Posts Tagged “guide”
Posted on November 17th, 2011 by Chris in Guides, How to, news, tags: body prints, etiquette, guide, How to, locker room, sauna, saunas, steam bath, Steam room, sweat, top ten list
 Photo of the Kotiharju Public Sauna in Helsinki. Image by Sami Oinonen via Flickr A reader wrote us this question:
Dear SaunaScape:
I’m going to a resort with some friends this weekend. In the spa area, they have a sauna. I’ve never used one before. There is one in my gym locker room and I don’t use it because it intimidates me. I don’t want to make a sauna faux-pas.
What is the etiquette for using a public sauna or a steam room like this?
Thank you,
Jordan
Jordan:
You shouldn’t get anxious about the sauna. It is a place to relax and do what is comfortable. Yes, it is a new experience for a lot of people, but as long as you remember the golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – you’ll be just fine.
If you are looking for some more specific rules, here is our top ten list of the most important etiquette rules consider when using a public sauna or steam bath:
10. Close the door.
Nothing upsets me more than when I am getting a good sweat on and someone else gets up to leave and does not close the door behind them. Nearly as bad is when someone is on their way in, and stops to chat with someone else while holding the door open.
When the sauna door is open, it does not take long for the heat to spill out of the sauna. It’s even worse in a steam room. If your gym or resort was stingy while sizing their sauna heater, it may take ten minutes or more for the sauna to recover from the door being open for just a minute.
If you are going in or out, please do it quickly, and make sure the door closes firmly behind you.
9. Sit on a towel.
Nothing is worse than walking into a sauna and having to find a spot to sit among the sweaty body prints others have left on the sauna bench. Saunas are not hot enough to kill germs, and in a high-use area like a public sauna, there may be a sealant or a protective barrier of gunk that neutralizes the disinfecting properties of wood.
Bring a towel in the sauna or steam room that is large enough to make a barrier between your body and the benches. If you’re sitting upright, a hand towel is big enough. If you’re going to lay down, you probably need a beach towel. It will protect you from what others have left behind, and keep you from leaving things behind.
Make sure you have a second towel that you leave outside the sauna to dry off with afterwards. You won’t want to use a sauna towel, and you can’t use a steam room towel to dry off after you’re done.
8. The sauna is not a clothes dryer.
There is a person at my gym who believes that the sauna is his personal clothes dryer. He does cardio, then goes for a swim. He brings in his sweaty clothes, wet bathing suit and towel and hangs them on the railing around the sauna stove to dry while he showers. Please, whatever you do, don’t do this.
7. Silence is golden.
I use the sauna as my place for relaxation and introspection. If you are going to talk, please do it quietly. Of course, if it is your own sauna, or you have the sauna to yourself, you can yak it up if you want. Just respect that in a public place, other people may want quiet.
6. If it’s in a locker room, it’s OK to got naked.
It seems like Tobias Fünke wrote most sauna etiquette guides. Most begin with a rant against seeing other people’s naked bodies in locker rooms. I’m going to rant the other way: It’s a locker room. You’re supposed to change clothes in there, which means you need to get naked in there. Until the early 1970′s, many high school and YMCA swimming pools throughout the US and Canada expected men to swim naked. Now, proper decorum says we aren’t supposed to show our bodies to anyone. This ad is indecent (but not this one).
They call it a sauna bath for a reason. You wouldn’t complain about people being naked in the shower, would you? So if the sauna is in an area where you can be naked, then go naked in the sauna! It’s more hygienic and better for you too.
By the way, a sweat suit or a sauna suit is never appropriate attire for the sauna. If you don’t want to get naked, see our post on what to wear in the sauna.
5. Keep your hands and eyes to yourself.
I may sauna naked, or with very little clothing. That does not mean that I amshowing off for anyone else. The Finns have a saying, “behave in a sauna like you would in church.” I’ve been in a number of saunas and seen some things that definitely aren’t church-like.
My attitude is, that if someone is coming on to someone else in the sauna, it isn’t hot enough. I go looking for the thermostat to turn up the heat. In a proper sauna, you can’t think about anything except “can I stay in here another minute?”
4. Leave your electronics outside.
The sauna isn’t good for your electronics, but electronics also aren’t good for the sauna. The heat and humidity (yes, even if it’s a dry sauna) in the sauna will damage your phone, iPod or other gizmo. The etiquette problem is nearly every device has a camera these days. I don’t know if you are just browsing through your music collection or if you’re taking photos of me. I’d rather not have to ask. The other problem is your music. Yes, you’re listening to it on earphones, but if it is quiet in the sauna, I’m probably going to hear most of it. And really, if that phone call is so important, why are you taking it in the sauna?
Use your gizmo while you’re working out, but leave it in your locker when you take a sauna.
3. No spitting on the rocks.
I’ve seen this happen before. I shouldn’t have to write it. Just don’t do it.
2. Shower before you sauna.
Reading through other sauna etiquette posts on the internet, it is amazing how many people see nudity as dirty, but don’t see dirt as dirty. I’ve seen it at my gym too: people remove their sweaty workout clothes to reveal a sweaty swimsuit underneath and head straight for the sauna. Or someone comes right out of the pool and heads straight into the sauna.
If you’ve been swimming, there is chlorine on your body that will volatilize in the sauna and can irritate everyone’s eyes and lungs who shares the sauna with you. If you have been out in public, your perfume or some other smell you picked up throughout your day will become stronger and more pungent in the sauna.
Be considerate to the others who use the sauna with you: Take a shower first. If you’re wearing a swimsuit or some other clothing in the sauna, take it off while you shower.
Don’t forget to take at least a quick rinse off after you sauna before you get into the pool.
1. Remember to ask first before you do anything that affects me.
This is a public sauna, and I’m going to share it with you. I may like what you want to do, like splashing water on the rocks, or using that secret trick that sends the heater into overdrive. I may not care about others, like if you prepare some secret skin rub that you’re going to use or if you’re going to exercise in the sauna. Or, I may not want to stay, and may ask you to wait until I leave before you start.
