamed receives a part useful properties, so it is used for fragrant steam in the bath, rinsing hair and bathing.

If you dry the broom, then before using it, you should cover it overnight with a damp towel or dip it in a container with cool water.

Storage rules

Places with low humidity and temperature are chosen for storage. A barn, a garage, an insulated balcony will do, because under the pressure of high temperature, the broom loses its freshness and leaves.

It is also possible to store a broom according to Finnish technology, exposing it to shock freezing at a temperature above -40 C. Beforehand, brooms are packed in hermetic bags, for example, cling film.

The preparation of bath brooms must be started within the specified time, otherwise you will get a broom with too young or old leaves that will fall off the branch on the way to the bath. Properly prepared brooms will give a charge of vivacity and health until the next season!

Oak broom for a bath: video

Bath brooms: photo

Our ancestors, a couple of centuries ago, treated visiting a bathhouse as a sacred act, the roots of which go back to pre-Christian, pagan times.

And brooms - these obligatory participants in bathing procedures in those days played an extremely important role, since it was believed that the souls of ancestors live in the foliage of a birch sacred to the Slavs.

This is how they explained the magical properties of bath brooms - with their help they "expelled" the disease from the body, they were kept to give strength over the sick and dying, they were placed under the cradle to protect the baby from everything bad. In order to protect the house, birch brooms were hung at the entrance to the hut.

Today, the Russian bath is perceived only as a useful health-improving and hygienic event, but the attitude towards the bath and the bath broom among those who like to take a steam bath remains almost reverent. Choosing the “right” broom before visiting the bath remains almost a magical ritual, and making it is part of a big holiday.

And no wonder, because the most suitable time for this is two weeks after the Holy Trinity Day, which usually falls in the first half of June.

At this time, the leaf on the birches is gaining full size, it becomes fragrant, but still remains tender. In addition, during this period, insects have not yet begun to spoil the foliage. And after the earrings appear on the birches, birch leaf becomes completely “not the same”.

They prepare birch branches for brooms on a fine, clear day in the morning, after the dew has come down (a damp leaf will quickly curl up into a tube and fly around), but the heat has not yet come.

Branches for brooms are chosen young and fresh - the foliage on them is most fragrant. Branches 50-60 cm long are cut with a knife, secateurs or broken off. A few branches are taken from each birch so as not to damage the tree. In the old days, a birch broom was knitted strictly from 27 branches - 9 branches each from three different birches.

Do-it-yourself birch brooms

1. Immediately after the Trinity, we started thinning the site and removed a lot of birch trees, the fresh branches of which were used to make brooms.

2. One good broom takes from 20 to 30 branches, but no more: the broom should not be heavy when wet, otherwise the hand of the bather or attendant will quickly get tired.

3. Branches for each broom undergo preliminary preparation: highly branched branches are broken into separate thin whips. Then, on each branch, shoots and foliage are removed from the side of the lumps by 12-15 cm - for a comfortable handle.

4. Prepared twigs with cleaned lower parts are placed in a pile - a blank for the future broom.

5. If the side shoots deviate from the main stem at a large angle ...

6. ... they are twisted around the stem - this is the only way to get a dense compact birch broom.

7. During the final laying of the branches, it is necessary to ensure that they all lie with a bend in the same direction, so that the leaves with the matte side are turned inside the broom, and the shiny side is turned outward.

So the broom will turn out denser, and its leaves will not crumble at the first use in the steam room. The balls of a bath broom, bare from foliage, are tightly tied with a synthetic rope.

10 ... and carefully “cut” the broom itself, removing the shoots sticking out in different directions.

11. With our broom, even now you can go to the steam room! By the way, it is recommended to use the same broom in the steam room no more than three times.

Drying brooms

Brooms are dried in the shade in a ventilated place, direct sunlight does not fall on Judas (in the attic, under a canopy). If you dry the brooms in the sun, then the foliage will lose both color and aroma.

You can dry brooms by laying them out in the attic or hayloft. But at the same time, you need to turn them over daily - until completely dry.

You can store birch brooms by hanging them in a ventilated place or laying them out in layers also in a dry, well-ventilated place. In the latter case, the brooms are additionally crushed under their own weight and become denser.

