How to clean the sauna

In this How to clean the sauna -article I will tell you how to wash and clean your sauna proberly.

How do you clean your sauna?

We Finns should know how to clean and care for our saunas. But do we actually know? As I started to write this post, I asked myself if people really clean their saunas as often as is recommended.

You should do it 2-3 times a year, but does it actually happen that often?

I don’t think so!

At least I have not always known how and how often I should clean my sauna. However, this is the first time in my life that I actually have my own sauna, so maybe it is no surprise?

When I lived with my parents, my mum was responsible for sauna care and when I had my first flat, the communal sauna was cleaned regularly by professionals. When I moved to a row house, I cleaned the sauna when it was my turn without really thinking about it.

So, I before I moved to Germany, I was never solely responsible for the upkeep of my own sauna.

In Finland, in the olden days, the benches were always cleaned with a special soap called “ihan puhdas sauna”. It left the most wonderful and legendary scent, or at least back then I used to love it.

On Christmas Eve, my mum always cleaned the benches with this soap, and no one was allowed in, before she had finished cleaning. Nowadays, there are plenty of soaps and cleaning products to choose from, but you should always opt for those without any chlorine content.

My personal favorite is universal stone which is also eco-friendly. I like it because you do not need to put on any masks or even rubber gloves when you use it.

How should you clean your sauna

Saunas should be properly cleaned 2-3 times a year.

This is how you do it:

Make sure that the stones in the sauna stoves are all in good condition. If necessary, dispose of the old ones safely. Whilst you do that, you can give the stones and the stove a little dusting or even hoover them. Use a wet cloth to clean the stones and the stove. If you have an electric stove, please remember to unplug first!
Take out detachable benches and stools and get them out of the way.
Hoover or sweep the dust off the floors, walls and ceiling.
Use warm water on all the wooden surfaces to open the grate of the wood.
Brush with a soft brush, sponge or a special sauna cleaning tool, always remember to brush to the direction of the grate.

Use cold water to rinse out any cleaning products as this closes the grate of the wood. You can also use warm water for rinsing first and then use cold water.
Dry the benches.
Wash and rinse the walls. Start from the bottom and work your way up.
Wash and clean the ladles, buckets and pails, brushes and all the other sauna equipment. 
Clean the floor drain.

Wash the floors and dry them.
Open the windows and let the fresh air in.
Turn on the heat for a half an hour so that the sauna gets to dry. Now it is also time to bring back the (clean) benches or stools that you might have taken out.
Between your more thorough cleaning sessions, you can always rinse and brush the benches when necessary.
Remember to give the benches enough time to properly dry.

IMPORTANT!

Never use any cleaning products or soap directly on the benches! Mix water and cleaning liquids in a bucket and spread the mixture with a brush, sponge or a sauna cleaning tool.

Never use pressure washers for your sauna!