How To Maintain Your Sauna
With very minimal maintenance, you can keep your sauna room—whether it’s an indoor Warm Wave model or an outdoor Haven sauna—looking and smelling fresh for years. The following is a simple, general guide to keep your investment in pristine condition.
STEP 1: Preserve the Wood's Integrity
Do not paint, varnish, or stain the interior portions of your sauna. The natural wood needs to breathe (absorb and slowly release heat and humidity). Artificial finishes also make the wood surface much hotter, create the possibility of fumes from the wood treatment, and take away the “softness” of the heat and steam penetrating the wood.
STEP 2: Seal the High-Contact Areas
Door handles and floorboards (duckboards) are an exception to Step 1. These two points get dirty easily due to constant contact. To make cleaning easier, you can treat the handles and floor boards with a quality wood sealant or polyurethane finish.
After Sauna Care
STEP 3: Implement the Daily Brush Ritual
The simplest method of sauna maintenance is to keep a hand brush in the sauna room. The last person out dips the brush in the water bucket (plain water) and does a quick scrubbing of the benches, walls, and backrests. This simple 30 to 60 second ritual will keep your sauna looking great for years.
STEP 4: Air It Out Completely
After you’re finished using the sauna, and your cleaning process is complete, prop the duckboards off the floor. Leave the sauna door open to air it out completely. The heat remaining in the rocks and in the wood should dry the sauna completely, and can even help dry down an adjacent shower area.
STEP 5: Address Stains and Deeper Cleaning
If you notice dirt or sweat stains developing (if the daily brush ritual is missed a few times), again use a hand brush but use warm water with a mild detergent. To get the benches looking like new, you can lightly sand them about once per year to restore them to their original condition. If you should happen to have mold develop anywhere (on duckboards, for example), you can clean with warm water and bleach.
STEP 6: Occasional Deodorizing Wash
Depending on how often you use your sauna, occasionally wet-mop the floor with a liquid deodorizing cleaner such as Lysol or Pine-Sol.
With these simple maintenance tips, your Warm Wave or Haven sauna will stay inviting, fresh smelling, and enjoyable to be in for many years. The main rule is: Enjoy the heat and relax!