In urban conditions, brooms are stored in paper bags.

12. Most often, ready-made bath brooms, connected in pairs, are dried in the shade in a well-ventilated place. Here you can also store them.

How to steam a broom

If the broom is fresh, they are steamed immediately, without steaming, otherwise it will become sour. Simply rinse it several times in warm water. A dry broom should first be dipped for 10-20 minutes in cold water, and then for 1-3 minutes in hot water.

A very dry broom needs to be steamed longer - pour hot water into the basin, lower the broom into it and close it with another basin on top. Steaming in boiling water or longer than half an hour should not be: the leaves of the broom will become very soft and quickly fly around.

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Recently it has become fashionable to take a Russian bath. This institution differs from the rest in the use of such a mandatory attribute as a broom. How and when to prepare brooms for a bath? What are they? These questions are often heard today.

A bath broom is a visiting card, and without it it is simply impossible to enjoy a Russian bath. Russian steam room with brooms saturates the body with health. In order for this to happen, it is important to properly prepare brooms for the steam room. This process seems simple, but there are actually some secrets.

Varieties of brooms

In order for the broom to be useful, it is impossible to collect any branches that come across for knitting. What brooms are prepared for a bath? The most common and useful are made from the following plants:

birch;
oak;
eucalyptus;
lindens;
juniper.

A little less often, brooms are used for a bath, the types of which are indicated below:

nettle;
sagebrush;
Rowan;
aspen;
bird cherry;
needles.

Very useful to add branches medicinal herbs such as St. John's wort, mint, lemon balm, chamomile, currant, raspberry. Such brooms are called combined and combine herbs and the main composition of oak, birch and linden branches.

When to prepare brooms for a bath

Since brooms are used not as an empty bath accessory, but for the benefit of the body, it is important to choose right time for the preparation of brooms. This time is the period when the buds, leaves and branches of trees are filled with useful substances. On the branches collected during this period, the leaves will hold tightly, this is important so that the broom can withstand several steam rooms. Brooms created at the right time will be strong and soft.

The best time of day for harvesting branches is the first half of the day, when the dew has already disappeared. The weather must be dry. If it rains on the planned day, the collection of raw materials should be postponed for a couple of days.

When collecting twigs, you need to check that they are strong, they should not have thorns and damage.

Since herbs are often added to a bath broom, it is also important to know when to prepare bath brooms from herbs or with the addition of their sprigs. Traditionally, the best time to collect grass material is when the grass is flowering. During this period, the leaves become tender, fragrant and soft, and the branches are already gaining strength. According to ancient Russian traditions, it is necessary to harvest raw materials for a bath broom on the 49th day after Easter, on Trinity. This falls around the middle of June.

Also, for branches that are made for a bath broom, environmental friendliness is important. In order for the broom to be saturated with healthy energy, you can not collect branches from trees growing near the road, located near industrial enterprises or located near high-voltage power lines.

How to prepare brooms

In order to do everything correctly, you need not only to know when to prepare brooms for a bath, but also to understand how to do it, following a few simple rules.

It is important to treat plants with care. It is not necessary to cut all the branches in a row, but only the side ones, and it is advisable to do this carefully with a pruner.
To create brooms, you need to collect branches of young plants that are about two to three years old. In such trees, the branches are elastic and bend perfectly.
Branches of weeping birch, which grows near the water, are very well suited for a bath. Its branches must be cut near the ground, they must be straight, flexible and long. The leaves should be chosen not rustling, but smooth.
It is impossible to transport cut branches in bags and other containers folded. For proper transportation, the raw materials are tied with a rope and transported without covering.
In the place where the brooms will be dried, they are untied so that they do not clog and remain loose. Then laid out for a period of about three days to dry. Indoors, brooms should not be exposed to direct sunlight.
Before making a broom for a bath, the branches are sorted out, sorted by length. If thorns come across and they plan to use them for special prickly brooms, such branches are folded inward.
From below, each branch is cleared of foliage for a third of the length so that after dressing they do not fall apart. So the broom will last longer.