This is a public place. I have as much right to enjoy the sauna the way I want to as you do. If they conflict, let’s talk about it and find a way we both can live with. Everyone will be better off that way.
Keep in mind, these are the general rules for a public sauna. If you are lucky enough to have your own, you can make your own rules. If you are a guest in someone else’s sauna, then you should ask them what their rules are before making assumptions.
Good Luck!
What is your opinion of sauna etiquette in your gym’s locker room? Take our poll and let us know!
 [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Photo of the Kotiharju Public Sauna in Helsinki. Image by Sami Oinonen via Flickr"][/caption]
A reader wrote us this question:
Dear SaunaScape:
I'm going to a resort with some friends this weekend. In the spa area, they have a sauna. I've never used one before. There is one in my gym locker room and I don't use it because it intimidates me. I don't want to make a sauna faux-pas.
What is the etiquette for using a public sauna or a steam room like this?
Thank you,
Jordan
Jordan:
You shouldn't get anxious about the sauna. It is a place to relax and do what is comfortable. Yes, it is a new experience for a lot of people, but as long as you remember the golden rule – Do unto others as you would have them do unto you – you'll be just fine.
If you are looking for some more specific rules, here is our top ten list of the most important etiquette rules consider when using a public sauna or steam bath:
10. Close the door.
Nothing upsets me more than when I am getting a good sweat on and someone else gets up to leave and does not close the door behind them. Nearly as bad is when someone is on their way in, and stops to chat with someone else while holding the door open.
When the sauna door is open, it does not take long for the heat to spill out of the sauna. It's even worse in a steam room. If your gym or resort was stingy while sizing their sauna heater, it may take ten minutes or more for the sauna to recover from the door being open for just a minute.
If you are going in or out, please do it quickly, and make sure the door closes firmly behind you.
9. Sit on a towel.
Nothing is worse than walking into a sauna and having to find a spot to sit among the sweaty body prints others have left on the sauna bench. Saunas are not hot enough to kill germs, and in a high-use area like a public sauna, there may be a sealant or a protective barrier of gunk that neutralizes the disinfecting properties of wood.
Bring a towel in the sauna or steam room that is large enough to make a barrier between your body and the benches. If you're sitting upright, a hand towel is big enough. If you're going to lay down, you probably need a beach towel. It will protect you from what others have left behind, and keep you from leaving things behind.
Make sure you have a second towel that you leave outside the sauna to dry off with afterwards. You won't want to use a sauna towel, and you can't use a steam room towel to dry off after you're done.
8. The sauna is not a clothes dryer.
There is a person at my gym who believes that the sauna is his personal clothes dryer. He does cardio, then goes for a swim. He brings in his sweaty clothes, wet bathing suit and towel and hangs them on the railing around the sauna stove to dry while he showers. Please, whatever you do, don't do this.
7. Silence is golden.
I use the sauna as my place for relaxation and introspection. If you are going to talk, please do it quietly. Of course, if it is your own sauna, or you have the sauna to yourself, you can yak it up if you want. Just respect that in a public place, other people may want quiet.
6. If it's in a locker room, it's OK to got naked.
It seems like Tobias Fünke wrote most sauna etiquette guides. Most begin with a rant against seeing other people's naked bodies in locker rooms. I'm going to rant the other way: It's a locker room. You're supposed to change clothes in there, which means you need to get naked in there. Until the early 1970's, many high school and YMCA swimming pools throughout the US and Canada expected men to swim naked. Now, proper decorum says we aren't supposed to show our bodies to anyone. This ad is indecent (but not this one).
They call it a sauna bath for a reason. You wouldn't complain about people being naked in the shower, would you? So if the sauna is in an area where you can be naked, then go naked in the sauna! It's more hygienic and better for you too.
By the way, a sweat suit or a sauna suit is never appropriate attire for the sauna. If you don't want to get naked, see our post on what to wear in the sauna.
5. Keep your hands and eyes to yourself.
I may sauna naked, or with very little clothing. That does not mean that I amshowing off for anyone else. The Finns have a saying, "behave in a sauna like you would in church." I've been in a number of saunas and seen some things that definitely aren't church-like.
My attitude is, that if someone is coming on to someone else in the sauna, it isn't hot enough. I go looking for the thermostat to turn up the heat. In a proper sauna, you can't think about anything except "can I stay in here another minute?"
4. Leave your electronics outside.
The sauna isn't good for your electronics, but electronics also aren't good for the sauna. The heat and humidity (yes, even if it's a dry sauna) in the sauna will damage your phone, iPod or other gizmo. The etiquette problem is nearly every device has a camera these days. I don't know if you are just browsing through your music collection or if you're taking photos of me. I'd rather not have to ask. The other problem is your music. Yes, you're listening to it on earphones, but if it is quiet in the sauna, I'm probably going to hear most of it. And really, if that phone call is so important, why are you taking it in the sauna?
Use your gizmo while you're working out, but leave it in your locker when you take a sauna.
3. No spitting on the rocks.
I've seen this happen before. I shouldn't have to write it. Just don't do it.
2. Shower before you sauna.
Reading through other sauna etiquette posts on the internet, it is amazing how many people see nudity as dirty, but don't see dirt as dirty. I've seen it at my gym too: people remove their sweaty workout clothes to reveal a sweaty swimsuit underneath and head straight for the sauna. Or someone comes right out of the pool and heads straight into the sauna.
If you've been swimming, there is chlorine on your body that will volatilize in the sauna and can irritate everyone's eyes and lungs who shares the sauna with you. If you have been out in public, your perfume or some other smell you picked up throughout your day will become stronger and more pungent in the sauna.
Be considerate to the others who use the sauna with you: Take a shower first. If you're wearing a swimsuit or some other clothing in the sauna, take it off while you shower.
