The Year-Round Outdoor Sauna Maintenance Guide
A practical guide to outdoor sauna care — cleaning, wood care, heater upkeep, and simple seasonal maintenance through every Canadian season.
There's a quiet satisfaction in stepping into a sauna that's been well looked after — clean cedar, even heat, that soft resinous smell. Getting there doesn't take much. Outdoor saunas are built to live outside through every season, and sauna maintenance is really a handful of small habits, not a big yearly project.
Whether you've owned your sauna for years or you're still choosing one, a little regular care keeps it beautiful, safe, and ready whenever you are. Every LeisureCraft sauna is built from cedar in Ontario and sold through authorized dealers, who can help with care products and parts.
- After each session, open the door to air it out and wipe the benches dry — that's most of the work.
- Give the inside a deeper clean every week or two with a gentle, sauna-safe cleaner; never use bleach or harsh chemicals on cedar.
- Leave the interior wood bare (or use a clear, sauna-safe oil); outside, let the cedar weather to silver or re-coat it every few years with a penetrating oil.
- Keep both vents clear, and check the bands, door, and roof with the seasons.
- Service the heater yearly — and have a wood-burner's chimney inspected at least once a year.
How much care a sauna really needs
Caring for an outdoor sauna takes only a few minutes after each use, plus a deeper clean now and then and a seasonal once-over. Cedar is naturally durable, so most of the routine is drying it out, keeping it clean, and checking a few fittings as the seasons turn.
Think of sauna maintenance in four layers: a two-minute habit after each session, a deeper clean every week or two, a seasonal once-over each spring and fall, and a yearly deep clean with any small touch-ups. Here's the whole rhythm at a glance.
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| After each use | Air the room out; wipe the benches dry; a quick cool rinse |
| Weekly–monthly | Clean the floor and benches; check the bands, door, and vents |
| Each season (spring & fall) | Inspect the roof, base, and drainage; check the heater and stones; snug the bands |
| Once a year | Deep clean; re-oil the wood if you treat it; service the heater and inspect the chimney (wood-burning) |
How often you deep-clean comes down to use — weekly if you're in there most days, monthly if it's an occasional treat.
Cleaning the inside
To clean a sauna, wipe the benches and walls dry after each use and let the room air out. Every week or two, wipe the surfaces with warm water and a mild, sauna-safe cleaner, working with the grain. Skip bleach and harsh chemicals — they can grey the wood and aren't pleasant to breathe.
After each use
Open the door — and the vents, if yours adjust — so warm, damp air can escape and the wood dries evenly. Wipe the benches, backrests, and any spots where sweat collects with a dry towel. A quick rinse with cool water clears sweat and body oils and helps everything dry; there's no need to soak the wood.
A deeper clean now and then
Every week or two — more often if you use the sauna most days — wipe the inside down with warm water and a little mild soap, or a sauna-safe cleaner made for the job. LeisureCraft's Sauna Room Cleaner, for instance, is gentle on wood and can be used straight or diluted, sprayed on and wiped off. Always work with the grain, then wipe away the residue and let it dry. The one rule: never use bleach, ammonia, or harsh disinfectants — they can grey the cedar and aren't something you want to breathe once the room heats up.
Sweat stains and stubborn marks
Benches can pick up sweat stains or darken where skin meets wood. To lift them, sand the spot lightly along the grain with fine sandpaper — around 120 to 220 grit — then wipe away the dust, and the cedar looks fresh again. To prevent stains in the first place, sit and rest your feet on a towel.
Keeping mould away
Cedar's natural oils resist mould well, but trapped moisture can still cause it. The fix is to dry the room out: run the heater after a humid session and keep the vents clear. If mould does appear, scrub it with a non-bleach remover or diluted vinegar, rinse, and improve the airflow. We don't recommend bleach on cedar — gentler options handle it without greying or weakening the wood.
To stain or leave it: finishing the cedar
Cedar doesn't need a finish to last. Inside, leave the wood bare or use a clear, sauna-safe penetrating oil — never a sealer or varnish. Outside, let the cedar weather to a silvery grey, or keep its colour with a penetrating oil that adds UV protection. Either way, the wood is fine.
Inside: leave it bare, or use a sauna-safe oil
Bare cedar has long been the standard inside, and it's still a perfectly good choice. What you should never do is coat the interior with ordinary stain, sealer, or varnish: those form a film that traps moisture, can blister in the heat, and may give off fumes when the room warms up.
If you'd like to treat it, there's now a safe way to. A clear, penetrating sauna oil — one that soaks into the wood rather than sitting on top — protects the cedar and deepens its colour without those downsides. LeisureCraft recommends and stocks Meldos, a natural, food-safe oil made for sauna interiors, though any genuine penetrating sauna oil will do. Treated or bare, the choice is yours.