Bath broom: birch

For a bath, it is often customary to use birch brooms. Why are they useful? Birch is considered a valuable raw material in traditional medicine. It has diuretic, diaphoretic and tonic properties, perfectly disinfects. It contains vitamin C, essential oils, provitamin A, tannins and flavonoids. Such components give birch such qualities as anticonvulsant, choleretic, expectorant.

How to make a broom for a bath from birch branches? Birch is found almost everywhere, so it is absolutely not difficult to collect the raw materials of this tree. Also birch branches- a favorite material for the regulars of the Russian steam room because of the small leaves that slide very nicely over the body. In order for the birch broom to keep its shape better and not be too flexible, several oak branches are added to it.

During the use of birch brooms in the bath, breathing is greatly facilitated, since small birch leaves clean the bronchial mesh well. Also, birch bath brooms help when muscles and joints hurt, and also relieve skin inflammations, such as abscesses or insect bites.

The benefits of oak broom

Oak is considered the most popular and traditional raw material for brooms; brooms are made of strong and durable brooms. Oak is also good because its branches are heavy and the foliage is wide, which makes it possible to get more steam in the steam room.

Oak bath brooms have astringent, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties, useful for people who have skin problems such as eczema or hives.

Oak branches also help those who have increased sweating of the hands and feet, as well as high blood pressure. True, in this case, it is necessary to consult a doctor before taking a bath.

Oak branches are poorly saturated with sweat, so they are always dry. The foliage keeps well on the branch, does not fly around. The tannins contained in the composition of oak branches cleanse the skin well, they are great for those people who have oily skin. It is believed that oak the best brooms for a bath.

Linden brooms for a bath

Linden broom is considered a classic Russian bath broom. Linden - very useful plant and has many healing properties, treats diseases respiratory tract, chronic cough, sore throat, has tonic and soothing properties. Also, thanks to the linden, the skin is cleansed of acne and rashes.

In folk medicine, a composition of linden decoction, honey and tea is used to remove freckles. Linden is also used to strengthen weak hair, in order to whiten the skin and remove freckles. Also, lime infusions are used by the people to treat headaches, vegetovascular dystonia, to cleanse the kidneys and heal wounds.

When linden brooms for a bath are steamed, a rich smell of apiary, fresh honey and propolis is established in the bath.

Useful eucalyptus

For the preparation of raw materials for eucalyptus bath brooms, bushy varieties of this plant are used. Everyone knows the healing properties of eucalyptus, it helps very well with diseases of the respiratory tract, joints, has wound healing and analgesic properties.

Eucalyptus gives a unique aroma when steamed, which also manifests itself medicinal properties this plant. Thus, under the influence of eucalyptus steam, a kind of inhalation occurs.

Necessarily included in the attendant's set is a tincture of pharmacy eucalyptus. It is intended for the preparation of a solution that is poured over the walls in the steam room. This choice is not random. Eucalyptus is a powerful antiseptic that has a beneficial effect when warming up the bronchi.

juniper broom

In order to make a juniper broom, you need to collect branches from this shrub. Juniper is a very useful plant. It contains resins, which, standing out in the steam room, can have a good effect on the human condition.

To form a juniper broom, you need to take branches of several shrubs, since if you collect everything from one bush, the plant can be damaged.

Juniper branches are used not only to knit uniform brooms for a bath, the types of these products can combine juniper and oak or birch branches.

Juniper brooms should be steamed with boiling water for half an hour before use, only after that they become usable for bathing purposes. Fir or juniper brooms fill the bath with a healing fresh aroma that strengthens the immune system, gives strength, helps to treat radiculitis, back diseases and rheumatism.

nettle broom

Nettle brooms are also very often used in wellness and medicinal purposes. Properly prepared, they do not burn the skin. The time for collection is chosen when the nettle is still young. Nettle brooms tone the skin well, relieve muscle pain, help with radiculitis, aching joints.

In order for the broom not to bite, it is dipped several times alternately in cold water, then in boiling water, after which it is ready for use. Due to the fact that nettle contains formic acid in its composition, a broom from this plant makes an excellent massage, cleanses the skin, making it supple.

How to dry and knit brooms

In order to get a good bath accessory, it is necessary to properly dry and save the branches. Before putting the branches for drying, you need to examine everything well and sort it out: bad branches, with thorns, those that are very lignified or very thin, are rejected. You need to leave only young, flexible, well-leafed branches that are approximately the same length - from 40 to 70 cm. The branches are tied very loosely and hung on ropes for up to a week to dry.

