Sauna Maintenance Tips
If you want to be able to enjoy your sauna for years to come then it is essential you care for it properly. This care includes conducting the appropriate maintenance. There are some things you need to learn to do every time you use the sauna and there are other things that are merely common sense.
To begin with, when you have had your sauna installed and you are standing looking at it, admiring your new toy and trying to decide what to do with the wood; stop. The answer is to do nothing. Do not paint it or sand it or use varnish on it. This will seal the wood and not allow it to breathe. It can also make the wood overheat too much when the sauna is being used. It could even make the fumes toxic from the finish you choose. The only parts that need any attention are the door handles and the flooring. You can use a sealant on both of these to help prevent them from becoming dirty.
When the sauna has been used for the day, and everyone is finished, a cleaning should be done. Take a scrub brush, dip it in a bucket of clear water that you have put there for this purpose, and run it once over everything. This includes where you sit, the walls and the backboards. Done right this should take less then two minutes. Taking the time to do this will help protect the wood and keep your sauna cleaner and healthier for you; plus looking good for a long time to come.
After you finish using the sauna for the day, leave the door open to let it dry out. The heat from the rocks will go a long way to helping this process. It is important that the moisture in the sauna has the opportunity to dry out. Sometimes mold can grow in a sauna on the floorboards. If you discover this somewhere in your sauna it is simple task to use bleach and hot water to clean it out.
If you find that either your maintenance routine was not being done regularly or some spots got missed and your sauna seems to be dirty or perhaps you’re seeing sweat stains on the wood, then its time to do a little more of a cleaning. This time use a gentle soap mixed in warm, but not hot, water. Use the scrub brush and give it all a once over. This should be enough to clean it up.
Periodic maintenance should include a weekly moping of the sauna. It is recommended that this be done using a deodorizing disinfectant. That way it not only gets clean, but smells clean too. Another useful thing to do is to sand down the benches. This only needs to be done once a year and will make your sauna benches look like new and feel smoother.
If you do all these things to maintain your sauna you will be able to enjoy the relaxation it provides in a clean and healthy environment.