Sauna cleaning operation

I recently received a very comprehensive list of questions from one of our customers about how to clean the sauna properly. Answering the questions and reflecting on them gave me the ah-ha feeling of sharing these tips more widely through our blog. After all, a hygienic and well-cleaned sauna is more comfortable to use, and in the best case scenario, it will give the benches, for example, a much longer lifespan compared to a poorly maintained sauna.

It all really starts with the environment in which the sauna is used. An article published in Citymark magazine this spring focused on the maintenance of community saunas, i.e. saunas in swimming pools, hotels and spas that are heavily used and cleaned on a daily basis (read the article here). Now let’s look at the private and “lighter” use of the individual sauna room in a detached or semi-detached house.

Washing the sauna ceiling

It’s a good idea to start by vacuuming the floors to remove dust, lint and other “loose debris”. Our prefabricated prefabricated tiles are easy to dismantle and we believe that easy cleanability combined with aesthetic appearance is one of the most important features of our tiles. Cleaning of the plates has already been taken into account in the design and good washability allows for excellent hygiene. Good structural solutions guarantee functionality, all our range of ready-made desing boards (Relax, Classic, Wave, Log) have tool-free removable board rails and a removable footboard frame structure. The sauna tiled floor can then be easily cleaned with a mop and the cleaning can be continued the next day with a tile wash.

The Sun Sauna Lawn Care Package comes with a laundry detergent and a cleaning cloth. The rails are washed one by one with a sponge or brush on both sides of the rails. Usually the front edges of the lauderalls get the most dirt and should therefore be cleaned very carefully. The purpose of the sponge or brush is not to apply detergent to the board, but to remove the dirt adhering to the board with the detergent. So use a brush to brush, but remember to use a brush that is soft enough to avoid scratching the surface of the laude. Finally, rinse the dirt removed from the board with water. The easiest way to get the dirt off is to use enough water. It is not advisable to use a pressure washer, as a small amount of water and high pressure will not remove the dirt from the wooden surfaces effectively enough and may also damage the surface of the board.

Finally, the ceilings are dried by taking them to a warm sauna. Once the rugs are dry, the last step before bathing is to treat the laute with paraffin oil. The oil gives the boards a dirt-repellent protective layer. The best way to get the oil to soak into the wood is to turn the stove on at low power and raise the temperature in the sauna to around 40°C. This will ‘open up’ the grain patterns in the surface of the wood and allow the oil to soak into the wood better. Here are more detailed instructions for oiling the lute:

1. Heat the sauna to about 40 degrees and also put the oil on the stove to warm up. The warm oil will soak into the wood more quickly.
2. Use a brush or foam brush to apply the oil to both sides of the board. You can start working on the end wood surfaces of the lauderalli (these are the areas where the oil will soak in quickly). Once the top of the rims themselves have also been treated, you can “dab” the oil on the rims again.
3. In addition, apply oil to all surfaces exposed to the spray (including backrests and intermediate space grates).
4. I let the oil soak in for about 1-2 hours.
5. If necessary, wipe off excess oil with a lint-free rag.
6. Always reoil after careful washing and drying, about 2-3 times a year.

A home sauna should be washed and oiled about 2-3 times a year – in fact, many sauna owners wash their sauna thoroughly at Midsummer and Christmas. In addition to a more thorough wash, it is a good idea to do a ‘light’ brushing and rinsing of the benches every now and then between washes. Always remember to make sure that the boards dry well, as constant prolonged dampness will put a strain on the boards.

Washing the glass wall

A thorough cleaning should also include washing the glass wall between the sauna and the washroom. The glass wall comes with the Sun Sauna Glass Wall Care Kit, which contains a clay-based cleaning agent and sponge. The cleaner is applied to the glass surfaces by sponging and scrubbing, then rinsing the glass surfaces well with water. The clay-based agent “grinds” the glass surface and removes any lime deposits that may have accumulated on it. The glass treatment package also includes a nano-treatment agent to prevent limescale deposits from adhering to the glass. The treatment should be applied to the glass before use and always after careful cleaning.

Avoid these mistakes!

• Do not use chlorite when washing the sauna, chlorite evaporates into the air when the sauna is heated and is harmful to health!
• In general, use as “gentle” and allergy-free cleaning products as possible!
• Avoid rinsing your ceilings and wall panels with running water after each sauna session, this will cause rapid cooling and leave the ceiling damp for a long time, increasing bacterial growth.
• Do not pour the detergent directly on wooden surfaces, mix it directly into the bucket as a washing solution according to the instructions on the packaging!
• Throw water only on the stones!
• Don’t leave water in the sauna heater, always empty it after a sauna!
• You should not dry your laundry on the stove because of the risk of fire!
• If you also clean the stove when you clean, do it before washing the floor and ceilings. If necessary, disconnect the stove from the mains, lift the stones out for cleaning and leave them to dry. The stove can then be vacuumed inside and, if necessary, wiped with a damp cloth on the exterior and interior surfaces.

Thanks to Matti Suomala from Suomala Oy(www.suomala.fi) for providing expert advice!