Outside: weather it, or keep the colour
The exterior faces sun, rain, and snow, and the sun ages it fastest. Left untreated, cedar fades to a silvery grey — only skin deep, harmless to the wood, and a look plenty of owners prefer. To hold the warm cedar tone, use a penetrating exterior oil with UV protection. LeisureCraft recommends Livos Alis, in four shades through your dealer, but any quality penetrating, non-film stain for outdoor wood works the same way.
Apply two coats to start, on a dry day above about 10°C (45°F), and keep the door open while it dries. Because a penetrating oil never peels, re-coating later means no sanding — just clean the surface and brush on one coat, roughly every couple of years or when the colour fades. Store leftover oil indoors so it doesn't freeze over winter.
LeisureCraft's Mark chats with a Livos rep about how to oil a sauna, inside and out.
A note for Pure Cube and metal-clad models
If your sauna has a metal-clad exterior or a glass front — like the Pure Cube — the outside is finished differently and doesn't need oiling. Keep the metal and glass clean with mild soap and water, rinse, and check the seals. Treat any exposed cedar, usually on the interior, just as you would above.
Need care products or parts?
Cleaners, oils, stones, and replacement parts are all available through your local LeisureCraft dealer.
Keeping the air moving
Good airflow keeps a sauna dry between sessions, and a dry sauna is a healthy one. Keep both the lower and upper vents clear, open any adjustable vent while the room dries, and you'll head off most musty smells, mould, and premature wear in the wood.
A sauna is designed to breathe: fresh air enters through a low vent near the heater and leaves through a higher one on the opposite wall, changing the air several times an hour. That same airflow dries the wood once you're done — your best defence against mould and musty smells.
The upkeep is easy: keep both vents unobstructed — no towels, benches, or snow in the way — and open any adjustable vent after a session to let the room dry. In winter, check the outside vents after heavy snow.
The heater and stones
Heater care depends on the type. For electric heaters, keep the stones stacked loosely and replace them as they crumble. For wood-burning stoves, clear the ash, burn dry wood, and have the chimney inspected at least once a year. With both, leave electrical or chimney repairs to a professional.
Left: restacking the stones on an electric heater. Right: adjusting the chimney bracket on a wood-burning sauna.
Electric heaters
With an electric heater, the key is how the stones sit: stack them loosely — larger on the bottom, smaller on top — so air and heat move freely, and never pack them tight or let them press on the elements. Once a year, with the power off and the heater cool, brush dust off the elements; never use water or cleaners on them. Use only the stones supplied or approved for your heater, and leave all wiring to a licensed electrician.
Wood-burning heaters
A wood stove needs a little more care, around the fire and the chimney. Empty the ash before each fire so the stove draws air properly, and burn only dry, seasoned hardwood — wet or green wood builds creosote far faster. Keep the firebox door closed while burning, and wipe the glass when it hazes over.
Clean the heating surfaces every 15 to 20 uses, and — this matters for safety — have the chimney inspected and cleaned at least once a year, more often with heavy use. In Canada, many insurers ask for a WETT inspection. Creosote is the main fire risk, so if the chimney or the wall around it ever gets unusually hot or discoloured, stop and call a certified professional. Fit a carbon-monoxide alarm nearby, and keep to the clearances in your heater's manual.
The stones
Whichever heater you have, use proper sauna stones — dense, heat-resistant types that won't shatter. Rinse them before first use, restack them loosely once a year (clearing out debris and broken pieces), and replace any that crack or wear down, usually every year or two. Worn, dusty stones make weaker steam, so an occasional refresh keeps your löyly feeling right.
The shell: bands, roof, and base
The cedar shell mostly looks after itself. On a barrel sauna, tighten the bands with a ¾-inch wrench or cordless drill after the first month and check them with the seasons. Keep the roof clear, make sure the door seals well, and set the sauna on a level, well-drained base.
Why the wood moves — and the bands
Cedar expands and contracts with the seasons as it absorbs and releases moisture — completely normal. As it swells in humid months it presses tightly into the bands that hold a barrel sauna together; as it dries, the bands can loosen a little, and you may notice thin gaps between the staves that close again when humidity returns.
The bands are marine-grade aluminum with stainless steel hardware, so they won't rust. Tighten them with a ¾-inch wrench, or a cordless drill, after the first month, then check and snug them each spring and fall. It's a two-minute job.
Tightening a barrel sauna's band with a drill and wrench — a quick seasonal check.
Roof, door, and fittings
Give the roof a look each season, and match the care to the type: a rubber (EPDM) membrane needs only the odd wash with mild soap and a soft brush — no solvent cleaners; cedar shingles should be kept clear of debris and leaves; a metal roof just needs a rinse and a check of the seams and fasteners. Rake heavy snow off any roof with a gentle, non-scratching tool. While you're there, check that the door closes cleanly and seals well — a good seal keeps the heat in — and wipe the hinges and handle.
