Home saunas have a wide range of health benefits – from muscle relaxation to stress relief to improved sleep. As a long-lasting investment for your home and your health, it's important to know how to care for a sauna so that it operates efficiently and you feel refreshed each time you use it. Read on to learn how to clean a sauna and find tips for keeping it well maintained.

Tip!

Need help choosing the right sauna? Read What is a Sauna? Your Complete Guide to Home Saunas to learn about the different sauna types, sizes, and features.

How to Clean a Sauna

Routine cleaning is an essential for keeping your sauna running smoothly and lasting for several years. Though saunas are quite sanitary, light cleaning after each use helps maintain a clean space and prevent any mold or buildup. Follow our simple tips to learn how to maintain a sauna.

Exterior

What You Will Need:

• Garden hose
• UV-protective stain (optional)
• Snow shovel

If you have an outdoor sauna, you can wash the exterior periodically with a garden hose on low pressure. You can also apply a UV-protective stain to reduce the effects of sunlight. However, varnish and paint cannot be used. It is also important to immediately remove any snow that is on or under the sauna.

Interior

What You Will Need:

• Vacuum
• Hand brush
• Light-grade sanding disc
• Mild detergent
• Sauna cleaner (optional)

You should regularly vacuum the interior of your sauna to remove dust and dirt. After each sauna session, you should also regularly dip a hand brush into a bucket of warm water and scrub the benches, walls, backrests, and floor. Leave the sauna door open to release the steam and allow any excess moisture to clear out.

Once a year, you can also lightly sand the benches to remove any stains and use a vacuum to remove the dust. You can also remove a stain by scrubbing it with a hand brush that has been dipped in a bucket filled with warm water and a tablespoon of mild detergent. If you see mold forming, use a manufacturer-recommended sauna cleaner to remove it. Then wash the area again with warm water and let the sauna air out. While cleaning the interior, do not run the sauna and make sure to leave the sauna door open to maintain fresh air circulation.

How to Maintain a Sauna

After learning how to clean a sauna, here are a few additional things that will help make sure your sauna stays fresh for years to come.

Before Entering

One of the best ways to keep your sauna clean is to make sure you're clean before you step inside. Since you'll be sweating out any impurities, it's best to take a quick shower before you start the sauna. This rinses away any sweat or dirt from the day and helps open up your pores in preparation for a steam session. Leave shoes outside of the sauna to avoid tracking in any dirt onto the sauna floor. Place a fresh towel beneath you to absorb sweat and add another layer between you and the sauna bench.

Maintaining the Sauna Heater

Sauna heaters can last over 10 years, especially with the proper maintenance. For home saunas, it's best to check the components of the heater every six months, such as the sauna stones and the heating elements below the stones.

Resetting the Sauna Rocks

If you have a traditional sauna, once a year you will need to reset the rocks in the heater. This helps reset any rocks that shifted during use and ensure the sauna heater is working efficiently. To do this, first turn off the sauna and switch off the breaker that is connected to your sauna’s electrical outlet. Then remove the wire guard on your heater and take out the rocks. Discard any broken rocks and rinse off any remaining rocks. Put the unbroken rocks back in the heater, making sure to stack them in an even and loose formation. You may have to buy new rocks, but remember that they need to be the same type and size as your current rocks. Once your heater is filled, place the wire guard back in its spot and turn the sauna’s electricity back on.

Avoid Hard Water

When using a steam-sauna, it's best to avoid using hard water. Hard water often contains minerals like calcium and magnesium, so the evaporation process can leave behind stubborn lime buildup after the steam cools. Though this can make cleaning and maintenance a bit more difficult, you can treat any buildup with a light sanding disc or a mild detergent solution.

Adding & Replacing Accessories

Whether you are trying to make your sauna more comfortable or looking for replacement parts, there are a variety of accessories that will upgrade your sauna. This includes accessories like backrests, headrests, water buckets for creating steam, sauna covers, thermometers, and towel bars.