What are brooms for sweeping the yard made of? What types of bath brooms are there? What is a bath broom for?

Cleanliness is the key to health, and order is above all. This is exactly the phrase that was spoken by the heroes of an old, but still relevant, Soviet cartoon. Various things help us keep our house clean. modern means- vacuum cleaners, rags made from the latest fabrics, unique chemical compositions... But in everyone’s home there is one more item that helps keep the floor clean - this is an ordinary broom. Now it is somewhat different from its “ancestors” in the manufacturing technique and materials used. What are brooms for sweeping the floor made of?

Vacuum cleaners appeared in human everyday life relatively recently, with the beginning of the development of technological progress, but it was the broom that was and remains to this day the very assistant that makes it easy to keep the floor clean.

A traditional broom is a bunch of branches or twigs, used for cleaning apartments and houses, and sometimes adjacent areas. Although the device for sweeping streets is usually called a broom, it is still the closest relative of an ordinary broom. Previously, these bundles of twigs were also used for cleaning wardrobe items, spraying flowers or linen - the broom was simply dipped in water, and housewives fanned with it what needed to be moistened.

Typically, twigs of bushes or stems are used to make a broom. herbaceous plants up to 50 cm long. They are attached to a short or long cutting using special strands, twine, soft branches of trees and shrubs or wire.

On a note! From Old Church Slavonic, Czech and Slovenian languages, broom is translated as “bun”. This is reported in the etymological dictionary of M. Vasmer.

Now a broom can be made from both natural and synthetic materials. Previously, their creation was carried out by people called brooms. There are currently large-scale industrial production– brooms from conveyors go on sale, have become mass products, and their production has certain standards regulated by the document OST 56-31-91.

OST 56-31-91. Sorghum brooms. Technical conditions. Downloadable file (click the link to open the PDF in a new window).

On the territory of Russia, the broom also had cultural significance. Residents believed that a brownie lived in the “crown” of the broom, and in general this object was associated with evil spirits. However, at the same time, it was also considered a talisman for the home, a person’s wealth, and was used for fortune telling.

On a note! The broom is still important in some regions. And in the village of Semeno-Alexandrovka, Voronezh region, residents create not simple devices for cleaning the floor, but are real works of art, distinguished by their special beauty. The individual rods are tied here using willow twigs.

Nowadays, a broom is considered a common household tool used for cleaning the floor. It is ideal for cleaning the base from large particles of debris that can clog the vacuum cleaner and cause it to fail. As a rule, a broom is used at one of the stages of major cleaning - first they walk across the floor with it, then they pick up a vacuum cleaner, then comes the final stage of cleaning - washing the floor with a rag.

A good broom should be durable and neat in appearance. Use long time It is not recommended - it is usually thrown away about 10-12 months after purchase. The fact is that if it is made from natural raw materials, the branches dry out and begin to crumble over time. Thus, during cleaning, the broom itself produces more garbage than it is useful.

What are floor brooms made of?

Throughout its centuries-old history, the broom has remained virtually unchanged in appearance - only the materials from which it is made have changed. You can make this cleaning device out of almost anything. Basically, brooms are made from stems and branches of bushes and herbs, and twigs. Most often they are created from special plant– sorghum, but we’ll talk about it a little lower.

To create brooms, the stems of a plant such as chiliga or wild acacia can be used. It has quite strong and flexible shoots. But such a broom is not suitable for cleaning the house because of its density and roughness.

Brooms are also knitted from common wolfberry, a shrub popularly called wolfberry" By the way, this is the plant that produces the popular goji berries. But a soft broom can be made from St. John's wort, wormwood, and oregano. If you sweep the floor with such a product, the house will smell fragrant, and moths and other insects will not appear. Spiders could be expelled from a home by sweeping it with a broom made of reed stems. In villages they still use brooms made from nettles and linden branches.

The Slavs often used millet stems to create brooms. But now such products have practically sunk into oblivion - they have been replaced by softer brooms made from broom sorghum.

What is a house broom made of?

Natural raw materials have always been in price. It is environmentally friendly and does not pose a health hazard. That is why natural brooms made from broom sorghum are still used. It is also sometimes called economic.

Sorghum is an annual plant native to hot Africa. However, now it grows in India, America, Europe, Asian countries and Russia. This plant is drought-resistant, is not afraid of lack of moisture, is generally unpretentious in care, and loves warmth. Sorghum has a strong stem that is excellent for broom production.

To make brooms, only mature branches of this plant are used - a kind of panicles. In a temperate climate, they still do not have time to grow, so most of the brooms, one might say, come from the south. The highest quality products are obtained from stems that end their life and dry out on the root. Also, the best raw materials have reddish panicles and red or brown grains. Some growers even leave them on the branches to prove the quality of their product.

On a note! Not only brooms are made from sorghum. The plant is excellent for making paper, starch, and silage. In terms of nutritional properties, it is no worse than corn.

From a business perspective, sorghum is a profitable investment. It grows well, and from 1 hectare of land you can get up to 4 thousand brooms. However, this plant is very fond of pests, which adversely affects the harvest as a whole. Sorghum can ripen to the desired state already cut, which is used by broom producers in the northern regions.

What are brooms for sweeping made of nowadays? Cleaning brushes

Brooms will never go out of use due to the fact that there is a certain number floor coverings that require careful treatment. These are laminate, parquet, some types of tiles (for example, vinyl), etc. In no case should they be cleaned using brute force. And a broom comes in handy here.