Get the base right
A lot of future problems start at the base, so it's worth getting right. Your sauna should sit on a firm, level surface that drains well — a concrete pad, deck, compacted crushed stone, or patio pavers all work. (Our Outdoor Sauna Guide covers the base options in more detail.) A slight slope away from the door sheds water, and building the base a little larger than the footprint keeps the bottom boards out of puddles and snowmelt. Standing water is the enemy of any outdoor wood structure, so good drainage is the best long-term protection you can give it.
Sauna care through the seasons
Outdoor saunas are built for year-round use, so caring for one through the seasons is mostly about timing. Deep-clean and inspect in spring, keep things dry through summer, prepare for the cold in fall, and clear snow and allow a longer warm-up in winter. There's nothing to drain or shut down.
Spring is for a fresh start: a thorough clean after winter, a gentle exterior wash (soft brush, mild soap, low pressure — never a full-blast pressure washer), a band check after the humid months, and a look over the roof, seals, and drainage. Re-oil the exterior if it's faded.
Summer is the easy season. Keep up the routine cleaning, run the heater after rainy spells to dry things out, and watch for insects or nests around the chimney and vents. It's also the best time to oil the wood, since you need a warm, dry day.
Fall is for getting ahead of winter. Re-check the bands as the wood contracts, look over the door seal and hinges, and — if you burn wood — book the heater and chimney service before the busy season. Clear leaves from the roof and drainage.
Winter is when an outdoor sauna earns its place, and it asks for only a few extra habits. Keep the door, vents, and chimney clear of snow and ice, and expect a slightly longer warm-up. Don't leave standing water to freeze inside, dry the room after each use to manage condensation, and keep the path and step clear underfoot.
One word on "winterizing": a dry sauna isn't a cold plunge. There are no pipes or standing water to drain — winterizing here just means inspecting, tightening, sealing, and managing snow.
When something's not right
Most sauna niggles have simple causes. A room that won't get hot usually points to a leaky door seal, blocked vents, or poorly stacked stones; a musty smell means it needs drying out; loose bands just need tightening. For anything electrical or chimney-related, call your dealer or a professional.
A few of the most common issues, and where to start:
• It won't get hot enough. Check the door seal and vents for heat escaping, and make sure the stones are stacked loosely with room for air. On a cold day, allow more warm-up time.
• The heat feels uneven. Re-stack the stones and adjust the vents.
• There's a musty smell. It needs drying out — run the heater, open the vents, give it a clean, and burn off any hair on the stones.
• The door sticks. Usually seasonal swelling; a small hinge adjustment sorts it.
• The bands feel loose. The cedar has contracted — tighten with a ¾-inch wrench or drill.
• The steam feels weak. The stones are probably dusty or worn; rinse, restack, or replace them.
For heater faults, any sign of a chimney fire, or structural water damage, don't improvise — contact your dealer or a qualified professional. Electrical work should always go to a licensed electrician.
Looked after this way, a quality cedar sauna lasts a long time — commonly 15 to 30 years, often more. Good care also protects your warranty: LeisureCraft backs its Red Cedar saunas for five years, and its Eastern White Cedar saunas for three. A little routine attention keeps the wood, the heat, and the ritual feeling new for years.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not really — cedar is durable and lasts untreated. Outside, a penetrating oil is optional, only for colour and UV protection. The firm rule is the interior: no stain, sealer, or varnish, since a surface film can't take the heat. A clear oil that soaks in is the only finish that belongs inside.
Dry the room out first — a good heat-up with the vents open clears most of it. For visible spots, a non-bleach cleaner or diluted vinegar works without harming the cedar. The real fix is prevention: a sauna that dries fully between sessions rarely sees mould at all.
At least once a year, and more often if it's your main heat source through winter. Clean the heating surfaces every 15 to 20 uses, and burn only dry, seasoned wood to slow creosote. In Canada, a WETT inspection is often part of home-insurance requirements.
Yes. Cedar shrinks in dry weather and swells when it's humid, so thin gaps can open and close on their own. A new sauna, or one caught in heavy rain, may show a little seepage too — it dries off as the room heats and the wood swells to seal the seams. It isn't cracking. If seepage lingers once the wood has settled, check that the bands are snug.
Let it dry first. After the final coat, leave the door open to air out — usually overnight is plenty before your next session. Work on a warm, dry day (above about 10°C) and you'll be back to enjoying it within a day.
A fresh interior oil has its own light scent for a little while, and the cedar smell can fade briefly. It comes back on its own — usually within a few days to a couple of weeks — as the oil cures and you use the room.
There's no fixed schedule — re-coat when the finish looks dull or the colour fades, roughly every couple of years depending on sun and exposure. Because the oil soaks in rather than forming a film, there's no sanding: a quick clean and one fresh coat does it.
Thinking about a sauna of your own?
Explore our Canadian-made cedar saunas, or connect with a local dealer for care products, parts, and expert advice.