Don't forget to take at least a quick rinse off after you sauna before you get into the pool.
1. Remember to ask first before you do anything that affects me.
This is a public sauna, and I'm going to share it with you. I may like what you want to do, like splashing water on the rocks, or using that secret trick that sends the heater into overdrive. I may not care about others, like if you prepare some secret skin rub that you're going to use or if you're going to exercise in the sauna. Or, I may not want to stay, and may ask you to wait until I leave before you start.
This is a public place. I have as much right to enjoy the sauna the way I want to as you do. If they conflict, let's talk about it and find a way we both can live with. Everyone will be better off that way.
Keep in mind, these are the general rules for a public sauna. If you are lucky enough to have your own, you can make your own rules. If you are a guest in someone else's sauna, then you should ask them what their rules are before making assumptions.
Good Luck!
What is your opinion of sauna etiquette in your gym's locker room? Take our poll and let us know!
What would you wear in a locker room sauna?
Public OpinionView Results
1 Comment »
 Image via Wikipedia
It’s time to open the reader mailbag, for this question from A:
The locker room at my gym has a sauna, a steam room, cold plunge and a hot tub. I want to use them, but this will be my first time. What order should I use them? Do I need to be naked or can I wear my sports bra & panties and wrap myself up with a towel? Can I wear slippers inside the sauna or steam room? Can I take a bottle of water with me inside the sauna or steam room?
Don’t stress A. These are a common question that many new sauna users have. The sauna, steam room and tubs are all tools to help you relax. The thing you want to remember is the basic cycle: Heat, Cool, Rest, Repeat.
If you are at the gym to work out, do that first, then use these features. The heat of the baths will help ease your muscles after your workout, and your sweat will help rid your body of metabolic wastes that could otherwise accumulate in your joints.
What to wear
Before you get started on your heat bath regimen, you should to take a few steps to prepare.
The sauna is a place of relaxation and introspection, so you want to change out of your other “uniforms,” like your workout clothes or street clothes, even your underwear into something that is a dedicated sauna “uniform.” Having your own uniform should put you into the right mindset, and allow your body to sweat freely.
We believe that enjoying a the baths naked is best, but you can also wear a towel, swimsuit or loose-fitting shorts and t-shirt depending on your personal preferences (and the policy of your sauna facility). One thing to keep in mind is that high temperatures and body oils can combine to take the color and stretchiness out of elastic fibers. If you are going to wear a swimsuit, wear an older one.
Shower
Before you enter a sauna, steam room or hot tub, you need to take a shower to clean your skin of any chemicals, dirt, oils, antiperspirants, perfumes and makeup that are on your skin or trapped in your hair. In a pool, you’ll be leaving everything on your skin in the water as what the hot tub industry refers to as “body film.” Yuck. In the heat of the sauna, scents on your skin can negatively affect other people’s’ experiences and contaminants on your skin can travel into your bloodstream via your sweat. Double yuck.
In Asia, the cleansing of your body before you sauna or soak in a tub is a ritual that cleanses your mind of stresses before you enter the hot bath. Keep this in mind as you shower. Don’t forget if you are wearing a swimsuit or other outfit to take it off while you shower.
Towel Dry
This is most important if you are going to use the sauna or steam room. Water acts as a very good insulator. If you leave a film of water on your body, it is going to slow down how quickly you heat up and really start to sweat.
Heat
Now is the time to apply heat: This the purpose of the saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs. Which one you choose first is up to you. We like to start with the dry sauna on our first round, and move to the more humid baths as we spend our time there. You may like it better the other way around.
Choose your first bath and get comfortable. In the sauna or steam room, the upper benches are hotter than the lower benches. Many people find that lying down on the bench heats their body more evenly than sitting on the bench. However, for yourself and others, sit or lie on a towel. If you wore slippers or sandals into the sauna, you should leave them on the floor. This will keep them cool, and prevent you from transferring anything that was on the floor to the benches.
You can definitely bring in a water bottle with you into the steam room or even place it next to the hot tub. If the temperature is mild, you might want to stay in for a long time, and in the sauna you can always splash some of the water onto the rocks to make what the Finns call löyly to enhance the experience.
As you sit in the heat, you will feel the heat of your body rising, then you should break out into a full body sweat. Try to stay in the room until this happens. Most people find it takes about 5-20 minutes before this happens, but there are far too many things that can influence this to make any hard and fast rules.
When you have had enough or if you aren’t comfortable, listen to your body and leave. If you have lain down, allow a minute or so for your blood pressure to equalize before you stand up.
Cool Down
When you leave the heat, you should feel that warmth throughout your body, your heart pounding like you just sprinted a mile and have sweat pouring out of your skin. Now you need to cool down to get that excess heat out of your body.
You can cool down rapidly by jumping into a cold pool, taking a cold shower, rolling in the snow, or even jumping through a hole in the ice. This has the effect on your body like a blacksmith dunking a hot horseshoe into water: It hardens you sending your circulatory system into overdrive.
If that sounds too harsh or you have any health risks, you can also cool down more gently by taking a warm shower, going for a dip in the pool or even wrapping yourself in a blanket, towel or robe and letting the heat slowly come out of you.
You can cool down the same way every time, or mix it up. It is your choice.
Rest
After you cool down, your body needs some time for its temperature to equalize and for your pulse rate and blood pressure to come back to normal, especially if you used one of the more extreme methods to cool down. Use this time to drink some water, get a massage or body scrub, or just sit and think happy thoughts. Hopefully, your gym has a lounge area where you can sit.
Repeat
One trip through the heat baths is never enough. Most people recommend two to three rounds. The cycling of your body through the heat and cold is an exercise for your skin and circulatory system. Just remember to cool down and rest and stay hydrated before you start your next round.
Finnish and Russians folklore both say that if you take more than three rounds, the spirits of the sauna will become upset with you. If you are superstitious, keep this in mind.
