An outdoor sauna is often preferred over indoor sauna as it provides the rare chance to shower under the skyline and being surrounded by the canopy. Further, outdoor saunas aren’t limited by issues such as the bathroom or internal space limitations. Installing an outdoor sauna isn't tedious but maintaining it requires a systematic approach.
Understanding Outdoor Sauna Maintenance Requirements
Wood is among the most commonly-used materials for building outdoor saunas, particularly in the domestic niche. Polished wood is preferred for its naturalistic decor and overall durability. Wood also offers the convenience of easy handling and affordability. Popular wood choices for such needs include cedar and redwood—basically, dense hardwoods. Spa wood is polished and prepared in such a manner that it guarantees years of performance. However, wood can pose some typical problems if not cared for in the proper manner.
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You can use the following information to comprehensively care for your outdoor sauna.
Supplies Needed:
- Wood sealant
- Plastic bucket
- Scrubber
- Sandpaper
- Paintbrush
- Garden hose
- Water
- Dry cloth
- Chimney cleaner
- Household detergent
- Trisodium phosphate
- Cotton towels
- Oxalic acid
- Mop
- Plastic gloves
Step 1—Getting Started with Appropriate Sauna Usage
From the first day of using the outdoor sauna, ensure that you stick to some basic guidelines. For instance, everyone using the sauna should use a towel for seating purposes. This is because people tend to sweat heavily inside a sauna. The sweat contains natural salts and other body oils that can penetrate the wood. Thus, perspiration can lead to problems such as molding within the wood panels. The only solution to prevent this is to sit on dry, cotton towels spread across the wooden seating area. Make sure that the sauna is left open after every use. This ensures that the odor doesn’t become endemic to the sauna and the excess steam is released.
Step 2—Cleaning Outdoor Spa
Never use cleaners containing ammonia as they can discolor the wood. You don’t need to buy expensive, anti-bacterial solutions since the steam itself is keeps the sauna germ-free. Using a garden hose, profusely spray the spa. Prepare a solution containing water and a medium-strength household cleaner. Use this solution to mop the spa floor. You can use a scrubber for cleaning the walls. Remember to rinse the spa properly. This ensures that no chemical deposits are formed. You need to wash the spa at least three times in a year.
Step 3—Strengthen Outdoor Spa Wood
The first coating of this preservative should be applied at the time of installing the spa. From here on, develop a schedule to coat the wood at least, once in four months. You may need to treat the wood more often if the climate is very humid or the sauna is used very often. Applying the sealant is easy. Use a paintbrush for applying the first coating. Use successive coatings as per the packaged instructions. The spa shouldn’t be used until the sealant has been properly absorbed by the wood. Some quick-absorbing wood polishes are now available for this specific purpose.
Step 4—Removing Outdoor Spa Stains
Prepare a cleaning solution by mixing two tablespoons each of oxalic acid trisodium phosphate. Pour this chemical mixture into a bucket of water. Dip a mop in this solution and dab the stains with it. Scrub the stains with the scrubber. Rinse the stained areas. If the stains are still visible, use some sandpaper to sand the stains. Treat the scrubbed spot with a wood-sealant as explained above.
Step 5—Caring for Outdoor Spa Heater
If you are using an electric heater in the sauna, clean the heater with a dry cloth. You can dip the cloth in some household detergent if any creosote build-up is visible. If you have a combustion heater, empty the ashes. If the creosote seems sticky, use a chimney cleaner to remove it.
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