Nowadays brooms are also made from polymers. They may have an antistatic brush, a long one plastic handle. They are convenient to work with, and such brooms are also good at collecting dirt from the floor covering. Synthetic products can be used to clean any surfaces, they do not scratch anything, do not generate dust (to avoid the dusting effect when cleaning with a regular broom, you have to wet it), they allow you to reach hard-to-reach places and sweep them well.

Synthetic brooms are used for cleaning both residential premises and local areas. They are purchased by enterprises for cleaning production areas. Their main advantage is durability compared to conventional brooms and lack of fragility.

Most often, synthetic brooms are called brushes - they just look exactly like brushes, bearing little resemblance to a standard and familiar broom. They are usually made of PVC. Their cost is greatly influenced by the quality of the raw materials, the length of the handle and bristles of the brush itself, strength and manufacturer brand.

By the way, in modern artificial brooms the length of the sweeping part (broom) has become much shorter than in their predecessor - the traditional broom. But the handle has become longer and can have a variety of configurations. These brooms are lightweight and easy to clean/storage; they can be treated and disinfected with various chemical compounds.

Table. Types of brushes.

A broom is a simple tool, but requires preparation

A newly purchased broom needs preparation before it can be used to clean the floor. And it is important to prepare it correctly so that it serves well and for as long as possible. There are no exact instructions for pre-processing a broom, but many use those that grandmothers and mothers shared with them.

A new broom can be filled with boiling water, preferably with the addition of a small amount of salt (at the rate of about 1 teaspoon per 1 liter of water). Although some use only 2 tsp. for a 10-liter bucket - this does not make the procedure any worse. Leave the broom in a bucket of water until the liquid cools completely (at least 3 hours). Next, it is dried (preferably in a pressed state).

Advice! For ease of use, the broom whisk can be trimmed - cut it at a slight angle. Then it will be easier to process hard to reach places and corners.

You also need to properly care for the broom so that it lasts as long as possible and does not deteriorate.

1. It is not recommended to store this cleaning tool in an upright position. The best option– place the broom on a horizontal surface after use. On extreme case The broom is placed in a corner with the sweeping part up.
2. Before using, it is better to soak the broom in a hot salt solution each time.

How to knit brooms

Making a broom is not as simple as it seems at first glance. First of all, ripened sorghum is cut and sent for drying. It is usually done in a dry room where there is good air circulation. The drying time of the material is about 10 days. Next, the sorghum stems are cleared of leaves and excess seeds are removed - this is done with a special comb.

Raw materials are sorted by size - length and thickness of the stems. On average, their consumption to create one broom is 20-35 pieces. The length should be about 85 cm. The width of the panicle is 25-40 cm.

The stems of the plant are tightly pulled together using metal and rubber rings and fastened with special pins. Twine, nylon, wire, and willow branches can also be used. Finished brooms are sent from production for sale.

Making a broom with your own hands

You can grow your own broom on your own personal plot. It is enough to buy sorghum seeds, and by autumn you will have the necessary raw materials. Let's get acquainted with the technology of creating a broom at home.

Step 1. To make a broom with your own hands, sorghum stalks are grown in your garden plot. Seeds are planted in the spring.

Step 2. In the fall, when sorghum ripens, its stems are cut off. It is easy to recognize the moment of pruning sorghum - the leaves of the plant begin to turn yellow, and the seeds acquire a reddish color.

Step 3. Large leaves from the sorghum stems are removed - a small panicle remains, which is hung upside down in a dry, ventilated room from the ceiling for proper drying. The drying period is about 10-30 days, but it is better to leave sorghum until spring.

Step 4. Next, the seeds are removed from the sorghum stems - otherwise they will all end up in the room during cleaning. A regular metal bucket will help you cope with the seeds. A sorghum sprig is pushed into the bucket with a broom so that the metal handle of the bucket then rests on its stem. This way the handle is pressed against the bucket and the sorghum is between them. The stem stretches outward, and the seeds all remain in the bucket thanks to the bucket and handle.

Step 5. It's time to form a broom. First, a flat working surface panicles. To do this, all sorghum stems are placed neatly on flat surface. In this case, small branches should be inside the broom, large and powerful stems should be placed outside.

Step 6. To make a broom, you need a rope about 2 m long, which is suspended from some kind of support. A wooden lever is tied to its lower part.

Step 7 A bunch of sorghum is taken, a place is selected where the first knot will be located, and then a loop of suspended rope is made around this place. The rope is fixed by pressing the foot on the lever. The rope is stretched and makes it possible to pull the broom as tightly as possible, which at this time rotates half a turn.

Step 8 After this, a nylon thread is taken and passed through the middle of the sorghum bundle. At the location of the rope, the thread is wrapped around the future broom. The ends of the thread are tied after winding. After tying, the ends are passed through the middle of the bun again and pulled up. Excess threads are cut off.

Step 10 Excess stems are cut off with a sharp knife.

Step 11 Next, the broom needs to be stitched. The following device is useful, created from two slats connected to each other by a piece of rubber. One of the strips has two holes, and the other has two bolts. The broom is placed between two slats and tightened with bolts. The panicle straightens out well.

Step 12 The stitching will be done according to the principle of sewing shoes - with two threads and an awl.

Step 13 The broom is pierced with an awl and the thread laid at the bottom of the broom is picked up by it and pulled up. The top thread is pulled into the resulting loop. The lower thread is tightened.

Step 14 The entire broom panicle is stitched in the same way in the selected place. The threads are tied at the end. You can knit a couple of rows for reliability. The ends of the thread are hidden inside the broom.

Step 15 Using the same principle, the place on the panicle located below the retaining slats is also stitched. The broom is ready.

