To help beginners - useful bath accessories
Banya, what a warm word! And it’s not just a word - it’s the most authentic tradition, custom, part of the mentality of the Russian people. And in winter, and spring, and summer, and autumn, if you have a bathhouse, you will always find time to steam in it. As they say, heat doesn't break your bones.
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Brooms and cooperage products for baths
However, a bathhouse is not just a place where you come and take a steam bath and leave. This is a real abode of health and rest, with its own characteristics, attributes and rules. And in order for your time in the bathhouse to be successful, you will need a small amount of things.
One of the most important and necessary things in a bathhouse is a broom. When choosing a broom, proceed only from your preferences. There are a lot of types. And everyone has their own purpose.
Birch broom
Birch is one of the most beloved and useful trees of Russians. A broom made from birch branches can cleanse the body of toxins and remove salts and waste. It is recommended for use by people suffering from kidney disease and asthmatic diseases. It’s good to steam with such a broom during the period of a cold. It is worth remembering that if you have a fever, going to the bathhouse is contraindicated. Birch broom is also a kind of skin healer; it perfectly helps to cope with stretch marks and heal wounds.
Broom made of oak branches
This is a real body sculptor. It perfectly helps rid the skin of excess fat, making it more toned and elastic. Among other things, oak brooms cope well with skin diseases, thanks to their bactericidal properties.
Linden broom
It is best to collect linden branches at the moment when it blooms. This way it will be of great benefit. A linden broom helps cope with viral infections, colds, and has calming properties for the nervous system. Steaming with such a broom not only helps to heal, but also improves health and improves immunity.
Aspen broom
Aspen is a real storehouse of vitamins. The leaves and bark of this tree have excellent antiviral and antimicrobial properties. Therefore, steaming with such a broom is highly recommended for people who are at the initial stage of a cold. An aspen broom helps cope with diseases of the genitourinary system and promotes rapid tissue healing.
However, a bath broom will be of no use if it is not steamed. A special steamer will help you with this. It looks like a wooden basin with high walls and a lid of an unusual design.
Cooperage products
You will also need tubs, tubs, and ladles. Of course, all these items can be purchased inexpensively in the store, albeit in plastic. But this is not very good for a bath:
- Firstly, no matter how we are assured, plastic is not always clean. The seller cannot give a one hundred percent guarantee that there was no mistake and that some chemical was not added more than necessary. And in the bath it will heat up and everything with steam will rise up.
- Secondly, plastic will not last long due to temperature changes. Somewhere it will burst or crack.
As for such paraphernalia made of iron, naturally it will heat up and burn.
Therefore, it is best to purchase such things in wood from people who do this, that is, coopers. And the tree itself in the bathhouse is already something magical, it gives off both the aroma and the atmosphere.
You will also need long-handled sauna ladles. And it should be long so that when scooping up boiling water you don’t get burned by the steam.
After a good steaming of the “bones”, it is necessary to cool. And if there is no pond or river near the bathhouse, the so-called font will help you. It is a large, wide barrel that is filled with water or covered with snow.
In addition to the main attributes, the bathhouse contains many small ones made of wood: benches, small chairs, hangers and the like.
Why a tree? It's simple. This is an ideal heat conductor - it heats up, but does not burn. Also, the vapors emanating from it are good for health. And, of course, wood is beauty and luxury. It reminds you of where it all began and connects you to your roots.
Bath caps
It is possible to go to the bathhouse without a headdress, but it is not advisable. Especially if you like to steam and spend as much time there as possible. A bath hat is not just an accessory - it is protection. Heatstroke protection.
Hats made from flannel, felted from felt and wool would come in handy for the bathhouse. It is necessary that the hat is comfortable for you, pleasant to wear, soft and absorbs sweat well. But remember, before you go to steam, you can’t get your hat wet. Otherwise, her protective factor will turn against you. There is a high chance of overheating.
Wash it in water at room temperature and only by hand. You should squeeze it out by slightly squeezing it, not twisting it. Dry it naturally, best by stretching it over a jar or, if you have one, over a mannequin’s head.
The modern market presents a lot of different options for bath hats. When purchasing, do not forget to make sure that it is completely made of natural material.
Bath slippers
Bath slippers are not trigonometry, everything is simple here. If you're going swimming, then you need ordinary rubber slippers with non-slippery grooved soles. Or slippers made of modern plastic. They are ideal for water procedures, lightweight and non-slippery.
For the steam room you need rubber slippers with added foam. They will perfectly withstand the temperature of the floor of a Russian steam room. The modern market also offers wooden and wicker slippers made from natural straw.
Bath clothes
The optimal clothes for a bath are natural cotton towels or sheets. The latter, of course, are not so comfortable, but if there are no other options, then they are quite suitable. There are different options for bathrobes, short and long. You can purchase special bath kits. Which includes towels modernized for a bath. The male version is called a kilt and looks similar to it. Women's, like a regular towel, except that it has Velcro in front, which will not allow it to open or slide off.
Bath oils
Bath oils are not just flavorings, but real medicine for health. Naturally, for everything to work as it should, they must be completely natural, without impurities and dyes.
Types of oils:
- Antiviral: chamomile, mint, oregano, eucalyptus, cedar, juniper.
- Stimulating the production of endorphin and dopamine: citrus oils, lavender, fir, bergamot, geranium, ginger.
- Calming: ylang-lang, lemon balm, mandarin.
For oils to work and be beneficial, there are certain rules for their use:
- Remember, before using the oil, you must dilute it in water or an emulsifier.
- Oils have their own properties and characteristics, so read the instructions before use. It’s best to consult your doctor about which oils you can use.
- Do not mix the oils as you please. Allergies may occur. To do this, use recipes, usually they are already given in a package with oil, or use one at a time on different trips to the bathhouse.
- To fill the steam room with fragrant air, a couple of drops of oil are diluted in water that is poured onto the stones.
Bath thermometers
We simply don’t bypass the thermometer in the bathhouse. Of course, in any company there will be a person who will say that instead of blood he has mercury and he can smell the temperature at once. But relying on chance in this matter is dangerous. If you overdo it with temperature, there can be unpleasant consequences for a person. Especially those in poor health. Therefore, there are special thermometers made of wood or special plastic for baths. They look very different (arrow, electronic), but the point is that they show accurately, and select the design to your taste.