Finishing up
When you have had your fill, you should leave at the end of the rest phase. Let your body finish cooling down and let your sweating stop. Some people like to take a full shower with soap and shampoo to help them finish cooling down and get ready to return to society. Others believe in just a quick rinse as the oils your body releases into your skin and hair are better than any lotion or conditioner.
If you were wearing a swimsuit or clothing any, you should give it a good rinse at this point and wring the water out of it before putting it away. When you get home, hang it up and let it air dry. This is enough to keep it clean. If you feel you need to wash it, use some vinegar or a baby detergent, as the foaming agents, scents and fabric conditioners in most detergents will come out the next time you bathe.
As you get dressed again, you’ll feel the pressures of everyday life returning to you. Hopefully, the time you spent will help you better face what remains of the day, or help you get a good night’s sleep that night.
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]
It's time to open the reader mailbag, for this question from A:
The locker room at my gym has a sauna, a steam room, cold plunge and a hot tub. I want to use them, but this will be my first time. What order should I use them? Do I need to be naked or can I wear my sports bra & panties and wrap myself up with a towel? Can I wear slippers inside the sauna or steam room? Can I take a bottle of water with me inside the sauna or steam room?
Don't stress A. These are a common question that many new sauna users have. The sauna, steam room and tubs are all tools to help you relax. The thing you want to remember is the basic cycle: Heat, Cool, Rest, Repeat.
If you are at the gym to work out, do that first, then use these features. The heat of the baths will help ease your muscles after your workout, and your sweat will help rid your body of metabolic wastes that could otherwise accumulate in your joints.
What to wear
Before you get started on your heat bath regimen, you should to take a few steps to prepare.
The sauna is a place of relaxation and introspection, so you want to change out of your other "uniforms," like your workout clothes or street clothes, even your underwear into something that is a dedicated sauna "uniform." Having your own uniform should put you into the right mindset, and allow your body to sweat freely.
We believe that enjoying a the baths naked is best, but you can also wear a towel, swimsuit or loose-fitting shorts and t-shirt depending on your personal preferences (and the policy of your sauna facility). One thing to keep in mind is that high temperatures and body oils can combine to take the color and stretchiness out of elastic fibers. If you are going to wear a swimsuit, wear an older one.
Shower
Before you enter a sauna, steam room or hot tub, you need to take a shower to clean your skin of any chemicals, dirt, oils, antiperspirants, perfumes and makeup that are on your skin or trapped in your hair. In a pool, you'll be leaving everything on your skin in the water as what the hot tub industry refers to as "body film." Yuck. In the heat of the sauna, scents on your skin can negatively affect other people's' experiences and contaminants on your skin can travel into your bloodstream via your sweat. Double yuck.
In Asia, the cleansing of your body before you sauna or soak in a tub is a ritual that cleanses your mind of stresses before you enter the hot bath. Keep this in mind as you shower. Don't forget if you are wearing a swimsuit or other outfit to take it off while you shower.
Towel Dry
This is most important if you are going to use the sauna or steam room. Water acts as a very good insulator. If you leave a film of water on your body, it is going to slow down how quickly you heat up and really start to sweat.
Heat
Now is the time to apply heat: This the purpose of the saunas, steam rooms, and hot tubs. Which one you choose first is up to you. We like to start with the dry sauna on our first round, and move to the more humid baths as we spend our time there. You may like it better the other way around.
Choose your first bath and get comfortable. In the sauna or steam room, the upper benches are hotter than the lower benches. Many people find that lying down on the bench heats their body more evenly than sitting on the bench. However, for yourself and others, sit or lie on a towel. If you wore slippers or sandals into the sauna, you should leave them on the floor. This will keep them cool, and prevent you from transferring anything that was on the floor to the benches.
You can definitely bring in a water bottle with you into the steam room or even place it next to the hot tub. If the temperature is mild, you might want to stay in for a long time, and in the sauna you can always splash some of the water onto the rocks to make what the Finns call löyly to enhance the experience.
As you sit in the heat, you will feel the heat of your body rising, then you should break out into a full body sweat. Try to stay in the room until this happens. Most people find it takes about 5-20 minutes before this happens, but there are far too many things that can influence this to make any hard and fast rules.
When you have had enough or if you aren't comfortable, listen to your body and leave. If you have lain down, allow a minute or so for your blood pressure to equalize before you stand up.
Cool Down
When you leave the heat, you should feel that warmth throughout your body, your heart pounding like you just sprinted a mile and have sweat pouring out of your skin. Now you need to cool down to get that excess heat out of your body.
You can cool down rapidly by jumping into a cold pool, taking a cold shower, rolling in the snow, or even jumping through a hole in the ice. This has the effect on your body like a blacksmith dunking a hot horseshoe into water: It hardens you sending your circulatory system into overdrive.
If that sounds too harsh or you have any health risks, you can also cool down more gently by taking a warm shower, going for a dip in the pool or even wrapping yourself in a blanket, towel or robe and letting the heat slowly come out of you.
You can cool down the same way every time, or mix it up. It is your choice.
Rest
After you cool down, your body needs some time for its temperature to equalize and for your pulse rate and blood pressure to come back to normal, especially if you used one of the more extreme methods to cool down. Use this time to drink some water, get a massage or body scrub, or just sit and think happy thoughts. Hopefully, your gym has a lounge area where you can sit.
Repeat
One trip through the heat baths is never enough. Most people recommend two to three rounds. The cycling of your body through the heat and cold is an exercise for your skin and circulatory system. Just remember to cool down and rest and stay hydrated before you start your next round.
Finnish and Russians folklore both say that if you take more than three rounds, the spirits of the sauna will become upset with you. If you are superstitious, keep this in mind.
Finishing up
When you have had your fill, you should leave at the end of the rest phase. Let your body finish cooling down and let your sweating stop. Some people like to take a full shower with soap and shampoo to help them finish cooling down and get ready to return to society. Others believe in just a quick rinse as the oils your body releases into your skin and hair are better than any lotion or conditioner.