Video – Knitting a broom from sorghum

It’s up to you to decide what will be easier and cheaper – buy a ready-made broom or knit it yourself. But if you make a broom with your own hands and decorate it beautifully, it can become a rather unusual and interesting gift for new residents or good, zealous owners.

A bath broom is a thing without which a Russian bathhouse simply loses its entire basic meaning. Since time immemorial, our ancestors have used this simple massage device. It would seem that the brooms are all the same - only they differ in hardness. But no! Broom to broom - discord. I hope this article will help you choose the best option.

Birch broom.

Most often in the bathhouse they use a broom made from young birch branches. And indeed - their healing properties have been known to our ancestors since ancient times. The most important feature of birch brooms is that in conditions high humidity they cause dilation of the bronchi, which helps remove sputum and various harmful deposits from them. Birch leaves contain large amounts of essential oils, vitamins C and A. This broom perfectly relieves pain in muscles and joints after injuries or physical exertion, cleanses skin prone to rashes and pustules well (the skin will acquire elasticity, smoothness and a pleasant color), accelerates the healing of wounds and abrasions, and calms the nervous system , accelerates the production of endorphins (hormones of joy). An infusion of birch leaves has a beneficial effect on the scalp, strengthens hair, and eliminates dandruff.

Oak broom.

A fairly popular type of broom among middle-aged and elderly people. First of all, because the aromatic substances contained in oak leaves prevent the increase in blood pressure. Also, an oak broom can be recommended for people with oily skin - after a bath it will acquire a matte tint. This broom has a strong anti-inflammatory and calming effect, especially good after a hard day at work. Oak decoction is used as a medicine for various types skin diseases, especially with excessive sweating of the feet.

Linden broom.

Its properties are very similar to birch. It provides an excellent analgesic effect, especially relieves headache. This broom is unique in that it has a gentle effect on the kidneys and sweat glands, which provides a diuretic effect and increased sweating. A linden broom is simply irreplaceable for colds - it works as an antipyretic and removes all phlegm from the lungs. Alder broom has similar, but poorer properties.

Coniferous broom (spruce, cedar, fir, juniper).

Very common in Siberia, in the taiga. Brooms from these trees have truly wonderful properties. The resinous substances contained in them gently irritate the skin and stimulate the secretion of sweat. When using needle branches in the body, blood circulation increases not only in all muscles, but also in internal organs. Therefore broom them coniferous species can be used to strengthen the cardiovascular system, as well as as a kind of massage, for lower back pain, rheumatism, neuralgia, radiculitis. Phytoncides perfectly disinfect the air in the bathhouse and prevent the spread of respiratory diseases. Fir, cedar, and spruce branches release the most beneficial balsamic substances. They are usually used in the evening for excellent and deep sleep. Before the procedures, the pine broom must be kept in boiling water for 10 minutes to achieve softness and steam. And yet, it is important to remember that such brooms are not prepared for future use, but are used freshly cut.

Nettle broom.

This broom occupies a special niche. It has a powerful local irritating, distracting and anti-inflammatory effect. This broom is incredibly useful after hard physical work. It relieves pain in joints and muscles like a hand. With regular and gentle use, it perfectly reduces blood pressure and relieves stress on the nervous system. This plant contains incredible amounts of protein, vitamin C and iron. Nettle broom is an excellent remedy for the treatment of rheumatism, radiculitis, kidney disease, gout, acne, and furunculosis. Dip such a broom into hot water for just a few seconds. Steam only after warming up the body, using light strokes.

Eucalyptus broom.

Typically not used during steaming. It is best to put it on a shelf so that the pleasant smell spreads throughout the steam room. If a person suffers from a runny nose or cough, then you can apply eucalyptus branches to your face and breathe in them for 4-5 minutes.

Rowan broom.

Enormously enhances arousal processes nervous system. After using this broom, fatigue goes away for the whole day. The muscles acquire excellent tone and performance improves. This broom is best used in the morning, when there is still a lot of work to do. A tansy broom has similar properties.

In addition to these types of trees and shrubs, branches from maple, cherry, ash, walnut, elm and, oddly enough, wormwood are perfect for making a broom. Some amateurs prefer combined brooms, when branches of birch or oak are laid as the base, and branches of other trees are added to the sides; each person must determine for himself what is best for him to use. Now look carefully at the features of all the brooms, and do not allow plants near you in the bathhouse, the properties of which can harm you or cause allergies!

Now you can easily choose your broom. Enjoy your steam bath!

Bath for modern man- one of the most accessible and quick ways restoration of strength. In the bathhouse you can truly relax and strengthen your immune system. Have you noticed that it’s easier to breathe in a steam room, and that bath procedures improve your mood, relieve emotional stress, tone, and strengthen the body? The bathhouse has a complex effect on a person, which includes body massage with a hot broom, aromatherapy, natural cleansing of the skin, and normalization of blood flow to internal organs.

What is a bath broom for?

There are different approaches to visiting a bathhouse. Some drink herbal tea, some water, some douse themselves cold water from the tub, and someone dives into the font. But all bathhouse attendants will equally advise you to take a good broom with you to the bathhouse. Buy brooms for a bath, or prepare them yourself - it’s up to you, but choosing one is a serious science. The entire healing process can be jeopardized if it is chosen and prepared incorrectly.

