Five sauna maintenance tips for getting your sauna ready for summer
The sun is shining, and your summer cottage sauna awaits for you to start the summer sauna season: arguably the best time of the year. Before you start the summer sauna season it’s important to remember that the cottage and also the sauna at the cottage need to be maintained regularly.
Step 1: Check the wood burning sauna heater
Inspect the heater and it’s structures carefully, and check for parts of the heaters that might need some TLC. Sometimes a heater that’s been in heavy use needs to be replaced. Inspect the heater with a torch, remove the sauna stones, open the hatch of the heater, point your light to the fire chamber of the heater, and check for holes. If the sauna doesn’t heat up properly, it often means that the heat is escaping from some part of the wood burning heater. This poses a safety risk, so we recommend replacing it with a new one.
Step 2: Clean or replace the sauna stones
You should re-stack your sauna stones every year. The stones’ structure will change over time in high heat and the pile of stones will flatten. For nice steam, you’ll want air to circulate between the stones! Re-stacking the sauna rocks is a good time to clean them from dust and debris with warm water and a soft brush. Check the condition of the stones by tapping two stones against each other, if the stones crumble or are yellowed, it’s time to replace them with new ones.
Step 3: Clean the outside of the heater
Sauna bathing might have accumulated visible limescale stains on the surface of the heater. These can be easily removed with a mixture of water and vinegar or citric acid powder. For stainless steel surfaces, we recommend Harvia's sauna heater cleanser, that makes it easy to get rid of limescale stains.
Step 4: Check and clean the sauna benches
Check that the sauna benches’ structure is in good condition and that the benches are clean. If the benches only require cleaning, wash the benches with warm water and a suitable cleaning solution using a soft brush. Always brush the benches along the grain of the wood and rinse the benches a few times to remove the detergent. Finally, rinse the benches with cold water to close the grains of the wood to help repel dirt. Carefully dry the sauna by heating it for at least 30 minutes.
Once the benches are clean and dry , they should be treated with a protective coat of paraffin oil. Try the oil in an unnoticeable place, such as under a bench to see how the oil affects the color of the wood.
If the benches have stubborn dark stains, you can lightly sand them off while the benches are dry. Harvia’s Sauna Care Set is a ready-made package for sauna care and cleaning. The package includes sauna cleaner, paraffin oil and sponge, protective gloves, and sandpaper.
Step 5: Add a personal touch with sauna accessories
Add a personal touch with new sauna textiles, such as bench towels, pillows and matching towels. Beautiful sauna textiles will upgrade the look of your sauna and protect the benches from dirt. Accessorize your sauna with a new pail and ladle set and a firewood basket that complement your style.
Sauna care set
The Harvia Sauna Care Set is designed for treating the wood surfaces of the sauna and cleaning the sauna facilities. The Harvia Sauna Care Set includes one bottle of cleanser and disinfectant for the sauna (500 ml), paraffin oil (500 ml), a sponge, protective gloves and sandpaper. First, wash your sauna as instructed using the sponge and protective gloves. If necessary, use the sandpaper to remove persistent dirt. Rinse the wood surfaces and let them dry. After that, you can protect the surfaces with paraffin oil, which will also beautifully accentuate the color of the wood.
Sauna heater cleanser 500 ml
Sauna heater cleanser, suitable for heaters with a stainless steel surface. Instructions for use: For cleaning and removing limescale from the exterior surfaces of sauna heaters and other acid-resistant materials (such as glass, tile, porcelain). Use a sponge or cloth to spread the cleanser. Let sit for 10–15 min. Scrub the surface clean and rinse carefully. Repeat if necessary. Please note! Dampen the tile surfaces before cleaning. Do not use it together with chlorinated substances. Contains: Non-ionic surfactants , Sodium benzoate. pH apProx. 3.
Paraffin oil for benches 500 ml
The paraffin oil by Harvia is an oil treatment for wood surfaces that reduces the amount of humidity and dirt absorbed into the benches, thus increasing their life span. We recommend that you treat new benches before using them and repeat the treatment once or twice a year when cleaning the sauna. The paraffin oil is suitable for all wood surfaces, but it is especially good for heat-treated wood and alder surfaces. The paraffin oil is colorless, but it accentuates the natural color of wood surfaces. The paraffin oil is also included in the Harvia Sauna Care Set, a comprehensive package of Products for sauna care.
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