If you were wearing a swimsuit or clothing any, you should give it a good rinse at this point and wring the water out of it before putting it away. When you get home, hang it up and let it air dry. This is enough to keep it clean. If you feel you need to wash it, use some vinegar or a baby detergent, as the foaming agents, scents and fabric conditioners in most detergents will come out the next time you bathe.
As you get dressed again, you'll feel the pressures of everyday life returning to you. Hopefully, the time you spent will help you better face what remains of the day, or help you get a good night's sleep that night.
No Comments »
Posted on April 8th, 2009 by Chris in How to, Websites, tags: build, clean, guide, Hotel, How to, Löyly, Sauna Times, travel
 Photo by Paint Monkey on Flickr In our quest to find new and interesting sauna tidbits to share with you, we spend a lot of time combing the web looking for information.
This weekend, we stumbled upon Sauna Times, a blog run by Glenn, a “Joe American” living in Minnesota. We find the similarities between his site and ours uncanny, right down to the choice of the background images. He seems to be quite a personable fellow. So much so that with this post, Sauna times now has a place in our links page.
What really caught our attention on his site though, was his post “Hotel Sauna: How to Take One.” A laminated copy now resides in our briefcase for our next stay at a hotel with a sauna.
We have noticed that most hotel (and health club) saunas, especially here in the USA, tend to be overly dry from disuse. This becomes part of the problem: If the sauna is dry and hot, it irritates your respiratory system. Most forbid you from throwing water on the rocks, so the only solution is to turn the temperature down. You end up sitting in a warm room, which really doesn’t do much for you.
Sauna Times has a simple solution for all of this: As soon as you check in, turn on the sauna full blast. Give it 20 minutes or so to heat, then:
Flush the hotel sauna. Generously douse with fresh water:
- the bench area where you’ll be sitting.
- the hotel sauna rocks with water (they should bark back, if not, the sauna is lame, call housekeeping if you’re especially irritated).
- anywhere else you feel the urge.
Why? underused hotel saunas can build up dust and stagnation, this ‘cleansing’ will get your hotel sauna fresh and ready to rock.
After this, reset the timer again, and give the sauna another 30 minutes to recover from this washing, and you’re ready to begin the sauna process, which Glenn distills succinctly: “It’s like the instructions on a box of laundry detergent: sauna, rinse, chill, repeat.”
If you are looking for a lodging with a sauna, don’t forget to check out our hotel sauna search engine.
[Hotel Sauna: How to Take One] Sauna Times
[caption id="attachment_183" align="alignright" width="296" caption="Photo by Paint Monkey on Flickr"][/caption]
In our quest to find new and interesting sauna tidbits to share with you, we spend a lot of time combing the web looking for information.
This weekend, we stumbled upon Sauna Times, a blog run by Glenn, a "Joe American" living in Minnesota. We find the similarities between his site and ours uncanny, right down to the choice of the background images. He seems to be quite a personable fellow. So much so that with this post, Sauna times now has a place in our links page.
What really caught our attention on his site though, was his post "Hotel Sauna: How to Take One." A laminated copy now resides in our briefcase for our next stay at a hotel with a sauna.
We have noticed that most hotel (and health club) saunas, especially here in the USA, tend to be overly dry from disuse. This becomes part of the problem: If the sauna is dry and hot, it irritates your respiratory system. Most forbid you from throwing water on the rocks, so the only solution is to turn the temperature down. You end up sitting in a warm room, which really doesn't do much for you.
Sauna Times has a simple solution for all of this: As soon as you check in, turn on the sauna full blast. Give it 20 minutes or so to heat, then:
Flush the hotel sauna. Generously douse with fresh water:
the bench area where you’ll be sitting.
the hotel sauna rocks with water (they should bark back, if not, the sauna is lame, call housekeeping if you’re especially irritated).
anywhere else you feel the urge.
Why? underused hotel saunas can build up dust and stagnation, this ‘cleansing’ will get your hotel sauna fresh and ready to rock.
After this, reset the timer again, and give the sauna another 30 minutes to recover from this washing, and you're ready to begin the sauna process, which Glenn distills succinctly: "It’s like the instructions on a box of laundry detergent: sauna, rinse, chill, repeat."
If you are looking for a lodging with a sauna, don't forget to check out our hotel sauna search engine.
[Hotel Sauna: How to Take One] Sauna Times
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Posted on February 19th, 2009 by Chris in Guides, How to, tags: Germany, guide, steam
When you visit a German sauna, don’t forget to plan your time there around their aufguss schedule.
What is an aufguss? Well, simply it’s the German translation of the Finnish löyly. Most online translators can’t deal with these words. However the forums at LEO.org suggest it is the ritual of sprinking the hot rocks on the sauna stove with water to make steam. Sometimes the water is scented with herbs or other essences. It takes 26 words in english to express what the Germans and Finns can in one!
In the other parts of the world where water is thrown on the rocks, it’s a self-service procedure. The sauna at my YMCA has a bucket in the sauna for that purpose. If you want steam, you fill the bucket, and you sprinkle the rocks with water. In Germany, especially at the large saunas, it is a procedure administered only by a trained Aufgiesser.
Most large saunas post their aufguss schedules near the information desk in their saunaland. It shows what times, which saunas, and what special features will be featured in each aufguss for the day. When you see one that you would like to try, go to the appropriate sauna a few minutes before the aufguss is scheduled to start and take a seat. On busy days, you may need to be in the sauna 15 minutes before, as they fill up quickly. Consider the temperature of the sauna when you do this, because if you thought it was hot normally, it will seem much hotter during the aufguss.
 When the appointed time arrives, the Aufgiesser arrives. He or she works for the facility. The aufguss begins with the hanging of a sign on the door: “Aufguss  in progress: Please do not enter.” If the sign is up and you go in anyway, you will raise the ire of all the others in the sauna. However, if you are inside and the heat becomes too much for you, it is (grudginly) tolerated if you leave quickly.