Properties

The physical effect of a broom improves blood circulation, normalizes blood pressure, relaxes muscles, and has an anti-cellulite and lymphatic drainage effect. Its correct use tones the skin, normalizes sweating, and relieves painful sensations for joint diseases. Essential oils and tannins, evaporating from its surface, activate the respiratory system, have a bronchodilator effect, and promote the discharge of sputum. It is important to know how the leaves of plants and trees affect the body, what diseases they help with:

1. The essential oils contained in birch leaves help cleanse the bronchi and facilitate the removal of mucus. Birch buds have a diuretic and choleretic effect. Birch leaves are rich in ascorbic acid.
2. Linden leaves help relieve nervous tension, cope with fatigue, strengthen the nervous system, help cope with colds, sleep disorders, and migraines.
3. Tannins contained in oak bark have a beneficial effect on the condition of the skin, help normalize blood pressure in hypertension, improve the emotional state, and have a calming effect.
4. Due to the antiseptic properties of essential oil, eucalyptus broom helps cleanse the lungs and bronchi, helps cure a runny nose, relieves a sore throat, and is indispensable for colds.
5. Alder – cleanses skin from toxins, improves skin condition, helps cope with excessive sweating, promotes mucus discharge during colds, relieves pain from rheumatism, gout, arthritis and arthrosis.
6. Rowan - tones and gives strength, relieves fatigue. It is better to steam with such a broom in the morning, it increases efficiency.
7. Nettle – helps lower blood pressure, has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin (for inflammation, acne), and for gout. It also relieves pain from rheumatism, radiculitis, and muscle strain.
8. The aroma of spruce has a beneficial effect on the nervous system, and its touch is especially pleasant for radiculitis, rheumatism, arthritis, diseases of the joints and spine. Spruce oil helps relieve coughs.
9. A broom made from juniper spruce branches is used to prevent respiratory diseases, bronchitis, tracheitis, and tuberculosis. It activates the functioning of the kidneys, liver, biliary tract, improves skin condition, improves general state body with osteochondrosis.
10. Maple – has antibacterial and wound-healing properties.
11. Bamboo – intensively affects the skin, stimulates blood circulation, improves blood flow to internal organs, and promotes muscle relaxation.

Types of brooms for baths

Brooms differ not only in composition, but also in the way they are used. The most common option is fanned. You can steam yourself like this, it’s wide and flat. A working version is used by a bathhouse attendant when he is hovering another person. For ease of use, it has a special loop on the handle. Bath masters use brooms different sizes, depending on the goals, massage technology. They often cover their heads with it, inhale its aroma or sit on it.

From the branches

A birch broom is used when entering the steam room for the first time. Essential oils, ascorbic acid, carotene, resins prepare the skin for further bath procedures, open pores, improve sweating:

• Oak bath whisks normalize the functioning of the sebaceous glands, make the skin more elastic, and help normalize blood pressure in case of hypertension\.
• Currant and cherry fruits are good for people with chronic diseases, joint pain, are a good anti-inflammatory agent.
• Linden - good help in the fight against chronic, seasonal colds, for the prevention of disorders of the nervous system, disorders of the gallbladder, kidneys. Linden leaves help relieve nervous tension, cope with fatigue and migraines.
• Alder - has a beneficial effect on the skin, smoothes out fine wrinkles, and tones. They cleanse the skin of toxins, improve skin condition, help cope with excessive sweating, promote the removal of sputum during colds, and relieve rheumatic pain.
• An aspen bath broom has antiseptic properties and is good for colds. Aspen dulls the pain of rheumatism, improves the emotional background, and helps get rid of anxiety and anxiety.
• The maple bath broom has antibacterial, wound-healing, anti-inflammatory properties, and is a good tonic.
• Eucalyptus is indispensable for colds. Due to the antiseptic properties of the essential oil contained in the branches and leaves, it helps cleanse the lungs and bronchi, helps cure a runny nose, and relieves sore throat.
• A spruce broom for a bath has a beneficial effect on the nervous system; the touch of such a broom is especially pleasant for radiculitis, rheumatism, arthritis, diseases of the joints and spine. Spruce oil helps relieve coughs.
• Juniper spruce branches are used to prevent respiratory diseases, bronchitis, tracheitis, and tuberculosis. It activates the functioning of the kidneys, liver, biliary tract, improves skin condition, osteochondrosis.

From herbs

Herbal whisks are used for massage and aromatization of steam rooms. The bactericidal properties of wormwood, sage, and chamomile are well known. Mint has a sedative effect. Often, herbal brooms are hung on the walls of a steam room or sauna. The choice of herbs should be approached very carefully - among the bathhouse visitors there may be allergy sufferers, whose negative reaction to odors will be greatly amplified by the increased temperature of the steam room.

Combined brooms

It’s nice to use a combined broom - it can be made from tree branches with the addition of aromatic herbs. This bouquet of health combines physical effects, aromatherapy, and acts as an inhaler. Linden broom goes well with branches of alder, rowan, and willow. It will tone, strengthen the skin, and stimulate sweating. With brooms of currant and cherry branches, summer peeps into the steam room, even if there is snow outside the window. The branches are flexible, they pleasantly massage the skin, stimulate sweating, and the leaves nourish the skin useful substances.

Preparing brooms for a bath

The tree from which the accessory will be prepared must grow in an environmentally friendly place - away from the road or power lines. You need to carefully look to see if there are any lesions on the bark or leaves of the tree. Branches from the middle part of the crown are suitable for assembly young tree. They should be flexible and slightly curved. It is best to cut the lower branches from several trees rather than strip one. This will make it easier for the tree to recover. Branches need to be harvested in dry, warm weather.

Deadlines

The most best time for harvesting - early July. The leaves of the trees have already become stronger, but are still fresh, rich in healing substances:

• Birch brooms for the bathhouse were traditionally prepared after Trinity - in mid-July.
• Linden - harvested from the beginning of July to the end of August.
• Oak – can be harvested from mid-August to mid-September.
• A nettle broom is prepared during the flowering period of the plant - in mid-summer.

