Tips to keep your sauna in tip top shape

When you own a sauna, it’s easy to hop in and have a great session every day. But, it’s also quite easy to let the little bit of maintenance you should do slide down the “to do” list to the bottom. While there’s not much to taking care of a sauna, keep in mind the following that should be done on a regular basis to keep your sauna in great shape for years.

Clean the glass. Use a natural glass cleaner, to ensure you’re not getting any chemical off-gassing. Dust can build up on glass and become hard to clean over time when it’s heated & cooled over and over. Best to clean the glass inside your sauna every couple of weeks. (It gives you a better outlook on your world, too!)

Lightly sand benches. If there are some sweat stains from sauna sessions on the benches, these can often be sanded out with fine sandpaper. If staining is more significant, consider purchasing some Sauna Clean, which is designed to clean wood surfaces in the sauna. Do not use bleach. Bleach can dry out your sauna wood and cause splits in the slats, which could lead to splintering. That’s not fun on your bum! Eliminate all this work (or most of it) by taking a good fluffy towel or seat cover in to sit on during your session.

Clean the floor. Sweaty feet can equal stinky floors over time. This is the place where, if the floor is cement, tile, or linoleum, it’s fine to use bleach to clean and disinfect. A quick light mopping or wipe with a damp cloth will do the trick.

Check backrests & headrests. If you get some staining on these surfaces, follow the same cleaning regimen suggested above for the benches. Again, a towel against a backrest, or behind your head will prevent sweat stains from occurring.

Clean buckets, ladles and drip pans. If you have a traditional steam sauna, be sure to clean these items regularly as well. To prevent staining and rust, use a CLR (calcium/lime/rust) type cleaner to keep them free of marks that can get locked in by the heat. Be sure and empty your bucket after each session and leave outside the sauna to air dry as well.

Polish exterior cabinets and door handles. To maintain that new wood luster from when you first installed your sauna, use furniture grade cleaners & polishes on the wood exterior.

Carry out these few items on a regular basis, and your sauna will stay beautiful and odor free for years!