The aufguss begins with the door being propped open, and the Aufgiesser uses his towel as a fan. This does two things: It brings fresh air into the sauna, and it gets the sauna stove firing at full power. When he closes the door, he will introduce himself, and give a short description of how long the aufguss will last, and what to expect.
Now comes the water on the rocks.
Your Aufgiesser will have entered the sauna with some buckets in hand. These can be filled with plain water, but usually will have some essential oils or other fragrances mixed in. Some facilities rate their aufguss experiences. Mild ones have a small amount of water sprinkled on the rocks. Intensive ones will have whole buckets thrown on the rocks at once, sometimes followed by buckets of ice, which vaporizes more slowly and prolongs the aufguss. As the water steams off of the rocks, you will feel the heat of the sauna become more intense as the air becomes more humid.
Now the Aufgiesser earns her pay: She begins by taking her towel and twirling it around over her head to circulate the hottest air throughout the sauna chamber. You will feel a greater sensation of heat after this. Next she will start at one side of the room, and fan a group of people with her towel to wash hot air over them. She will walk around the room and make sure everyone gets a dose of this heat. Sometimes she’ll then work her way back to the starting point.
When it is your turn, sit up straight, and spread your arms slightly away from your body. Close your eyes and exhale as you hear the snap of the towel. Enjoy the wave of heat that rushes over your body. If you feel like the heat will be too much, raise your legs in front of your body, and hide your face behind your knees, letting your legs shield your body core from the extra heat.
When your Aufgiesser is done, give her a round of applause before she leaves, and takes down the sign. Stay in as long as you can, and enjoy the heat. Then cool down, replenish your fluids, and find the next scheduled aufguss.
If you’re looking to find a German style sauna to experience an aufguss, here are a few. Use our Find a Sauna feature to find more.
Langgasse 38 - 40 Wiessbaden 
Hermann-Veit-Str. 5 Karlsruhe
Kalandergasse 1 Zurich 
Postillonstraße 17 Munich
Kernerstrasse 1 Bad Wildbad
240 Grindavík 
Saaler Mühle 1 Bergisch Gladbach
Thermenstrasse 34 Vals
Römerplatz 1 Baden Baden
2100 Pacific Avenue Atlantic City, NJ
Quai du Mont-Blanc 30 Geneva
Goebelstrasse 75 Lilienthal
Jürgen-Graef-Allee 2 Hamm
13340 Mountain View Rd. Desert Hot Springs, CA
Am Hexenbuckel 1 Böblingen
[caption id="attachment_42" align="alignright" width="320" caption="NSFW Video of an Aufguss at Saré Sauna & Beauty in Oldenzaal NL (in Dutch)"][/caption]
When you visit a German sauna, don't forget to plan your time there around their aufguss schedule.
What is an aufguss? Well, simply it's the German translation of the Finnish löyly. Most online translators can't deal with these words. However the forums at LEO.org suggest it is the ritual of sprinking the hot rocks on the sauna stove with water to make steam. Sometimes the water is scented with herbs or other essences. It takes 26 words in english to express what the Germans and Finns can in one!
In the other parts of the world where water is thrown on the rocks, it's a self-service procedure. The sauna at my YMCA has a bucket in the sauna for that purpose. If you want steam, you fill the bucket, and you sprinkle the rocks with water. In Germany, especially at the large saunas, it is a procedure administered only by a trained Aufgiesser.
Most large saunas post their aufguss schedules near the information desk in their saunaland. It shows what times, which saunas, and what special features will be featured in each aufguss for the day. When you see one that you would like to try, go to the appropriate sauna a few minutes before the aufguss is scheduled to start and take a seat. On busy days, you may need to be in the sauna 15 minutes before, as they fill up quickly. Consider the temperature of the sauna when you do this, because if you thought it was hot normally, it will seem much hotter during the aufguss.
When the appointed time arrives, the Aufgiesser arrives. He or she works for the facility. The aufguss begins with the hanging of a sign on the door: "Aufguss in progress: Please do not enter." If the sign is up and you go in anyway, you will raise the ire of all the others in the sauna. However, if you are inside and the heat becomes too much for you, it is (grudginly) tolerated if you leave quickly.
The aufguss begins with the door being propped open, and the Aufgiesser uses his towel as a fan. This does two things: It brings fresh air into the sauna, and it gets the sauna stove firing at full power. When he closes the door, he will introduce himself, and give a short description of how long the aufguss will last, and what to expect.
Now comes the water on the rocks.
Your Aufgiesser will have entered the sauna with some buckets in hand. These can be filled with plain water, but usually will have some essential oils or other fragrances mixed in. Some facilities rate their aufguss experiences. Mild ones have a small amount of water sprinkled on the rocks. Intensive ones will have whole buckets thrown on the rocks at once, sometimes followed by buckets of ice, which vaporizes more slowly and prolongs the aufguss. As the water steams off of the rocks, you will feel the heat of the sauna become more intense as the air becomes more humid.
Now the Aufgiesser earns her pay: She begins by taking her towel and twirling it around over her head to circulate the hottest air throughout the sauna chamber. You will feel a greater sensation of heat after this. Next she will start at one side of the room, and fan a group of people with her towel to wash hot air over them. She will walk around the room and make sure everyone gets a dose of this heat. Sometimes she'll then work her way back to the starting point.
When it is your turn, sit up straight, and spread your arms slightly away from your body. Close your eyes and exhale as you hear the snap of the towel. Enjoy the wave of heat that rushes over your body. If you feel like the heat will be too much, raise your legs in front of your body, and hide your face behind your knees, letting your legs shield your body core from the extra heat.
When your Aufgiesser is done, give her a round of applause before she leaves, and takes down the sign. Stay in as long as you can, and enjoy the heat. Then cool down, replenish your fluids, and find the next scheduled aufguss.
If you're looking to find a German style sauna to experience an aufguss, here are a few. Use our Find a Sauna feature to find more.
