The benefits and harms of a nettle broom for a bath

A nettle broom for a bath is not quite a traditional tool. Most often they use birch or oak, the leaves of which hold better. When steamed, the grass becomes too soft, and it is not very convenient to use it. But beneficial substances from the plant can penetrate the human body through steamed skin. Russian bath lovers usually have a whole set of different brooms in stock. It is good if some of them are made from properly harvested and dried nettles.

Is it possible to steam with a nettle broom in the bath, is it useful to whip it

When dried and scalded, the herb loses its ability to burn the skin to blisters. You can take a steam bath without fear, but whipping, most likely, will not work. When steamed, the leaves and stems of the plant soften. A "clean" nettle broom for a bath is of little use, it will have to be used more like a washcloth. But if you add several tree branches to the bunch, the situation will change. Such an improved nettle broom can already be used for a Russian bath. The branches of the trees will give it rigidity.

You can whip with such a combined broom in the same way as with a regular branch. But its "service life" will be a little shorter due to the fact that the soft nettle stems will quickly become unusable. Because of this, you should not expect great benefits from a nettle broom for a bath, but it will not bring harm either. At best, you get an analogue of a compress with herbal decoction, at worst - a placebo effect.

Dry nettles definitely won't do any harm

How useful is a nettle broom for a bath

The opinion about the beneficial properties of nettle brooms for a bath is based on the rich chemical composition of the herb. Although from this point of view, it is better to drink decoctions. Dried and then steamed nettle bunch is actually ineffective. Protective needles lose their ability to pierce the skin during the drying process. After steaming, nettle leaves become limp, only the stems remain relatively rigid.

But the herb is good for children with still thin skin. Wood rods can damage it, nettle stems cannot.

Much more benefit from fresh nettle stalks. When steamed, the grass loses its pungency, but there are more active elements in it than in a dry plant.

The maximum effect is obtained from the treatment with a fresh nettle broom. But this is for extreme lovers, since freshly picked grass burns steamed skin strongly.

In the steam room, nettle is used for certain types of diseases:

• rheumatism;
• arthritis;
• gout;
• diseases of the upper pulmonary tract;
• ARI.

In case of metabolic disorders in the bones, scalding nettle juice does not heal as much as it distracts the brain from the lesion with additional pain. Lungs and colds are treated by warming up in a steam room. This is especially true of viral "colds", the causative agent of which dies if the body temperature exceeds 40 ° C. Achieving such indications naturally can lead to complications of CVS.A short-term increase in body temperature in the steam room is less harmful, but also effectively kills viruses.

Freshly harvested nettle stems are best for treating rheumatism

When to collect nettles and prepare brooms for a bath

Nettle brooms for a bath are made in that short period of time when the plant has already gained full growth, but has not yet formed buds. The condition is almost impossible, as the weeds tend to bloom as early as possible. Harvesting nettle brooms for a bath can also be carried out during flowering and fruiting, but when dried, these small particles will begin to crumble. There will be a lot of garbage that attracts insects.

In the bath, flowers and seeds will stick to the body. Most of them will be washed off with water when rinsing, but something will remain and will irritate the skin.

For use in the bath, choose fairly tall, fully formed stems. Cut them almost to the root. Whether to wear gloves for this purpose or to receive a portion of the medicinal juice during the preparation process, everyone decides for himself. Cut plants are laid out in a thin layer in the shade outdoors.

How to prepare and make a nettle broom for a bath

Further actions depend on the nearest plans. If you need to make a bath broom from fresh nettles, some of the stems can be tied immediately after harvesting.

The lower parts of the stems 15-20 cm long are cleaned of leaves and tied. A fresh nettle broom is ready for use in the sauna. But you cannot store it, so you will have to steam on the same day. If the blanks are made for the winter, then the grass must be completely dried in the shade and only then the bunches must be formed. Next, the grass is hung in a ventilated area.

Some mistakes should be avoided when preparing:

• wrong place of collection: it is impossible to collect grass near roads and railways, as well as in other contaminated areas;
• selection of old stems that have already begun to fade;
• drying in the sun;
• using a dry broom in the steam room without preparatory actions to restore its elasticity.

Apart from the latter, all other rules apply to harvesting any herb.

Plants suspended for drying cannot be kept in large bundles and close to the wall

How to steam a nettle broom for a bath

Traditional twig brooms should be soaked in front of the steam room to make them soft and flexible enough. The herb is too delicate for this procedure. Fresh nettle broom does not even need to be steamed. It is enough to dip it into hot water, take it out, shake it off and let it “breathe” with steam.

For a dry nettle broom, the rules are slightly different, since its stems and leaves are fragile. First, they must be softened and elasticity achieved. You also don't need to boil a dry nettle broom in boiling water.

A dried nettle broom must be prepared for the steam room according to certain rules:

• take two buckets of water, cold and hot, but not more than 75 ° C;
• place the broom in hot water and keep it there for five minutes;
• take out and put in a bucket of cold water at the same time;
• repeat the procedure until the nettle stems become elastic.

Further, a nettle broom is used in the same way as the "traditional" tree twig.

How to steam with a nettle broom in a bath

It is not enough to properly prepare a nettle broom for a bath. When using herbs, other rules must be followed to get the maximum effect from the steam room. Especially if the bath is supposed to use fresh nettles.

To avoid "traditional" nettle burns, the body also needs to be prepared:

• warm up on the shelf for the first time;
• leave to cool for 2-3 minutes;
• you can start steaming in the second run, when the body becomes hot and the skin is elastic;
• pour warm water before going out.

The skin after the steam room always turns red from the rush of blood. Nettle makes this color more intense. Do not be afraid. After an hour, everything will pass.

How to store nettle brooms correctly

After drying, the nettle brooms stored for the winter still need to be saved. The herb is usually placed in paper or linen bags and placed in a dark place.

But the broom has to be handled differently. It is also protected from direct sunlight. The easiest way to do this is to hang the bundles from the ceiling in a well-ventilated area.

There should be no sources of water in storage, including full buckets. The large amount of nutrients in nettles provokes the rapid development of mold on it. If the humidity is too high.

Since dry grass ignites easily, there should be no flammable appliances or an open flame source in the room. It is impossible to "dry" the air with a gas cannon or a heater with an open spiral. Suppose, perhaps, an oil heater. But you can't put nettles on it or hang brooms directly above it either.

Too dense placement of bundles of nettles leads to their moldy due to lack of air circulation

Contraindications

Contraindications related to the use of nettle brooms in the bath are the same as for any other. The prohibitions apply directly to the steam room. The Russian bath is not useful for every person.

You can not steam with the following diseases:

• hypertension;
• cardiovascular diseases;
• kidney disease;
• pregnancy, especially the first trimester, as there is a high probability of miscarriage;
• open wounds;
• furunculosis;
• varicose veins;
• tendency to thrombosis;
• obesity;
• epilepsy;
• various mental disorders;
• cancerous tumors;
• high body temperature for any disease.

A visit to the steam room with these diseases is undesirable even without the use of bath brooms.

Conclusion

A nettle broom for a bath is well suited for children and people with sensitive skin. But only on condition that it was previously dried or steamed in hot water. Using fresh grass in the steam room is an activity for true connoisseurs of this pleasure.