Before knitting brooms for a bath, you need to look at the prepared and dried branches again. Cut off the leaves at the bottom of the branch so that the distance to the foliage is equal to two palm widths.

The branches are folded in such a way that the thick and large ones are in the middle of the bundle, and the thin ones should be located around. You need to fan them out. In order to correctly determine the diameter of the broom handle, you need to focus on the length of the palm, usually this parameter is five centimeters.

When the branches are folded and the broom is formed, it can be tied. It must be remembered that this procedure cannot be done with a metal wire, since in the steam room it will become hot and can burn your hands. Therefore, dense natural twine or hemp rope is used for brooms. These are durable materials that will help the broom last longer.

Knowing how to knit brooms for a bath, it is absolutely easy to perform this operation: you need to tie up the branches collected in a bundle twice: the first knot is performed at the place where the leg ends, and the second - at a distance of about 4 cm from the bottom of the broom.

How to store bath accessory

After the brooms are tied, their proper storage is important. You can do this in different ways.

In a dry dressing room or pantry, brooms are stacked one on top of the other. Over time, they shrink and acquire the desired fan shape.
You can store brooms in attics, after laying hay under them. The main thing is that the storage place is ventilated and dry.
If the products are stored in the city, then they should be on the balcony or in another ventilated, non-cold place that is not accessible to moisture. During storage, the brooms need to be shifted, moving the raw brooms from the bottom up, and those that have dried well on top will lie below.

Properly stored brooms have green-looking foliage and a pleasant smell. In the event that the leaves have lost their fresh color, this means that the drying process was carried out incorrectly, and the product is considered damaged.

Bath: how to steam a broom

Prepared fresh broom can be used immediately by soaking it in warm water for a few minutes to warm it up. A fresh broom should not be lowered into boiling water, as this will boil it, and the leaves will stick to the skin, burning it.

When using dried brooms, they must be steamed in water, the temperature of which reaches 70 ° C. First, the broom is dipped in hot water for a minute, and then placed on hot stones for five minutes. This will bring a double effect: in addition to filling the steam room with a healing herbal aroma, the broom will become soft and suitable for use. If as a result of these actions the broom remains not soft enough, the procedure can be repeated.

To enhance the effect, you can do this: even at the stage of preparation for going to the bath, a dry broom is covered cold water, and then doused with hot, then the procedure is repeated. After that, the broom is wrapped with plastic wrap, where it will be stored, absorbing moisture until it is used in the bath.

Experts highlight next dates preparation of brooms: approximately from the 15th of June until about mid-July (after Peter's Day, i.e. after July 10), you can already safely prepare birch accessories for the bath. By this time, the birch is already fading, the earrings are falling, and this is an ideal condition for cutting the stems. The leaves are filled with beneficial nutrients and natural essential oils.

But there is such a thing as an individual climate of the area, when in each region of Russia birch sheds catkins at different times. For example, in one area the birch tree has already shed its catkins, and in another it has not even blossomed. The task of a person who plans to knit birch brooms is to track all these moments, choose the optimal period and, in compliance with all the rules, prepare brooms for a bath.

TOP 10 tips on how and when to prepare birch brooms for a bath?

Give preference to twigs growing at the bottom of the tree crown. These are the youngest and most elastic stems.

The best option for a tree is a young birch that has never bloomed. The leaves of this tree are soft, smooth and silky.

The average length of birch branches is about 50 cm.

The place where the trees grow plays a role. Those that grow near roads and industrial areas are not suitable. It is better to look for a suitable birch in a forest thicket or in a grove, and it is even better if the tree grows near a lake or river.

Check the texture of the leaves. They should be silky and with a barely perceptible roughness.

When to collect birch brooms for a bath? Cutting down stems are needed when the weather is dry. The fact is that wet leaves, when dried, change their color, twist into a tube, and then fly around.

Branches for brooms are torn strictly in the first half of the day, approximately until 9 am.

For cutting branches, a classic “weeping birch” is chosen - a tall tree with elastic, long, unbreakable and falling branches.

