Binding a sauna whisk
Without a doubt, a leafy whisk gives the sauna visit a higher dimension. You can read here about the art of making a leafy whisk, a "vihta".
How to bind a sauna whisk, a "vihta"
The sauna whisk is made from birch twigs of the silver birch. The time for harvesting the twigs varies depending on where in the country you live. The weeks after Midsummer are usually the period when the leaves are mature. The leaves must not be sticky. You recognise the silver birch by its triangular leaves with a doubly serrated edge. Once you have found a suitable birch, select soft twigs about 50 cm long and lay them side by side with the same side up. Place the thinner twigs on the sides and the thicker ones in the middle. Strip the leaves off the thick end. When the whisk is ready you should bind it. Do this with a soft birch twig about 60 cm long from which you have cut away the side branches. It can help to make small cuts in the surface of the twig to make it more flexible. Then take the whisk in a firm grip and wind the birch twig tightly around the handle. At the root end you also make a loop so the whisk can be hung up. After binding, the sauna whisk is best stored in a dark, cool and dry space hanging on a rod, or you can store them fresh, wrapped in plastic, in the freezer. They then keep their colour and fresh scent. A sauna whisk can be used several times if stored properly. Remember that a frozen whisk should be thawed at normal room temperature. When it is time to use the whisk, it is first placed in lukewarm water and then warmed and doused over the stones of the sauna heater. Then you get a soft and wonderfully fragrant whisk that is not at all painful to whisk with – on the contrary, a delightful pleasure. A leafy whisk was originally the soap of its day. The alkaline substances in the leaves had the property of dissolving fat and dirt. Another advantage of a leafy whisk is that it eases the heat against the skin. The whisking creates cooling swirls of air. In Finland the leafy whisk is called "vihta".
A film about how to bind a sauna whisk
The whisk is a very simple and old tool made of birch twigs. It is used in the traditional Northern European steam bath. Whisking may come from the urge to scratch one's back while in the hot room. There are many ways to make it, but one should make it handy for oneself.