The article “How to clean a sauna ecologically – 9 tips” focuses on ecological and nature-saving cleaning products. You will find most of these ingredients in your kitchen cabinet.
Did you know that it is possible to clean your sauna without harsh chemicals? Many conventional cleaning products are harmful for nature, hard on your sauna benches and bad for your health. You don’t necessarily need super-effective artificial cleaning products to achieve good results.
I have personally tested 5 of these environmentally friendly cleaning products, 4 were recommended to me. I am also always interested to hear about your experiences. Have you tried any of these products?
Many Facebook groups share tips on eco-friendly cleaning. I highly recommend giving them a look if you are interested in this topic.
How to clean a sauna ecologically – 9 tips
1. Vinegar
Vinegar is a natural substance that is suitable for household cleaning and is perfect for cleaning your sauna. Vinegar is known to remove mold and other germs.
We have really hard water at home, so I soaked my sauna stove stones in a strong vinegar solution. It was very effective; the lime came right off. I made sure to rinse the stones well afterwards.
Add half a dl of vinegar to 5 liters of water.
Tip! When cleaning with vinegar, be careful of the joints of the tiles, vinegar can damage them.
2. Citric acid
Citric acid also removes all dirt and does no harm to nature.
Just a touch of citric acid added to 5 liters of water is enough.
3. Baking soda
Baking soda removes unpleasant odors and works well on sauna benches. Baking soda is also very handy in the kitchen. For example, it removes unpleasant odors from the fridge
Mix 5 liters of water and a pinch of baking soda.
4. Clay stone
Clay stone, also known as universal stone, can clean almost anything (it is not suitable for dishwashing). Universal stone cleans sauna benches and shower rooms safely and eco-friendly
Pick up a little bit of powder using a wet sponge. Then wash the benches with a sponge and foam. Rinse well with plenty of water, repeat if necessary.
5. Euca-cleaning concentrate
The Euca detergent concentrate contains eucalyptus and is made according to an old Austrian recipe. Euca leaves a wonderfully fresh scent that is not too intrusive.
Add one cap of detergent to 10 liters of water.
There is good news: Euca eco-detergent is now on sale in my Sauna Shop. Euca Eco detergent 450 ml costs only €14.90. So you wash the sauna with this detergent 15 times!!
Buy now: Euca Eco detergent.
You can use Euca for pretty much everything. It is suitable for counters, laundry, windows etc.!
6. Soda crystals
Soda crystals are a tougher version of baking soda. Soda crystals are an economical, effective and environmentally friendly detergent for many purposes. Soda crystals do not contain toxic substances and do not leave a taste or odor on surfaces.
Add 0.5-1dl of soda crystals to 5 liters of water. The dirtier the object, the more concentrated the solution.
Use soda crystals with caution, it’s pretty powerful stuff!
7. Linseed oil soft (potassium) soap
Linseed oil potassium soap (suopa in Finnish) is the only soft soap that is suitable for washing sauna benches. It takes care of the benches while cleaning them. Linseed oil soft soap is the best detergent for clean wood.
The potassium soap is made of cold-pressed linseed oil and suitable for both scrubbing wooden floors and cleaning a wide range of other surfaces. It is also suitable for washing your brushes and hands when painting with linseed oil paints.
Scrubbing sauna benches with a soft soap:
- Shake the bottle well.
- Mix one liter of soap with five liters of lukewarm or cold water (1: 5).
- Scrub the benches in the direction of the wood grains.
- Dry off excess solution with a clean cloth.
8. Marius Fabre´s Black soap
Many swear by the name of this Marius Fabre black soap. This is also the only soap that is suitable for cleaning and washing sauna benches. With this product you can wash anything from floor to ceiling. Bear in mind that it is not suitable for skincare.
The materials for the soap are cold-pressed coconut oil and extracts from the ash of the cocoa bean husk and/or plantain husk. The soap is inherently antiseptic and gentle.
Do this:
Prepare a dilute solution in a bucket and wash the sauna benches with a scrub brush. Rinse off first with warm and then cold water.
You can make a mixture in a spray bottle. However, it is not advisable to mix too much solution at once because water makes the solution spoil relatively rapidly.
9. Steam cleaner
If you own a steam cleaner you can use it to wash the sauna benches. Clean the benches according to the instructions of the steam cleaner.
Do this:
- Vacuum the sauna first to remove limescale and dust.
- Make the benches slightly wet using lukewarm water. This helps to open up the grains of the wood.
- Wash with the detergent of your choice and scrub thoroughly with a soft brush in the direction of the wood grains.
- Rinse first with warm water and finally with cold water.
- Remember to dry the sauna, turn the sauna on for half an hour.
- You can find more detailed instructions for cleaning your sauna in the article below.
Read more: How to clean a sauna
Oiling sauna benches
When your sauna is squeaky-clean, you can oil the sauna benches with linseed oil. It is not necessary, but it helps to protect the benches and deepens the color of the wood.
Read more: How to treat sauna wood with oil
Detergents and methods which I do not recommend
Chlorine
The evaporation of chlorines is accelerated in hot water, so the substance must always be diluted in cool water. Chlorine-containing products must also not be used concomitantly with acidic preparations, as on hot surfaces and in hot rooms the acids accelerate the release of chlorine, which is harmful to health. Chlorine is also a harmful substance for the environment. (Source: Siivoustyön käsikirja 2000).
There is no reason to use chlorine in the sauna. Chlorine can also remain on the benches and in the sauna air. When heating the sauna, the steam in the sauna rises. You do not want to breathe in chlorine fumes!
Pine soft soap
Pine soft soap is difficult to rinse because it contains pine oil. An invisible film remains on the surface of the wood or at the joints of the tiles, collecting dirt.
Pine soap from Havu contains glutaraldehyde, which is a dangerous substance. Products from Rainbow and Ekopine are safe to use. However, check that the pH is 10. Good pine soap contains only water, pine oil and lye.
Source: VTT research
Pressure washer
I also do not recommend using a pressure washer. The pressure in the pressure washer is too high and can damage the wood. I washed my sauna with this device in the 80´s and the benches were left with horrible-looking marks. I do not recommend trying this trick.
I hope this How to clean a sauna ecologically – 9 tips, made you think about alternative cleaning products for your sauna.
Also keep in mind that most microbes and bacteria die at 50-60 degrees Celsius. (VTT research).