How to prepare and knit brooms

To an inexperienced person, it will seem that making a broom for a steam room is a simple matter. But you should know a few rules. They must be knitted in a certain sequence:

• The branches must be carefully sorted, laid horizontally, and aligned in length. Thin branches should be on the outside, and thicker ones should be on the inside. The length of the branches on the handle can be trimmed with pruning shears.
• A string is placed on the handle, which tightens the branches.
• The handle can be tied with string or wrapped in cloth to protect your hands when using it.
• The optimal broom size is from 40 to 80 cm.

Drying

You only need to dry brooms made from branches of deciduous trees and shrubs. Coniferous brooms from spruce and juniper are used freshly cut. The rules for drying them are as follows:

• It is best to dry under a canopy on the street or on the veranda;
• ultraviolet rays should not touch the leaves, they may curl or fall off, and in a closed, poorly ventilated area they are at risk of mold;
• drafts are also not good for them, and drying is a very painstaking task;
• the finished ones are removed and folded close to each other, while they are flattened, and when you meet them in the bathhouse, you get the feeling that they are “hugging” you.

How to steam with a broom in a bathhouse

Steaming is a special art. It requires compliance with certain rules:

1. Before entering the steam room, it is recommended to stand in the shower, gradually increasing the temperature.
2. It is important to keep your hair dry. You need to put a special cap on your head - it will protect your hair from high temperatures.
3. The first visit is no more than 5 minutes, it is better to first place yourself on the bottom shelf. Then you can go to the shower, wash off the sweat and toxins from the surface of the skin, and only then sit and relax in the dressing room. In the second and third passes, you can spray the hot stones with hot water.
4. When there is a lot of steam, you can use a broom. First, you lie on your stomach and are patted with a broom from bottom to top - from your feet to your shoulders. Movements should be light.
5. The second, third, subsequent visits should not last more than 10 minutes. Be sure to take breaks between visits to the steam room.
6. It is better to start such a break with a shower, then you can sit and drink herbal tea to restore the supply of fluid that you lost through sweat.
7. It is very important not to go outside right away; you need to wait until the body dries, breathing stabilizes, and the temperature returns to normal.

Preparation

Proper steaming affects the stiffness of the broom and the sensation of its touch on the body. A dry broom needs to be rinsed warm water, then pour boiling water over it and wrap it in cloth for 10 minutes. Another option for steaming is to hold it in cold water about 20 minutes and then immerse in hot water. Steaming for too long will result in all the beneficial properties being washed out of it.

For flexibility, the broom can be soaked overnight in cold water, shaken off in the morning, and placed in plastic bag. Then you just need to hold it over a hot heater. To do this, it is immersed in hot water and kept on hot stones for 1–3 seconds. It is important not to burn the leaves. Important point in preparing the broom for a trip to the bathhouse, protect the handle. It can be wrapped with a cloth or bandage before you start steaming.

Application

Massage with a broom is performed from the bottom up - from the feet to the shoulder blades. It begins with smooth, light touches, and then the movements become more intense. A bath broom can do more than just soar. They cover their head, inhale the aroma, and apply it to their face. Herbal brooms are hung on the walls of the steam room. They heat up and fill the air with the aromas of mint, wormwood, or lavender, creating an aromatherapy effect.

A bathhouse and steam room are always associated with the presence of the main thing in it attribute - broom. Birch branches are traditional for making this mandatory bath accessory, but in different regions Russia has long used other species of trees and shrubs, which are no less valuable for preventive and therapeutic bath procedures. What types of bath brooms are there, and in what cases are they best used? This question arises before everyone who has decided to improve their health with the help of bath procedures, as it has been done for centuries in Rus'.

A broom in a bathhouse is intended not only for active body massage, but also for creating a specific atmosphere that is formed by the aroma of leaves. In addition, almost all the plants used in the steam room are excellent inhalers, and can not only help in the treatment of many diseases, but also cleanse and rejuvenate the body.

Bath brooms are cut not only from birch, but also from oak, linden, rowan, juniper, several species of trees, cherry and currant bushes, walnut, eucalyptus and other plants. But not only trees and shrubs are used for this purpose, but also herbs such as tansy, wormwood, nettle, sage, lemon balm, mint and even bamboo.

Sometimes combined bouquets are made, consisting of different herbs and branches, which are combined not only in aroma, but also in their effect on the body.

To choose the right and effective option for a particular case, you need to find out what properties each of the plants used in the steam room has.

Broom made of birch branches

Birch can be found almost everywhere in Russia, and it has won the love of traditional healers for a long time. For use in a steam room, a broom made from birch branches is considered almost ideal, since birch has cleansing properties internal organs and skin through inhaled steam and superficial massage. As you know, cleansing the body is the first step towards its recovery.

The leaders in popularity in Russian baths are birch brooms

Birch branches are flexible, and the leaves are able to remain elastic even after drying. However, these properties remain unchanged only if the process of cutting and drying the brooms is carried out correctly. During steaming, porous birch leaves adhere well to the body, absorbing sweat and waste products released along with it, cleansing the pores. Open pores allow the skin to breathe and absorb nutrients. Therefore, a birch broom is often used for the first two visits to the steam room, so that those used later medicinal plants had a greater effect.

Birch buds preserved on the branches contain essential oils, flafonoids, several types of biologically active substances, resins and bitterness. The opened leaves are rich in such useful components as ascorbic and betulorethin acid, hyperoside, carotene, saponins, phytoncides and others.

It is these natural components that help cleanse and prepare the body for subsequent therapeutic measures.

