A well-built sauna can serve you for many years — on one condition: it gets the right care. The short answer: air and dry the sauna after every use, wash the benches weekly, check the stones once a year, and with an outdoor sauna, inspect the bands, roof and exterior cladding whenever the season changes. These simple habits prevent mould, musty smells, darkened wood and premature heater wear.
Below is a sauna maintenance routine organised by frequency: after every use, weekly, seasonal and yearly.
After every use: the five-minute routine
- Open the door and vents. Moisture in the hot room needs somewhere to go.
- Dry the room. Leaving an electric heater on for a while — say 15–30 minutes — with the door ajar dries the wood quickly. With a wood-burning stove, the residual heat is usually enough.
- Empty the bucket and leave the bucket and ladle to dry.
- Take out towels, mats and robes — don’t dry them inside the sauna.
- Wipe the benches with a dry or slightly damp towel, especially the sweatiest spots.
Cleaning benches and interior wood
Linden (lipa), thermo-linden, abachi and cedar — the woods used for sauna interiors — are natural materials that need to breathe. So keep the care gentle.
Weekly cleaning
- Wash benches, backrests and the floor grid with warm water and mild soap or a sauna-specific cleaner.
- Use a soft brush or sponge, not a stiff wire brush.
- Always dry the sauna afterwards.
What not to do
- Bleach, chlorine and harsh chemicals damage the wood and can smell unpleasant when heated.
- Pressure washers drive water deep into the timber.
- Varnish or paint inside the hot room turns sticky when heated, gives off odours and stops the wood from breathing. If you want to treat benches, use only a special paraffin oil made for saunas.
Dark stains
Sweat marks show up faster on light-coloured linden. The best prevention is to always sit on a towel. If a stain appears, lightly sand the dry wood with fine-grit sandpaper and wipe away the dust.
Ventilation: mould’s worst enemy
The faster a sauna dries, the longer it lasts. Good ventilation:
- prevents mould and fungus;
- removes stale, damp smells;
- reduces the risk of wood warping.
If your sauna has vent dampers, leave them open after use. In our saunas, the multilayer wall — mineral stone wool plus a special membrane — keeps moisture out of the wooden frame, but drying the room itself still comes down to your habits.
Heater and stone care
- Check the stones at least once a year. Take them out, discard any that are crumbled or cracked, rinse the rest and restack them loosely. Do this more often with heavy use. You’ll find replacement stones under accessories.
- On an electric heater, check the heating elements for damage, make sure the temperature sensor is in place and keep the heater clear.
- On a wood-burning stove, remove ash regularly and have the chimney swept at least once a year, before the season starts.
- If anything electrical seems wrong, don’t take the heater apart yourself — call a qualified technician.
Caring for the outside of an outdoor sauna
Exterior cladding
Our saunas are clad outside in water-resistant, thermo-treated larch (“listvenica”, also called ship timber). It resists moisture and rot well, but it still deserves attention:
- Once a season, inspect it for cracks, damage and colour changes.
- Don’t let water pool under the sauna; make sure the base drains.
- Keep plants, shrubs and leaf piles away from the walls.
- If you’d like to apply a protective finish to the exterior, check with us first.
Re-tightening barrel sauna bands
Wood is a living material: it swells slightly in humid weather and shrinks in dry, hot seasons. That’s exactly why our barrel saunas have adjustable metal bands — when the wood shrinks, you can tighten the body again.
- Check the bands at least in spring and autumn, and after any long dry spell.
- If gaps appear between the staves, tighten the bands evenly and gradually.
- Don’t over-tighten — the wood needs room to expand again when humidity rises.
More about how the barrel is built on our barrel sauna page.
Roof checks
Our saunas use tegola bitumen shingles over a strong roofing-felt layer — a double shield; some models use ondulin or profiled metal sheet instead.
- After strong wind or storms, check that all shingles are in place.
- Clear leaves and branches from the roof so water runs off freely.
- On metal sheet and ondulin, check that the screws are tight.
- With a wood-burning stove, check the seal where the chimney passes through the roof.
Caring for an indoor sauna: what’s different
Indoor saunas are built inside an existing room, with multilayer insulation — mineral stone wool and a moisture-resistant membrane — between the house walls and the sauna frame. That layer protects your home from steam and humidity, but a few habits still matter:
- Make sure humid air from the sauna goes into the home’s ventilation system or outside, not just into the next room.
- Air out the room that houses the sauna regularly too, especially if it’s next to a bathroom.
- Check the door seal and hinges from time to time — a warped door lets heat escape.
- If you notice an unusual smell, a damp patch on a wall or mould, don’t wait — contact a specialist.
Winter sauna care
- Clear heavy snow from the roof carefully, without damaging the shingles.
- In freezing weather, drain water lines, showers and hot/cold tubs, or protect them from freezing.
- Drying after use matters even more in winter, when condensation builds up faster.
- Keep the path and entrance clear of snow and ice.
Sauna maintenance schedule
| Frequency | What to do |
|---|---|
| After every use | Air out, dry, empty the bucket, wipe the benches |
| Weekly | Wash benches and floor with a mild cleaner |
| Each change of season | Check barrel bands, roof and exterior cladding |
| Yearly | Inspect/replace stones, sweep the chimney, have the heater checked |
| Winter | Clear snow, protect water lines from freezing |
FAQ
What should I use to clean sauna benches?
Warm water with mild soap or a dedicated sauna cleaner works best. Avoid bleach and chlorine, and always dry the sauna afterwards.
Can I varnish the inside of my sauna?
No. Varnish and paint turn sticky when heated, give off odours and stop the wood breathing. For benches, only a special sauna paraffin oil is suitable.
When should I re-tighten the bands on a barrel sauna?
Check them at least every spring and autumn, and after a long dry, hot spell. If gaps appear between the staves, tighten the bands evenly — but don’t over-tighten.
How often should sauna stones be replaced?
Inspect them at least once a year and replace any crumbled stones; more often if the sauna is used a lot.
What should I do if mould appears in my sauna?
It’s usually caused by poor airing and drying. Clean the spot with a mild cleaner, lightly sand the dry wood and make drying the sauna after each use a habit. If it keeps coming back, consult a specialist.
Questions about caring for your sauna, or thinking about a new one? Message us on WhatsApp for a free consultation. Message us on WhatsApp.
