How To Clean an Infrared Sauna – 4 Tips & Tricks For Expert Care

If you’re seeking the ultimate at-home relaxation experience while boosting your health and wellness, installing an infrared sauna is the ideal solution. With the ability to rejuvenate both mind and body, owning an infrared sauna offers a multitude of benefits. From unwinding after a long day to aiding muscle recovery, an infrared sauna becomes an essential part of your wellness journey.

But did you know that maintaining your infrared sauna is both simple and essential for ensuring its longevity and optimal performance?

In this guide, we’ll cover how to clean an infrared sauna and provide tips for keeping it in top condition, so you can enjoy a luxurious, hygienic, and restorative environment every time you step inside it’s blissfully warm interior.

Benefits of Cleaning an Infrared Sauna

Regularly cleaning your infrared sauna isn’t just about appearance—it plays a critical role in ensuring your sauna continues to function at its best. Here’s why keeping your sauna clean matters:

Longevity and Durability

Just like any other investment, taking care of your infrared sauna ensures that it lasts for years to come. When dust, dirt, and oils accumulate on the wood and heater, they can degrade the materials over time. Regular cleaning helps maintain the integrity of your sauna’s interior, protecting the delicate wood and electrical components.

Enhanced Performance

When you clean an infrared sauna regularly, it runs more efficiently. By keeping the infrared heater clean and clear of debris, it can emit heat more effectively, providing a consistent and enjoyable experience every time you use it. Dirty or neglected heaters can lead to inefficient operation, reducing the therapeutic effects of the infrared waves.

Hygienic Environment

The dry heat of infrared saunas makes them naturally more resistant to bacteria and mold compared to traditional saunas, but regular cleaning is still essential. Sweat, oils, and dirt can accumulate on the benches and floors, creating a less-than-ideal environment. By staying on top of cleaning, you ensure a hygienic and luxurious space for relaxation.

More Enjoyable Sauna Sessions

A clean sauna feels better. It’s hard to fully relax when you know the environment around you hasn’t been properly maintained. By keeping your sauna pristine, you elevate the experience, turning each session into a a soothing escape.

How to Clean an Infrared Sauna

Infrared saunas create dry heat. Differing from traditional saunas that utilize steam and wet heat, infrared saunas don’t require much cleaning as the interior is not wet, an environment which can allow for the growth of bacteria and mold if not properly maintained and cleaned.

For a basic cleaning, all you need is a cloth and some warm water to wipe down the surfaces. This should be done after every use. Additionally, every two weeks, we suggest performing a deeper cleaning.

To do this, add one tablespoon of baking soda to a gallon of water in a bucket. Lightly scrub the wood with a soft bristled brush for a much deeper clean.

Bench

Arguably the most used interior surface within your sauna, the bench should be cleaned regularly. As mentioned above, use a cloth and warm water to wipe down the sauna bench after every use.

If stains from perspiration begin to appear, you can lightly sand the area with sandpaper for a like-new result.

Floor

Next to the bench, the floor is definitely the next in line for being the most used surface inside your sauna. Use a handheld vacuum to clean dirt, dust, and debris from the floor in your sauna, anywhere from once a week to once a month depending on how frequently it is used and how dirty the floor gets.

Once a month, you may want to mop down the floors in your sauna using a clean mop and the baking soda solution described earlier in this article. To help keep the floors in your sauna clean, we recommend using a mat outside the door, encouraging guests to wipe their feet before entering the sauna, helping to keep the floors clean.

Walls

You won’t have to worry about cleaning the walls in your sauna too often. Once a month should be more than enough. Again, we suggest using a cloth and the same baking soda solution to wipe and clean the interior walls.

Now, the exterior walls on the other hand, are a different story. To maintain the shine and beautiful aesthetic of your sauna from the outside, we recommend using a polish, but ensure it’s one that is suitable for the type of wood your sauna is made of. Do not use paint or varnish on the exterior of your indoor sauna.

Heater

Cleaning the infrared heater inside your sauna is easier than you might think. All you need is a warm, damp cloth, and you can get started. Simply wipe down all areas of the heater and allow it to dry before your next sauna session.

Regular Maintenance for Prolonged Longevity

In addition to cleaning, regular maintenance helps keep your sauna in excellent condition, prolonging its life and ensuring it functions optimally. Here are a few maintenance tasks to keep in mind:

• Inspect the Infrared Heater: Periodically check the heater for signs of wear or damage. Look for any unusual discoloration or sound during operation. If any issues arise, consult a professional to ensure it’s running safely.
• Check Electrical Connections: Inspect the electrical components, making sure there are no loose wires or visible damage. Safety is paramount, so if something doesn’t look right, have a professional check it out.
• Replace Bulbs and Filters: If your sauna has interior lighting or air filters, ensure these are regularly inspected and replaced when necessary to maintain optimal conditions.

Maintenance Tips & Tricks

• Shower before using the sauna to avoid bringing dirt, oil, and other contaminants into your sauna
• Sit on a towel and/or wrap one around your body too. This can add a buffer between your skin and the wood, absorbing sweat and catching any dirt or oil.
• Bring a small towel into the sauna with you and wipe sweat away
• Don’t overdo it, when it comes to sauna maintenance, less is more.

Shop Indoor and Outdoor Infrared Saunas for Sale

At Imagine Backyard Living, we’re dedicated to providing the best in wellness solutions for your home. For personalized advice, feel free to contact our experts or stop by the showroom to explore our range of indoor Jacuzzi® Infrared Saunas or Outdoor Clearlight® Infrared Saunas.

Contact us today and discover how easy it is to transform your home into a personal wellness retreat!