Is sauna maintenance hard? Only if you have a high-maintenance sauna. The thing is that when you’re tasked with cleaning and caring for an environment that combines wood panels with intense heat, it seems that high degree maintenance is the only outcome. Not necessarily.
Sauna Type Matters
In traditional saunas, high temperatures occur by heating the air with steam. Consequently, these saunas endure higher exposure to moisture than infrared saunas which work by raising your core temperature through infrared waves as opposed to heating the air.
More moisture means a greater risk of mold and mildew. Therefore, a traditional sauna requires more vigilance and frequent maintenance. An infrared sauna, like a Clearlight Sauna, has an advantage here. The only moisture it interacts with consistently is the sweat from its users, which is nowhere near as abundant as the steam in a traditional sauna. This means that when it comes to maintenance, an infrared sauna is lighter on the requirements. Visit our blog to learn more about infrared vs traditional saunas.
Sauna Maintenance Tips
To keep your infrared sauna looking and performing its best, you need only adopt a few easy habits.
Before Your Session
Your goal in your sauna session is to produce clarified sweat. In other words, you don’t want your sweat to mix with excess oils and impurities that come from perfume, makeup, dirt, and other substances that clog your pores. That’s why you want to rinse off in the shower prior to starting your session.
Don’t neglect your feet! Dirt and germs love to hitch a ride into your sauna on your soles and in between your toes, so be sure to scrub them well.
Remember that it’s not just your skin you’re protecting from all that gunk. It’s the sauna’s wood surfaces, too. By washing your body prior to use, you save the wood from catching all those substances and building up residue. The bottom line is this: by cleaning your body, you help clean your sauna.
During Your Session
One of the easiest ways to preserve your sauna is to bring a soft, dry towel into your sessions. By either wrapping yourself in the towel or placing it between you and the wooden planks, you achieve two goals. First, you protect the wood from excess moisture by putting a cloth barrier between it and your body. Second, you enhance your body’s comfort by letting the towel absorb your sweat and soften the surface you’re resting on.
After Your Session
Once your session is complete, gently wipe down the wood to remove excess moisture. Also, let the sauna’s door stand open for a few minutes so that the sauna may air out. These two steps will help prevent mold and mildew growth by keeping the interior dry.
In Between Sessions
Every other week, sweep or vacuum your sauna. If you notice any stains or residue build-up, remember these three words: filtered water only. If you use unfiltered or tap water, you introduce minerals into the environment that can build up in the wood and degrade it. Therefore, stick to wiping down surfaces with a cloth dampened with filtered water.
Every month, scrub down the wood with a soft brush to release sweat residue. For more water-resistant stains, hit them with a paste of baking soda and water. If the stain persists, gently rub it with fine-grit sandpaper to express the residue.
Maintenance No-Nos
There are a couple of maintenance practices your sauna will not tolerate.
- Don’t stain, varnish, or paint the wood.
- Don’t use chemical cleaners.
These products will not stand up to the intense conditions of your sauna and will result in a costly, hazardous mess.
Where to Go for Sauna Maintenance Advice
Wellis New England is your prime resource for at-home sauna maintenance. Contact us or visit our showroom in Brookfield, CT. We’ll show you that caring for your sauna can be as simple as your busy lifestyle requires.