For brooms, young lower branches of birch with light green, recently blossoming leaves, which are no more than 30 mm in size, are harvested. They retain in their cellular composition the beneficial substances characteristic of the buds, and also contain components acquired by the leaves when they bloom.

Broom made of oak branches

No less popular are oak brooms, the leaves of which contain tannins, essential oils, quercetin and quercitrin, as well as pentosans. It is this composition that is especially necessary for oily skin- it cleanses it and makes it elastic, and also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

Oak broom is not collected from old branches, and its leaves should not be large and have a dark color, otherwise after drying they will become brittle and will not hold well on the branches. But even young oak leaves are quite large and good density, which means they retain heat for a long time when the broom fan is warmed up. When performing a massage, the foliage, sticking to the skin, gives it some of the beneficial substances contained in it, affects blood circulation, reducing blood pressure. An oak broom is excellent in treating skin diseases - this is facilitated by essential oils and tannins, which are rich in all parts of this tree.

Steam room experts recommend cutting a broom in the thicket of the forest, where ultraviolet rays almost do not penetrate. For the broom, use the lower thin branches that have good flexibility. They will help you carry out the right massage that will not harm the skin.

Broom made of eucalyptus branches

Eucalyptus leaves are often used to treat colds by brewing medicinal tea, making a decoction for gargling and inhalation. The effectiveness of this plant on recovery can be associated with the fact that eucalyptus contains up to 3% essential oils.

In order to use such a broom to treat colds in a bathhouse, after soaking it and before starting a body massage, you need to press the leaves to your face and inhale its aroma through your nose and mouth. Wormwood, sage, chamomile and mint are often added to a bouquet of eucalyptus to enhance the effect, but soften the tart smell of its leaves. It must be said that not every person is able to withstand the aroma of so many leaves of this plant, so sometimes they take just one or three branches of eucalyptus and place them, for example, in an oak or birch “bouquet”.

When choosing a dry eucalyptus broom, you need to pay attention to its color - it should not be faded gray, but bright green. This factor indicates that it was properly prepared and dried, which means that the leaves retained all their healing qualities.

This plant is found only in the southern, subtropical regions of the country, therefore most bathhouse lovers are unlikely to be able to prepare it themselves. However, it can be purchased in specialized stores or ordered on one of the websites. If such an opportunity is not found, then you can buy dry eucalyptus leaves at the pharmacy and make a thick decoction from them, which is splashed on hot stones.

Broom made from linden branches

Flowering linden spreads its aroma over long distances. Many people collect and dry its flower to treat colds in the autumn and winter. Steam room brooms made from branches of this tree are often used for the prevention and treatment of not only seasonal diseases, but also chronic ones, such as kidney or gallstones, frequent headaches, skin pathologies, nervous system disorders and others.

The aroma and substances released from the leaves from a steamed broom act as bronchodilator, soothing and wound healing agent. To do this, softened leaves are pressed to the face and body.

When studying the properties and chemical composition of linden, a whole complex of biologically active compounds was found, which includes bactericidal and sedative substances, such as tiliacin, carotene, protein, vitamin C, essential oil and others.

You can cut linden brooms for bathing procedures during its flowering or after its completion. This makes it less beneficial properties it will not grow in linden branches, but the “fan”, which contains dried flowers, will be more fragrant.

Juniper spruce broom

Juniper is an evergreen coniferous shrub and, like all representatives of this genus, is rich in essential oils. In addition to them, it contains a large amount of vitamins, organic acids and substances that have a bactericidal effect. The bush does not have sharp needles on its paws, but despite this, it is quite prickly. However, some experienced steam lovers choose this option due to its rigidity.

Juniper broom is good for treating rheumatic diseases, gout, edema and some skin diseases in a bathhouse. Thanks to its disinfectant properties, its aroma also helps with inflammatory processes in the respiratory tract.

Often the spruce branches of this plant are used to create a flooring on a steam room bench. In this case, it not only heals with its aromatic substances, but also proves to be an excellent massager.

Using a juniper fan, it is good to pump hot air from the heater towards yourself and, with light touches to the skin, carry out a tangential massage, slightly pressing the paws of the plant to different parts bodies.

There is no need to prepare brooms from this shrub in advance, since it is evergreen. It is used immediately after cutting, otherwise it will dry out and restore it, unlike deciduous plants, will not work. In dry form, juniper cannot be used for massage bath procedures, as it will be very hard and prickly.

Broom made from Canadian maple branches

Not everyone knows that a broom made from Canadian maple, which is no less rich in healing substances than other tree species from which bath brooms are cut, is perfect for a steam room. Part maple leaves contains carotene, ascorbic acid, tannins, alkaloids and other components, thanks to which such a broom “works” like anti-inflammatory, wound-healing, cleansing, restorative, tonic and analgesic.

Paired procedures performed with a maple broom relieve pain due to osteochondrosis, gout, arthritis and rheumatism, as well as cleanse the skin and relieve inflammation.

Maple brooms are harvested in early or mid-summer, when the leaf has not yet fully grown, has a light green color and adheres well to the branch.

Broom made from spruce branches of coniferous trees

Bath brooms are made from spruce, cedar or fir branches. The needles of these species are distinguished by a high content of essential oils and resins, as well as vitamin C. The presence of small needles allows for an excellent massage that will relieve pain in the joints and spine. The essential oils of these plants disinfect and deodorize the air in the steam room, which is a necessary condition for the prevention of respiratory diseases. In addition to using a broom, a decoction of pine needles works well - for splashing on the heater and for rinsing the body after washing.

Thorny brooms must be used with extreme caution, as the needles can scratch delicate skin. They are most often used for steam injection and massage using light pressure on different parts of the body. It is best to use young needles, since they are not so hard and do not have sharp ends, unlike old spruce branches.

