If you love your infrared sauna, you probably use it regularly. But the more often you use your sauna, the more frequently dead skin cells, sweat, and hair collect on its floor and benches. Given enough time, all of that debris can lead to an odor and unsightly appearance. Plus, regular sweating can sometimes create stains on your benches and any other wooden surfaces.
Want to keep your infrared sauna looking and smelling like new? You’ll have to clean your sauna from time to time using a few specific tools and some basic techniques. Here’s how to clean an infrared sauna so you can keep your sauna looking its best.
Consider adding Infrared Sauna Accessories like a Halotherapy machine or Red Light Therapy device to further improve your sauna experience!
What to Use
If you want to clean your infrared sauna thoroughly, you’ll need the right materials and tools. For starters, be sure to use a dedicated sauna cleaning solution, which you can either purchase or make yourself. Basic sauna cleaner can be created by mixing some essential oils, vinegar and water. Never use wood cleaners or general use bleach cleaners, as these can leave stains on your sauna’s untreated wood. You’ll also want to get natural glass cleaner. Formulas with natural ingredients are ideal.
For cleaning tools, make sure to secure at least a few microfiber cloths for drying, a sanding sponge, and a brush for getting rid of grit and ingrained sweat.
Cleaning the Bench(es)
Odds are that your infrared sauna’s benches are the most frequently used surfaces, so you have to make sure to clean these regularly. In fact, it’s a good idea to take a regular cloth with warm water to wipe down the bench once after every use.
When it’s time to clean more thoroughly, take one of the microfiber cloths and apply warm water with your infrared sauna cleaner, then scrub. If you notice dirt or stain spots, apply more of the cleaner and use a tough bristle brush or the sandpaper sponge. This should get rid of the stains and help your wood look like new.
Cleaning the Floor
You’ll also want to thoroughly clean your infrared sauna’s floor. The floor is a hotspot for bacteria since you walk and sweat on it with every use.
Use a handheld vacuum cleaner or a broom and dustpan to get visible dirt and debris off the floor. You can also take a mop (using handmade or store purchased infrared sauna cleaning solution) and clean the floor more intensely. If you notice stains, be sure to use the same soaking and scrubbing technique for the benches to get them out.
To maintain your infrared sauna’s floors for longer, consider keeping a mat outside the sauna door and have any guests wipe their feet before entering.
Wall Cleaning
In general, your sauna’s walls shouldn’t become too dirty. A once-a-moth cleaning session is usually sufficient. Take one of the microfiber cloths and the infrared sauna cleaning session to scrub down the walls along with any stains you may notice.
Exterior Cleaning
What about the exterior? If your sauna is made of wood, you’ll want to use a polish after wiping down and scrubbing the exterior to maintain a sleek, beautiful shine. Remember: never use any varnish or paint on your sauna’s exterior.
Wiping Down the Heater
For your sauna to keep providing its stellar health benefits, you have to clean the heater. Fortunately, you should be able to clean your infrared sauna’s heater(s) with a single damp microfiber cloth.
Open up the heating compartment (if applicable), then wipe down any visible areas. Be sure to let the heater cool down first if you are cleaning it shortly after a sauna session!
Let the heater air dry before beginning a new infrared sauna session. Luckily, the heater shouldn’t become overly dirty all that often.
Is a Deep Clean Necessary?
Occasionally, yes. It’s a good idea to gently and quickly wipe down your infrared sauna’s interior and exterior about once per week if you use it regularly.
But you’ll only need to deep clean your sauna as we’ve described above about once per month on average. The fact that your sauna regularly produces intense heat and infrared light means that bacteria will grow very slowly on the inside.
Still, an occasional deep clean can do a lot to maintain the aesthetic of your sauna as well as prevent odors from developing over time.
Other Sauna-Cleaning Tips
To make the most of your sauna cleaning sessions, follow these tips:
- To avoid sweat stains from forming in the first place, lay towels down on your wooden benches to soak up sweat
- Always wash any towels or cushions to stop bacteria from growing on them
- Want to keep any wooden surfaces looking fresh? Take sandpaper and sand down those areas
- Don’t bring any food or drinks in your sauna—it just makes more mess to clean up later
- Take a shower before entering your infrared sauna
Enhance Your Sauna Experience with Accessories
If you would like to elevate your sauna experience even further, the addition of a few choice accessories can do just that. The Clearlight® Infrared Sauna series features two exceptional accessories that have proven to be popular among many of our customers—the Clearlight® Red Light Therapy Tower and the Clearlight® Infrared Sauna Halotherapy device.