Sauna cleaning and maintenance

A maintenance schedule

Based on Harvia's care guidance for family saunas. Your sauna's own manual comes first.

After each session

• Take out bench towels and the water bucket, and wipe any water off the benches and the heater's casing.
• Leave the heater on for about 10 minutes to dry the wood, then switch it off.
• Open the vent and leave the door half open. In cold weather, Harvia suggests closing outside windows and valves, because cold air slows drying.

Drying out is the single most important habit. Wood that stays damp goes grey, smells and can grow mould.

A deeper clean

1. Let the sauna cool and switch off the heater at the isolator.
2. Hoover or sweep the floor and under the benches. Lift out duckboards if you have them.
3. Wash benches and walls with a cloth, a little water and a mildly alkaline cleaner. Harvia suggests pH 8 to 10. Don't soak the wood.
4. Sand out marks lightly along the grain, and wipe off the dust.
5. Dry it with the heater on and the door and vents open.
6. Re-oil the benches if you treat them. Harvia recommends paraffin oil, tested on the underside first.

What to avoid

• Varnish or lacquer inside the sauna. Harvia says this is strictly prohibited.
• Bleach and harsh chemicals, which damage the wood and leave fumes when it heats up.
• Pressure washers and hoses inside. Too much water soaks in and warps the timber.
• Oils, scents and sauna honey on the wood, which stain.

Garden saunas

An outdoor sauna also needs looking after on the outside, especially through an Irish winter:

• Re-treat the exterior as the seller recommends, often every year or two for untreated or oiled timber.
• Check the roof covering and door seals each autumn.
• Keep the base clear of leaves and standing water, and keep vents unblocked.
• On barrels, check the steel bands, which may need tightening as the wood dries and swells. Follow the seller's guidance.