|
Home saunas do need some regular upkeep and once you learn how to maintain your home sauna in a good shape, you will be able to enjoy it for a longer period of time. Cleaning the home sauna is paramount even if the steam is likely to kill any type of germs that may enter your sauna. You will not have to use special anti-bacterial sprays within your home sauna mainly because such sprays are likely to seep into the wood from which the sauna is usually made. Once they seep into the walls of your saunas, nasty fumes will be let off as soon as you start heating your sauna again.
Actually, with the wrong cleaner, your sauna may become an unusable steam room and you are not likely to want this to happen. Prevention is the key aspect when it comes to cleaning your home sauna. For instance, instead of just waiting for sweat to start staining all your wood seating, you should provide yourself with towels that are to be laid on the benches. In order to clean your home sauna, you should follow these simple instructions in order to do your best.
Start by using plain and soapy water in order to wash all the wooden surfaces with soft clothes. Next, you will have to rinse everything by using cool water. In case that severe discoloration has occurred, you should sand those areas before washing them and then, treat them as normal. Also, you must watch out for ammonia in the cleaners you use for your home sauna because such ammonia will give off pretty toxic fumes and will also turn the wood grey.
The sauna heater must be maintained as well – regular care is necessary in its case. If your sauna heater is an electric one, you will find it quite easy to clean. All you will have to do is to wipe down the electric cleaner with mild soap and soft cloth – do this from time to time in order to keep the electric heater pristine. However, you must make sure that you are not using scrubby or rough cloth because this is likely to scratch its metal surface.
Keep in mind that once such a scratch appears on the surface of the electric heater, rust will be promoted due to the humid environment from your home sauna. A wood burning heater must have the ashes removed soon after use. Professional and regular inspections of its vents are required in order to make sure that no fire hazard exists due to the creosote buildup. Also, the sauna rocks need regular maintenance – no mater what sauna rocks you are using, you must have them inspected on a regular basis. For instance, any rock that smells odd or has cracks must be replaced.
Another issue that is common in the case of the home saunas is the stick door. Moisture and heat combined will make wood swell and this will make the sauna door sticky and easily solved. In this case, all you will have to do is to use a piece of sandpaper and sand the door areas that are sticking in order to allow the sauna door to shut and open easily. As a main rule, you must remember to avoid any harsh chemical cleaners when cleaning your sauna and keep the sauna heater in best condition.
Photo - Flickr, http://www.flickr.com/photos/miikas/419823463/
|