It is good to use pine paws for laying on the bench. You need to lie down on such a bedding carefully, but after a few minutes the body gets used to it. The needles, when heated, begin to release essential oils into the air, which envelop the body with steam, which helps open and cleanse the pores, as well as nourish the skin.

Coniferous brooms are not prepared in advance - they must be cut before going to the bathhouse.

Alder steam room broom

Alder bath brooms are most often used in Siberia and the northern regions of the country, where it grows. The leaves and branches of this tree have in their chemical composition several types of different acids, tannins and other substances that are beneficial to the human body. Many of them appear and begin to “work” only when the broom is steamed. They are able to disinfect the air, helping in the prevention of colds.

In addition, alder perfectly cleanses the skin, makes it elastic, smoothing out fine wrinkles.

Brooms from fruit trees and shrubs

Unfortunately, brooms made from currant, cherry and rowan branches are not very popular. And it’s completely in vain, since they have a wonderful unique aroma and great vitamin potential. When soaking dried brooms in hot water, the smell of freshness and summer completely captures the steam room.

The branches of these plants are quite thin and flexible, so the brooms made from them are soft, but they perfectly nourish and massage the skin.

A rowan broom has a special quality - this plant supports performance and does not allow you to relax even after a good massage and warming up in the steam room. Therefore, it is good to use it if a trip to the bathhouse is planned for the first half of the day, and in the second half there is some event planned, or serious work is to be done. By visiting the steam room and having massage treatments using a rowan broom, you can get a great boost of energy.

When massaged with currant branches, sweat is released especially intensely, and the leaves absorb it well. Thanks to a large number vitamin components and essential oils, a currant broom can not only cleanse the skin, but also nourish it well with useful substances. In addition to the effect on the skin, brooms from black currant bushes can relieve the painful manifestations of rheumatism and gout, and in combination with taking the decoction orally - very ist lymph nodes and urinary system from pathogenic microbes.

Herbal brooms

In addition to the brooms from different breeds trees and shrubs; bouquets of various medicinal herbs are also used for baths. Some of them are knitted into brooms for massage, others are simply hung in the steam room to create a special healing atmosphere in the room. When heated, the herbs release a mixed aroma into the dense, humid air of the steam room, inhaling which a person cleanses the lungs, and as a result, the entire circulatory system.

For the bath, different herbs are used, both separately and in combination with each other. The most used of them are worth considering.

Nettle

Nettle relieves chronic fatigue from physical activity well; it can relieve pain in muscles and joints. Thanks to its burning properties, which are somewhat reduced after soaking and become tolerable to the skin, nettle is a strong anti-inflammatory and healing skin irritant, which activates blood circulation and the metabolic process. When such procedures are carried out regularly, you can normalize blood pressure and get rid of chronic nervous tension.

Nettle brooms are prepared in May - June, since at this time the herbal tables are not yet too hard, and the leaves are moderately hot. This is important, since to obtain the result it is necessary to press the fan of the broom against the skin, and at the same time it should not have a traumatic, but stimulating effect on the skin cells.

Mint

A mint broom is called menthol and is often used in baths individually or in combination with other plants. Mint is used to create aromatherapy atmosphere and for massage treatments. A massage from the branches of this herb is done by pressing them, mainly to the face, neck and hands, since mint has a rejuvenating and calming effect. The essential oils contained in it, pinene, felandrene, mentofuran and other substances contribute to this. These components also have a bactericidal, vasodilating effect, and also bring relief to breathing in asthma.

Mint is harvested from May until late autumn. Young leaves are good to use for decoctions, and plants with fairly thick trunks are collected in separate brooms or added to birch or oak branches.

Do not collect plants after rain or heavy dew. In addition, before tying the collected shoots into brooms, they should not be washed or simply wet. “Bouquets” of mint should not be too thick - as it will be difficult for them to dry out evenly and properly.

Sagebrush

Wormwood is most often used for hanging in a steam room, laying on a bench, or as an addition to brooms made from tree branches. This plant helps in the treatment of stomach and liver, gall bladder and joint diseases. When heated in a bathhouse, wormwood branches begin to emit a bitter aroma, which is useful for cleansing the body and relieving difficulty breathing. The essential oils contained in the plant contribute to this.

Dry wormwood - it is also widely used in bath practice

Wormwood is cut after flowering, when its stems are strong enough, but not rough. Having collected the grass, it is not wetted under any circumstances, but is immediately tied into brooms and sent to dry.

Tansy

The aroma of tansy is somewhat reminiscent of wormwood, but this herb has even greater capabilities than wormwood. It is used to relieve pain and heal bruises, for headaches and rheumatic pain, as well as for menstrual irregularities. In addition, by regularly using tansy broom in the steam room, you can get rid of chronic problems with the genitourinary system and liver.

Tansy is often added to brooms made from various plants, and sometimes hung from the ceiling of a steam room to obtain aromatherapy effect.

This plant is collected during its flowering and used together with flowers. Before drying, it is not washed, but immediately tied into a bouquet and hung from the ceiling of a well-ventilated room.

Bamboo broom

A bamboo broom is exotic, unusual for a Russian bath, but if you know all about it positive traits, then you will definitely want to try it for yourself. Experienced bath attendants who work with this plant claim that bamboo has the property of “pulling out” pain, so it is often used to relieve painful conditions. For example, it is able to relieve joint and spinal pain, relieve tension from muscles and ligaments, that is, provide a full massage of all parts of the body. In combination with this, a bamboo broom puts the skin in order, freeing it from accumulated toxins and making stretch marks left after childbirth less noticeable. This massage normalizes blood circulation and significantly strengthens blood vessels and the heart.

