Having a sauna is one of life’s great luxuries. There’s nothing better than getting into your sauna after a long day’s work, some hard exercise, or even just for an afternoon relaxation session. What could be better than sweating out all your worries, feeling refreshed, and easing your aches? Owning a sauna is one thing, keeping it clean is another. Although saunas do not require too much maintenance, it is certainly important to make sure it’s cleaned regularly. In this article, you will find all of the top useful tips for cleaning and maintaining your sauna.
The Benefits Of Owning A Sauna
Saunas are great – it’s that simple. They come with so many benefits that it’s really a no-brainer to want to purchase one. A well-designed space with strong heat can bring so much health, relaxation, and happiness into your life. The medical benefits are truly remarkable. For example, regular sauna use has been linked with reduced inflammation and muscle soreness. This is why saunas are so desirable to people post-workout.
However, there are benefits outside of exercise too. A study of those with heart failure showed a decrease in risk of further heart failure-related issues after regular sauna use. Also, regular use has been linked to a lowered risk of stroke and lower risk of dementia. These benefits are huge, so having a sauna is clearly a great thing!
A Clean Sauna Is An Effective Sauna
It’s important, though, to keep your sauna in the best condition. A dirty, damaged sauna heater can cause it to underperform, leaving you missing out on some of these great benefits. That’s not the only thing; dirt and grime in the sauna can circulate in the hot air, causing you to breathe undesirable air. You wouldn’t want to deliberately breathe poor air if you could help it, would you? So breathing in nasty air during your relaxing sauna sessions is a definite no-no. None of these problems is ideal, as a clean sauna is an effective sauna. Keeping it clean is essential. Let’s discuss how…
Don’t forget to Clean The Heater
When it comes to a great sauna, you want to be feeling the heat! With various kinds of Sauna Heaters available, it can be confusing or challenging to know the best way to keep it clean. Depending on whether you have a wood-burning stove or an electric heating element, you need to adapt your cleaning techniques to ensure that your heater is in perfect working order.
A wood-burning stove will be made of steel and will likely be untreated. This means that without proper care it can rust. You should periodically tackle the stoves’ naturally built-up dust and dirt with a proper wire brush, designed specifically for stove cleaning. Clean the inside and the stove pipe to clear away any dirt. Do not use water or chemicals on the stove, ensuring you keep it dry and clean at the same time.
An electric heating element is easier to clean. Again, water is a bad choice – we all know that water and electricity don’t mix! After turning off the mains, wipe the electric heater down to ensure that all the surfaces are dry and free of any settled grease, dirt, or dust particles. Again, avoid the use of chemical cleaners or damp sponges, to avoid any risk of electrocution or contamination.
Keeping It Clean Daily
When using a sauna regularly, there are a few things you can do to help keep it in good condition. Firstly, what you wear is important. Walking dirty shoes into a sauna is a definite no-no. It’s far better to have a mat outside the door where you can leave shoes, helping to avoid bringing any dirt from your shoes into the sauna. It’s also worth covering your sauna bench with a fresh towel before you sit down as this will help reduce sweat damaging the wood.
After each use, open the door to your sauna to allow all the hot air and sweat to clear the room. Once everything has cooled, wipe down benches, walls, and other surfaces to dry them out. The less residual moisture left in the sauna the better.
Clean The Floor
It’s also important to keep the floor clean. You will likely be walking in your sauna without shoes – as suggested earlier – so it’s important to also wipe this down after each use. It is also recommended to do a semi-regular clean of the floor. Mop it with a gentle detergent and hot water, leaving it to dry out before using it again. This will ensure no germs are living on your sauna floor, waiting to spread onto your feet!
Caring For Sauna Surfaces
It’s also important to do a semi-regular clean of all the sauna surfaces. Obviously, these surfaces get hot, cold, damp, and dry over and over again. So, one day when you are not planning to use the sauna is the best time to give it all a good clean. Without turning the sauna on, clean all surfaces with soap or a mild antibacterial detergent spray. Wipe down every wall, bench, and any other surface in the room. Make sure it is all dried thoroughly after cleaning.
Things To Avoid
One of the biggest things to avoid is the temptation to use a jet or power washer to clean your sauna. The surfaces are quite dry and very sensitive to this kind of water pressure. High-powered water can permeate surfaces causing them to bow or crack. Once this happens, it’s very hard to protect or save these damaged parts. It is also advised to avoid the use of strong bleach or disinfectants inside your sauna. The surfaces can be damaged easily. Plus, you don’t want a strong smell of bleach circulating in the air every time you go inside your sauna!
It is clearly important to keep your sauna clean regularly while doing weekly or monthly deep cleans – depending on usage. The cleaner you keep your sauna, the nicer the experience will be and the more your health will benefit. Enjoy your sauna but keep it clean, and in return, it will look after you!
Photo via Unsplash
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