[pods name="sauna_baths" order="RAND()" where="style.id=1" template="sauna_list_div"]
4 Comments »
Posted on February 17th, 2009 by Chris in Guides, How to, tags: Germany, guide
According to Spiegel, the German news magazine, more than 1/3 of Germans are regular sauna-goers. Germany has more than 11,000 saunas open to the public. 2,300 of these are independent establishments. Visiting one of these on a cold weekend day makes you realize that these are major enterprises.
Visiting a sauna in Germany, Austria, or its near neighbors is a unique experience — Nudity is mandatory, and on most days the sauna is mixed-gender. You can immediately tell the first-time visitor by their wide-eyed stares after entering this textilfrei zone. This increases when a group of sauna regulars comes in behind them, and sheds any clothing quickly and proceeds to the baths without modesty. As a first-time visitor, you quickly realize you can check your clothes and modesty at the door, or be advised by the saunameister to leave.
Finding a Sauna
With more than one public sauna for every 13 square miles, you can be sure you’re never too far from a sauna while in Germany. Most major cities have many to choose from, and even some small villages have their own sauna. There are three websites and some books that can help you find one:
Sauna in Deutschland is the website of the Deutschen Sauna-Bundes, the German Sauna Federation. They list most public saunas (and also sauna-related businesses) in Germany. According to their search results, as of this writing, they list 2400 public saunas. However, only 50 of these have links to more than just their address as part of their listing. When searching, you are much better off using their map search, or entering a postal code into the search box as city searches are done literally (e.g. “München” returns results, but “Muenchen”, “Munchen” and “Munich” return none). The site is in only German, but pages translate well with Google Translate.
SaunaSauna.de claims to have more than 2200 sauna addresses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in its database. From the search screen, you can search via a clickable map, PLZ code, or city name. The results returned are basic. Most locations show only the name, address and phone number of the sauna, and a brief description of its type. However, with this information, a quick Google search can find the facility’s website for more information. The website is only in German, but there is very little text to read between the advertisements on each page.
Insauna.com [NSFW] is a directory of saunas and other free time activities for Germanic Europe and its surroundings. Insauna makes its money by performing independent ratings of saunas. Starting with its list of the Best Saunas, which ranks nearly 200 saunas who have paid for their extensive audit, and awards them from one to six pearls based on their results. The amazing Therme Erding, for instance, gets 5 pearls and ranks 3rd on their 2009 list. Ranked saunas get a multi-page profile on the site. You can also browse by country and city for an exhaustive listing of saunas, and other free-time activities for each municipality. The site is written in a very verbose Austrian German, which can give Google Translate fits. The site itself is textbook annoying web design with animated icons and a busy and cluttered visual style.
ADAC, the German auto club, publishes the best maps and road atlases of Germany, and are an indispensable resource if you’re planning to drive at all while in Germany. Their maps have a legend icon that shows locations of saunas, pools and swimming holes. I like the Kompaktatlas for its size, but the Freizeitkarten are specifically set up to help you to find leisure time activities. They are available at bookstores and gas stations everywhere in Germany. TrekTools is one of the few sites that sells these in North America.
Going to the Sauna
For the most part, the saunas in Germany do not supply anything to their guests other than the baths themselves and a locker. It is always a good idea to check the website before you visit to find out the hours, what days are single-gender, what other facilities are available besides the sauna, and the pricing to know which package to ask for when you arrive.
When packing your bag, you should always bring:
-
Soap, shampoo and other toiletries,
-
Two (2) towels (if not available for rent),
-
Waterproof shower sandals,
-
A plastic bottle of water, and
-
Fresh clothes for when you’re done.
You probably want to bring:
-
A bathrobe (if not available for rent),
-
A swimsuit if there is a pool as part of the facility,
-
Workout clothes if there is a fitness center as part of the facility, and
-
Reading material.
Sauna Ettiquette
This is Germany, and of course, there are rules. Violations of these will bring you the scorn of both your fellow sauna goers, as well as a possible reprimand from the staff:
- You must be naked in the sauna area. You can wrap yourself in a towel or robe when you’re walking around, but don’t try to wear a swimsuit in the area. Any pools in the sauna area must be enjoyed naked. However, if there is a separate swimming-only area as part of the facility, you will need to wear a full-coverage swimsuit in that area.
- Your sandals, robe and glasses should be left outside of the sauna room. Hooks, shelves, or racks will be provided in the area.
- When in the sauna, no part of your body should touch the wood benches. If sitting, spread your towel down from the backrest, under your butt, and down to where your feet will sit. Steam rooms vary by facility – some require you to sit on your towel, some provide mats, some provide hoses to wash where you sat. Watch what others are doing before you go into one.
- Silence is golden. In the sauna and steam rooms, conversation is not tolerated. You can say hello as people enter, but otherwise, you should respect others by keeping quiet. This is also true of any quiet rest areas the facility has.
- You must shower before entering the sauna area, and you must sauna after exiting any of the heat baths before entering any pool.
- You do not throw water on the rocks in the sauna. This is the job of the saunameister, and is called an aufgu?. When an aufgu? is happening, you never enter the sauna room. You may exit if absolutely necessary.
- The sauna is the Garden of Eden. Don’t be the serpent and ruin things for everyone.
In Conclusion
If you ever get to Germany, leave your modesty behind and try a sauna. It’s a great, relaxing way to spend your free time. The Germans don’t seem to notice that they’re naked and after a short while, you won’t either.
If you’re looking to find a German sauna, here are a few. Use our Find a Sauna feature to find more.