Somewhat unusual for our region - bamboo brooms

Unlike brooms with leaves, bamboo does not need to be steamed - it is always ready for massage procedures. A massage with such a broom not only heals the body, but also brings positive emotions.

Although bamboo strands have a porous internal structure, it must be used with extreme care and skill to avoid damaging sensitive skin. The broom is designed to influence the skin and muscle tissues that require periodic massage manipulations.

The massage is carried out with increased tapping on the skin, starting with a light touch to get used to it, and then intensifying it to more significant ones. The technique of alternating from weak to stronger effects, and vice versa, is often used.

Bamboo rods are quite flexible and, if used correctly, will not cause pain. A massage on a steamed body with relaxed muscles is especially good.

It will not be possible to harvest bamboo yourself, since it grows in Russia only in Kuril Islands. Some skilled gardeners sometimes grow it in other areas, but in any case, it is an exotic rarity, so most often such a bath accessory is purchased ready-made.

Preparation of traditional brooms

Since ancient times in Rus', bathhouse brooms were cut on Trinity Day, on the 49th day after Easter (usually the beginning or middle of June). The weather for harvesting brooms should be dry - if on the appointed day it rains or the humidity is high, then it is better to postpone this event to a later date. You cannot cut branches early in the morning - you must wait until the dew has dried. The cut branches are not tied tightly right away - they need to be allowed to dry thoroughly.

The knitting process is usually carried out in compliance with optimal sizes broom, which should be 500 ÷ 550 mm – fan and 100 ÷ 110 mm handle. The work is carried out as follows:

• The branches are sorted and leveled, and excess leaves are removed from their lower edges, which can be dried separately and used for decoctions.
• Then, the branches are carefully placed in the bouquet, with the thicker ones placed in the middle of the broom.
• Next, the broom is loosely tied with linen twine in two places, in the upper and lower parts of the handle, passing it between the cuttings of the branches.
• After this, two brooms are tied together and hung on poles mounted on the wall or mounted on supports in the middle of a well-ventilated room. It is impossible to dry brooms under the influence of ultraviolet rays, as the leaves will lose their flexibility and will crumble when dry.

• The brooms are tied tightly only after drying for a week, and then laid on wooden shelves in dry, ventilated areas. Previously, brooms were usually stored in dry hay - you can create such conditions for them in a barn by laying dry grass on the shelves and placing it on top of the dried bath “bouquets”.

Properly prepared and dried raw materials retain the optimal amount of all the medicinal properties of plants. At the same time, the leaves should not be overdried - they should retain a pleasant matte green color.

Video - Knitting and drying brooms for a bath

Preparing a broom for the steam room

It is equally important to properly steam the broom before using it. There are several ways to do this:

• An overdried broom is often dipped first in cold water for 8 ÷ 15 minutes, and then wrapped in a damp cloth and kept in this state for another 20 ÷ 30 minutes. A bath broom prepared in this way will retain a lively aroma and become soft. Leaves will adhere tightly to branches soaked in cold water, but, as some bathhouse attendants claim, some of its beneficial properties will be lost.
• Some people prefer to simply hold a dry broom over the hot pebbles of the heater, turning frequently so that the leaves are heated evenly and completely. Such a broom will not be too soft, and the massage will be more intense.
• Another preparation method is to treat the broom first with warm water and then with hot water. After the branches have been watered with boiling water, the broom is placed in a plastic bag, wrapped well and kept in this state for 6 ÷ 8 hours, before going to the steam room.

A few minutes before the steaming procedure, the broom is taken out of polyethylene, boiling water is splashed on it and covered with a tub.

You need to know how to take a steam bath!

It is not enough to have the desire to go to a real bathhouse by purchasing a good broom. An inexperienced person needs to know that such procedures must be subject to certain rules. so as not to cause harm to health - in a special article on our website.

The procedure of steaming in a bathhouse can be safely called an ineffective event if it lacks the main accessory - a broom. Having studied the information about the types of brooms, you can choose exactly the option that will improve your health, bring vigor and give you efficiency for the entire working week. There is no doubt that once properly carried out bath procedures, bringing only positive emotions, relief from ailments and a boost of vigor, will certainly turn into a weekly tradition for the whole family.

Both adults and the smallest children know that nothing will help you quickly and easily collect all the small debris from the floor than a broom. But if you ask them what brooms are made of, not everyone can give the correct answer. You can correct this “blank spot” in your knowledge and find out what plant brooms are made from with the help of our article.

What are brooms for cleaning made of?

Initially, flexible thin branches from any bush or young tree growing nearby were used to make brooms and panicles. But when the production of brooms for cleaning acquired an industrial scale, a plant called “sorghum” began to be grown for these purposes. It is from sorghum that the household brooms so familiar to our eyes are knitted, which are sold today in all markets and hardware stores. And this is no coincidence, because sorghum has a lot of advantages: it grows quite quickly on almost any soil, does not require special care and has the necessary flexibility and strength. In addition, sorghum has the ability to “ripen” when cut, which makes it especially suitable for growing in regions with cool climates. Interestingly, a special variety of sorghum was bred for the production of brooms, which is called sorghum broom. Buying broom sorghum seeds today is not at all a problem, and over the summer you can easily grow your own broom on your property.

What are millet brooms made of?

Before the advent of broom sorghum, brooms in Rus' were traditionally knitted from millet panicles remaining after beating the grains. Due to the external similarity of these two plants, many even confuse them. But today, millet brooms have almost completely been replaced by more durable, soft and fluffy sorghum brooms.