Take good care of the tree. Ideally, when only extra branches are broken. Thus, you thin out the birch.
June and July birch is good because the leaves already have enough juice, they contain useful material in high concentration.

In proven bath complexes, attendants work with properly prepared birch brooms. In our catalog of baths in St. Petersburg, you can choose a suitable institution in order to personally see such an ideal broom, and evaluate the quality of massage with an impeccable bath accessory.

5 simple steps to properly tie a broom from birch branches

« We reach the handle". Before the weaving procedure, the stems should be cleaned of leaves and small knots by about 15 cm in order to properly prepare future "handle".
We form a dense middle. Thicker and more resilient stems are laid as a basis, which will become a reliable “backbone” for the future bath accessory.
Creating volume. Around the base we lay out thin branches with bends inward. It is easy to check whether you have laid the stems correctly - the leaves should “look” at you with their glossy side.
We tie the “bath fan” with a textile rope, but not with wire. Experts insist on tying the stems with a string in order to avoid injuries and burns during broom massage. The ends of the branches can be additionally wrapped with braid, which protects the attendant's hands from chafing.
Drying the branches. Related brooms hung on a pole or rope. Note! The stems should not be under direct ultraviolet rays (the sun will provoke overheating and twisting of the leaves) - it is better to hang them in the zone of active air circulation (in a draft).

The best place for drying is a veranda or area in the natural shade provided by the trees. After drying, finished bath accessories are stored for storage.

After tying, evaluate the weight of the broom, hold it in your hand, perform a few strokes. It should not be too heavy, even if the stems and leaves dry out. On average, about twenty stems go to one broom from a birch.

Rulesdrying and perfect storage of birch broom

Classic drying. Brooms are hung on a rope in a row and dried for two or three weeks.

Dryin Finnish. The Finns offer their own technology of "shock freezing". According to this technique, the accessory is packed in a sealed transparent film and then frozen at a temperature of −40 °C. To defrost, it is enough to dip the broom in warm water already in the steam room and hold it a little over the stones.

Technique "broom in the hayloft". Old Russian method of drying brooms in a haystack. Birch brooms are stacked on a stack in a circle, while alternating with a layer of hay. With this technology, the broom retains its shape and acquires an even more intense aroma.

The best place to store a finished birch broom is an area with a positive temperature (up to -15 ° C) and low humidity. High temperatures and the lack of air circulation will cause the broom to lose its freshness or simply “suffocate”. To get it right keep brooms, choose a place on the balcony, veranda, in a ventilated garage, shed, on the attic floor of a private house.

If the broom has become very flat during storage, do not worry. When steamed, it will restore its volume. And he will definitely take his ideal form in order to “hug the body” of the bath guest.

Experts share their secrets. Answers to questions about the preparation of birch brooms

Does the color of the leaves on the stems that are planned to be cut play a role? ?

Yes, he is playing! If the leaf has a light green tint, it is too early to cut the branches. If the leaves have already gained a rich green tint, the stems are ready to be cut. Branches with yellow leaves are not suitable for bath brooms.

How to taste the readiness of birch branches for cutting?

Experienced bath attendants who make blanks do just that. If the leaf has a sweetish aftertaste, it is too early to cut the branches. And, if there is bitterness in the taste, this is what you need!

How many times will a well-tied and properly prepared broom last?

With this accessory, you can safely bathe two or three times. An impeccable birch broom, as if "playing" in the hands of the attendant. Using them is an incredible pleasure, the broom does not slip out of your hands, and most importantly, it brings maximum benefit to a person.

Is it possible to "mix" birch stems with other plants?

Not only possible, but necessary! When preparing brooms, experts advise putting branches of aromatic herbs inside: mint, yarrow, lavender, chamomile stems, currant twigs, thyme. The healing mix will create a great atmosphere in the steam room, and most importantly, it will provide a healthy massage.

How to understand that the broom is prepared according to the rules?

The leaves of the finished bath accessory have a rich green color, and the broom itself has an amazing aroma (something similar to balsamic oil), fluffy, voluminous. After steaming, the aroma will be even more intense.

We are sure that our advice will help you prepare the best birch brooms and get real pleasure from using them!