Simple Sauna Etiquette ensures an enjoyable sauna experience

Sauna Etiquette and Tips – Helping you Get the Most from your Sauna Experience

Sauna Etiquette Tips for Public and Home Saunas

Sauna Etiquette at Home

For Family and Guests

In your own Home Sauna you make the rules, however, should you be a guest in your friend’s Home Sauna or if you visit a public sauna, adhering to generally accepted guidelines of Sauna Etiquette will ensure an enjoyable experience.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that the sauna is a place for relaxation – to calm the mind and body, and for this you will need to set aside enough time.

Home Sauna Tips

Always shower before entering the sauna.

Put one towel on the bench before sitting – it will protect your benches from stain and may be more comfortable.

Don’t use the sauna straight after the pool as the chlorine will make an unpleasant smell in the Sauna Room.

Don't try to see who can stay in the Sauna Room the longest; this is for relaxation and rejuvenation – not competition.

Cool down after the sauna and put your clothes on only after you have stopped sweating.

Apply some good quality body lotion to complete your experience.

Public Sauna Tips

Look for any guidelines for use before entering the Sauna Room and bathing area.

Always shower before entering the sauna – the shower facilities will no doubt be adjacent to the sauna.

Swimsuits are usually not worn in a Sauna Room – however in countries where nudity is not unusual, a larger towel or some form of clothing can be worn. It is important that any clothing worn be made of cotton or some material that breathes.

Cover the area you wish to sit on with one towel – you may need to use another to cover yourself. You do not need to wrap up completely, but a little modesty may be in order, depending on where you are.

If you are new to the experience, make an effort not to stare at other people. Remember, this is not new to them and your unwanted attention will make them feel uncomfortable and make yourself look a little silly.

Try not to talk but if you must, then talk quietly. Remember, everyone is here to relax and get away from the cares of the outside world, so don’t bring them with you.

Sauna Etiquette Tips for Travelers

If you like to visit public saunas while traveling, it is a very good idea to take note of the Sauna Etiquette of that particular country. In countries where saunas are part of the fabric of life, behavior codes are adhered too with diligence and to break them would no doubt result in a less than enjoyable experience.

A little bit of homework is well worth the effort to ensure that your sauna visit adds rather than detracts from your experience.

Finnish Sauna Customs

Customs in this country have had a long evolution, and while you may have no intention of visiting a Finnish Sauna, you may like to adopt some of these practices in your own Home Sauna.

Finnish families often use the sauna together and it is customary to be naked. If they are fortunate enough to have a lake nearby, they rinse off in that after a session in the sauna. This happens in summer and winter. Alternatively, they may roll in the snow in winter.

The use of Birch branches for slapping the body, or scrubbing with a sponge, is also part of the overall ritual. Some public saunas also have a scrubbing person in attendance.

Korean Sauna Customs

Korea has two different parts to the whole experience. One is the Sauna Rooms themselves, where there are also hot and cold pools – as well as pools of other substances, such as milk. These are segregated with males in one side of the complex and females in the other. The users are naked in these saunas.

The other is a Jjimjil Bang, where males and females are mixed. This area tends to be where you will find the Infrared Sauna Rooms and salt rooms. The users are not naked in this part of the complex, and patrons are supplied with shorts and T-shirts as well as towels.

A scrubbing person is available in the sauna if you wish to pay to get a full body scrub, but often while at the shower another person will come along and scrub your back for you – particularly if you are a regular patron and they know who you are. You may be expected to return the favor.

When showering, wash down the stool before and after use.

Russian Sauna Customs

When first arriving you will find an office where you pay for your sauna and whatever other treatments you choose. If you have taken along your own venik (whisk), it can be left to soak for a few minutes before use. In the Russian Sauna slapping the body is also part of the process. Sauna goers use birch, oak, sage and nettle, among others. Whipping with a whisk of a tree is used as a form of massage.

Visiting a Russian Sauna (Banya) is not dissimilar to using a Finnish Sauna. It is a combination of Dry Sauna, Steam Bath, plunging into cold pools and massage. Continue the hot and cold cycle until finished.

Use a hat or towel to cover your head and protect it from the heat while in the Sauna Room. The same rules apply for sitting on the benches – put down a towel first.

Men and women attend separately if it is not a facility that provides for mixed bathing. If it there is mixed bathing you can use a swimsuit.

Sauna Etiquette and Tips – for Everyone

You will find a sauna of some kind in almost any country you travel, so the above mentioned places are representative only. There is an obvious common thread of Sauna Etiquette that is not to difficult to decipher. At first just be sure to look around and take note of what the locals are doing.

Whether your sauna experience is that of a Home Sauna or a public sauna – keeping in mind basic Sauna Etiquette and Tips will ensure your experiences are enjoyable and memorable.