Kalandergasse 1 Zurich
Janzgasse 21 Graz 
Sulzerrainstrasse 2 Stuttgart
Am Bühl 3 Eibenstock
Quai du Mont-Blanc 30 Geneva
240 Grindavík
471 Adelaide St. W. Toronto, ON
Römerplatz 1 Baden Baden
Sportpark - Im Gelände 26 Bruneck - Reischach 
Postillonstraße 17 Munich
Am Leuzebad 2 Stuttgart
Hermann-Veit-Str. 5 Karlsruhe
Mahlestraße 50 Filderstadt-Bonlanden
29, Helgesvej Frederiksberg 
Römer Platz 1 Baden Baden
What do you think? Would you visit a sauna in Germany? Take our poll and let us know.
 According to Spiegel, the German news magazine, more than 1/3 of Germans are regular sauna-goers. Germany has more than 11,000 saunas open to the public. 2,300 of these are independent establishments. Visiting one of these on a cold weekend day makes you realize that these are major enterprises.
Visiting a sauna in Germany, Austria, or its near neighbors is a unique experience — Nudity is mandatory, and on most days the sauna is mixed-gender. You can immediately tell the first-time visitor by their wide-eyed stares after entering this textilfrei zone. This increases when a group of sauna regulars comes in behind them, and sheds any clothing quickly and proceeds to the baths without modesty. As a first-time visitor, you quickly realize you can check your clothes and modesty at the door, or be advised by the saunameister to leave.
Finding a Sauna
With more than one public sauna for every 13 square miles, you can be sure you're never too far from a sauna while in Germany. Most major cities have many to choose from, and even some small villages have their own sauna. There are three websites and some books that can help you find one:
Sauna in Deutschland is the website of the Deutschen Sauna-Bundes, the German Sauna Federation. They list most public saunas (and also sauna-related businesses) in Germany. According to their search results, as of this writing, they list 2400 public saunas. However, only 50 of these have links to more than just their address as part of their listing. When searching, you are much better off using their map search, or entering a postal code into the search box as city searches are done literally (e.g. "München" returns results, but "Muenchen", "Munchen" and "Munich" return none). The site is in only German, but pages translate well with Google Translate.
SaunaSauna.de claims to have more than 2200 sauna addresses in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in its database. From the search screen, you can search via a clickable map, PLZ code, or city name. The results returned are basic. Most locations show only the name, address and phone number of the sauna, and a brief description of its type. However, with this information, a quick Google search can find the facility's website for more information. The website is only in German, but there is very little text to read between the advertisements on each page.
Insauna.com [NSFW] is a directory of saunas and other free time activities for Germanic Europe and its surroundings. Insauna makes its money by performing independent ratings of saunas. Starting with its list of the Best Saunas, which ranks nearly 200 saunas who have paid for their extensive audit, and awards them from one to six pearls based on their results. The amazing Therme Erding, for instance, gets 5 pearls and ranks 3rd on their 2009 list. Ranked saunas get a multi-page profile on the site. You can also browse by country and city for an exhaustive listing of saunas, and other free-time activities for each municipality. The site is written in a very verbose Austrian German, which can give Google Translate fits. The site itself is textbook annoying web design with animated icons and a busy and cluttered visual style.
ADAC, the German auto club, publishes the best maps and road atlases of Germany, and are an indispensable resource if you're planning to drive at all while in Germany. Their maps have a legend icon that shows locations of saunas, pools and swimming holes. I like the Kompaktatlas for its size, but the Freizeitkarten are specifically set up to help you to find leisure time activities. They are available at bookstores and gas stations everywhere in Germany. TrekTools is one of the few sites that sells these in North America.
Going to the Sauna
For the most part, the saunas in Germany do not supply anything to their guests other than the baths themselves and a locker. It is always a good idea to check the website before you visit to find out the hours, what days are single-gender, what other facilities are available besides the sauna, and the pricing to know which package to ask for when you arrive.
When packing your bag, you should always bring:
Soap, shampoo and other toiletries,
Two (2) towels (if not available for rent),
Waterproof shower sandals,
A plastic bottle of water, and
Fresh clothes for when you're done.
You probably want to bring:
A bathrobe (if not available for rent),
A swimsuit if there is a pool as part of the facility,
Workout clothes if there is a fitness center as part of the facility, and
Reading material.
Sauna Ettiquette
This is Germany, and of course, there are rules. Violations of these will bring you the scorn of both your fellow sauna goers, as well as a possible reprimand from the staff:
You must be naked in the sauna area. You can wrap yourself in a towel or robe when you're walking around, but don't try to wear a swimsuit in the area. Any pools in the sauna area must be enjoyed naked. However, if there is a separate swimming-only area as part of the facility, you will need to wear a full-coverage swimsuit in that area.
Your sandals, robe and glasses should be left outside of the sauna room. Hooks, shelves, or racks will be provided in the area.
When in the sauna, no part of your body should touch the wood benches. If sitting, spread your towel down from the backrest, under your butt, and down to where your feet will sit. Steam rooms vary by facility – some require you to sit on your towel, some provide mats, some provide hoses to wash where you sat. Watch what others are doing before you go into one.
Silence is golden. In the sauna and steam rooms, conversation is not tolerated. You can say hello as people enter, but otherwise, you should respect others by keeping quiet. This is also true of any quiet rest areas the facility has.
You must shower before entering the sauna area, and you must sauna after exiting any of the heat baths before entering any pool.
You do not throw water on the rocks in the sauna. This is the job of the saunameister, and is called an aufgu?. When an aufgu? is happening, you never enter the sauna room. You may exit if absolutely necessary.
The sauna is the Garden of Eden. Don't be the serpent and ruin things for everyone.
We describe the rules and sequence in more detail in our post "How to Take a German Sauna".
In Conclusion
If you ever get to Germany, leave your modesty behind and try a sauna. It's a great, relaxing way to spend your free time. The Germans don't seem to notice that they're naked and after a short while, you won't either.
If you're looking to find a German sauna, here are a few. Use our Find a Sauna feature to find more.
[pods name="sauna_baths" order="t.name ASC" where="style.id=1" template="sauna_list_div"]
What do you think? Would you visit a sauna in Germany? Take our poll and let us know.
Would you sauna naked in Germany?
Public OpinionView Results
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