How to Clean a Sauna: A Step-by-Step Guide
A two-minute routine, a simple deeper clean, and what's safe to use on the wood
A clean sauna smells like warm cedar, not damp towels.
Keeping a sauna clean is mostly about simple habits: let the interior dry properly after every session, then give the wood a more thorough cleaning periodically based on how often the sauna is used. Regular care helps prevent sweat buildup, staining and unwanted smells while preserving the natural wood.
This guide covers the inside. For the outside, see how to stain and protect your outdoor cedar sauna.
- After each session, remove wet towels and accessories, wipe away moisture and let the sauna dry thoroughly.
- Clean benches and high-contact wood periodically with warm water and a mild sauna-safe cleaner.
- For deeper cleaning, our Sauna Room Cleaner can be used full-strength or diluted 4:1, then sprayed and wiped clean.
- Use bench towels to reduce sweat, body oils and staining.
- Avoid ammonia and harsh household cleaners on sauna wood.
After Every Session: The 2-Minute Routine
After each session, remove damp towels, the bucket and any floor mat. Wipe benches and backrests with a clean damp cloth where needed, soak up any standing water, and allow the sauna to dry thoroughly. Leave the door open or partially open as appropriate for your installation and ventilation system.
1. Take out towels, the bucket and any floor mat. Wet fabric keeps the room damp.
2. Wipe benches, backrests and headrests with a clean damp cloth where needed. Work with the grain.
3. Soak up standing water, especially on the floor and lower benches.
4. Leave the door open or partly open to suit your sauna's ventilation. Stand duckboards or the floor mat on edge so both sides dry.
No cleaner is needed after a normal session.
The Deeper Clean, Step by Step
When benches darken or the room smells musty, it's time for a deeper clean. With the power off and the heater cool, vacuum, clean the wood with our Sauna Room Cleaner or warm water and mild soap, wipe off the residue, and let everything dry completely before heating the sauna again.
How often depends on how much you use your sauna. Our year-round sauna maintenance guide covers the rhythm. Here's the method.
For routine deeper cleaning, we recommend our Sauna Room Cleaner. It's made for sauna interiors and can be used full-strength for stubborn areas or diluted 4:1 for lighter cleaning.
You'll need: soft cloths, a soft brush, a vacuum, and Sauna Room Cleaner or warm water with mild soap.
1. Turn off the power and let the heater cool. Keep water and cleaners away from the heater and electrics.
2. Take out backrests, headrests, floor pieces and the bucket.
3. Vacuum from the ceiling down, including the gaps between bench slats.
4. Spray the cleaner onto the surface or a cloth. Wipe with the grain, benches first, then any marked spots on the walls.
5. Remove any residue with a clean damp cloth.
6. Let the wood dry completely before heating the sauna again.
After cleaning and fully drying the wood, Meldos Natural Sauna Oil can be used where appropriate to help reduce moisture and dirt absorption and keep interior wood looking its best. Test the oil on a hidden spot first, since oil can darken the wood slightly.
Put together, it's a simple routine:
| Step | What we recommend |
|---|---|
| Clean | Sauna Room Cleaner, or warm water and mild soap |
| Dry | Let the wood dry completely before the next session |
| Protect | Meldos Natural Sauna Oil on clean, dry wood, where appropriate |
Keep Your Sauna Looking Its Best
Our Sauna Room Cleaner makes regular interior care simple: spray, wipe and let dry.
Surface by Surface
All the interior wood gets the same gentle care: a damp cloth or soft brush, a sauna-safe cleaner when needed, and good drying. Glass, acrylic, lights and buckets are different, so each has its own method. Here's what we recommend for every part of the room.
Lift-out pieces like a slatted cedar floor mat or a bucket and ladle set make this easier.
| Surface | What we recommend | What we'd skip |
|---|---|---|
| Benches and backrests | Damp cloth or brush with the grain, including slat gaps and undersides | Soaking the wood |
| Walls and ceiling | Wipe only marked spots; vacuum the rest | Wetting whole walls |
| Duckboards and floor mats | Lift out, clean underneath, dry on edge | Laying them on a wet floor |
| Tile or concrete floors | Damp mop; clear hair from the drain | Standing water |
| Glass | Spray glass cleaner onto the cloth, not the glass | Overspray on bare wood |
| Acrylic windows or domes | Lukewarm water, mild soap, soft cloth; clean when cool | Ammonia, alcohol, paper towels |
| Lights | Power off, then a damp cloth | Sprays or solvents |
| Bucket and ladle | Empty after use and let dry; soft cloth for copper | Abrasive pads |
| Thermowood interiors | Same care as cedar; light sanding is fine | Pressure washing |
Curious why cedar and thermowood hold up in the heat? See our cedar vs hemlock vs thermowood guide.
Stains and Marks: What They Are and How to Fix Them
Most marks on sauna wood come from one of four things: sweat, water, mildew or metal. Start with a sauna-safe cleaner, then light sanding with fine-grit paper if a mark remains. Mildew and metal marks tend to come back unless the cause is dealt with.
- Sweat darkening. Dark patches where people sit and lean. Clean first. If it stays, sand lightly along the grain with 120 to 220 grit paper.
- Water marks. Rings or streaks where water sat. Clean, then sand lightly if needed.
- Mildew or persistent dark spots. Clean the area with our Sauna Room Cleaner according to the product directions and allow the sauna to dry completely. If staining remains, light sanding with fine-grit sandpaper may help. Recurring spots usually mean moisture is not escaping or the area is not drying fully.
- Dark marks near metal. Found near metal hardware or where steel wool touched the wood. Metal can react with natural compounds in wood and create dark staining. Start with a sauna-safe cleaner. If the mark remains, contact your LeisureCraft dealer before using a wood brightener or other chemical treatment.
Prevention is easiest. A sauna towel under you and your feet stops most sweat stains.
What's Safe to Use on Sauna Wood
Our Sauna Room Cleaner, or warm water and mild soap, is all most saunas need. Fine-grit sandpaper handles stubborn marks, and a sauna oil can protect clean, dry wood. We recommend keeping ammonia, harsh household cleaners, steel wool and pressure washers out of the sauna.
| Product | Our recommendation |
|---|---|
| Sauna Room Cleaner | Recommended for routine interior cleaning |
| Warm water and mild soap | Suitable for general cleaning |
| Fine-grit sandpaper | For stubborn marks after cleaning |
| Meldos Natural Sauna Oil | For protecting clean, dry interior wood, where suitable |
| Ammonia or harsh household cleaners | Avoid |
| Steel wool or wire brushes | Avoid |
| Pressure washing | Avoid inside the sauna |
Unsure about a product? Test it on the underside of a bench first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Usually trapped moisture. Damp towels, a wet floor mat or water under duckboards can hold moisture long after a session, and sweat builds up in the benches over time. A chemical smell when the room heats up usually means cleaner residue, so wipe the wood again with a clean damp cloth.
We don't recommend it. Chlorine bleach can damage the wood surface, and it gives off harsh fumes when the sauna heats up. For a home sauna, a sauna cleaner or warm water and mild soap is enough.
Only partly. Heat kills some germs but not all, and floors and lower benches stay much cooler than the air. Research on saunas has found higher bacteria counts in those spots. For a home sauna, plain water and mild soap are enough. Strong disinfectants aren't needed.
Questions About Caring for Your Sauna?
Your local LeisureCraft dealer can help you choose the right care products for your model.