A moxibustion box will accumulate a lot of black soot and grease on its inner wall after prolonged use. Not only does it look dirty, but it also affects the heat and therapeutic effects during use. So how do you clean a moxibustion box?
How to Clean a Metal Moxibustion Box
Materials: One packet of baking soda, one bottle of vinegar, detergent (laundry detergent can also be used)
Cleaning method:
1. Put the dirty box into a pot and add water (it's better to use rice water) to cover the box.
2. Add baking soda according to the number of moxibustion boxes that need to be cleaned.
3. Add vinegar according to the number of boxes.
4. Boil the water, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir with a wooden stick and pour out the dirty water.
5. Repeat the same method. The second time, you can use less baking soda and vinegar. After boiling, the box will be basically clean. For any remaining dirt, gently wipe it with a cloth, and it will be as good as new. Rinse with clean water afterwards. If you have a strong water pressure from the faucet, you can directly rinse it after boiling, which is more convenient.
How to Clean a Wooden Moxibustion Box
Materials: Wet wipes, steel wire balls, small brushes, range hood cleaner, gloves
Cleaning method:
1. First remove the handles from the wooden moxibustion box and keep the screws and handles in a safe place.
2. Wipe the inside of the moxibustion box with wet wipes, being careful to avoid getting pricked by the nails.
3. Place the moxibustion box in a large basin, add water, and then pour in an appropriate amount of range hood cleaner. Soak for half an hour to quickly remove grease and soot.
4. After half an hour, put on gloves and use steel wire balls and small brushes to clean the inside of the moxibustion box, being careful to avoid injuring your hands.
5. Finally, rinse with clean water several times and place it in a well-ventilated area to dry.
What is the oil in the moxibustion box?
When using a moxibustion box, it is generally used in conjunction with moxa sticks. Moxa sticks are mainly made from mugwort leaves, which contain various volatile oil components. Therefore, during the burning process of moxa sticks, tar is produced and adheres to the inner wall of the moxibustion box, resulting in a sticky and black appearance.
How to Choose the Right Moxibustion Method for Yourself
1. Handheld moxibustion: Most effective
If you value the effectiveness of moxibustion and want to improve the efficiency of moxibustion for body conditioning, handheld moxibustion is undoubtedly the best choice.
During handheld moxibustion, the moxa fire is perpendicular to the acupoints being moxibusted, and the distance between the fire and the acupoints can be adjusted to the most comfortable for you. It allows for quiet communication between the moxibuster and the recipient, promoting the smooth entry of moxa's yang energy into the acupoints. Therefore, handheld moxibustion is undoubtedly an important and efficient way of moxibustion, but it requires assistance from others, which is the drawback of handheld moxibustion.
2. Moxibustion box: Can directly fumigate the skin
If you don't have family or friends to help during moxibustion but still want good moxibustion effects, you can choose a moxibustion box.
Moxibustion boxes are commonly made of wood, bamboo, or metal. One common characteristic of these moxibustion boxes is that the fire of the moxa sticks is visible, and the moxa smoke can directly fumigate the surface of the skin and penetrate into the acupoints. Compared to handheld moxibustion, moxibustion boxes lack the exchange of energy between people and the flexibility to control the perpendicularity and distance of the moxa fire. However, the effects are still decent, not bad.
3. Moxibustion cans: Convenient to carry, but less effective
There is also a type of small circular box that can hold a burning moxa stick. The box is sealed, with ventilation holes on the top and bottom, and after closing the lid, the circular box is inserted into a cloth bag and fixed on the acupoints. We usually call this "portable moxibustion". This method of moxibustion is relatively simple, but the moxa fire cannot directly reach the acupoints. In addition, the portable moxibustion box is usually made of metal, and the heat sensation on the moxibusted area usually occurs after the moxa fire has burned for a while and heated the metal box, transmitting heat to the skin. Both the moxa smoke and the fire head cannot touch the acupoints directly, so the effect of a single moxibustion session is relatively small. Moxibustion friends need to have enough patience and invest more time to achieve moxibustion effects.
