As well as washing, they were used for cooking, drying flax, making soap, doing the laundry, tending to the sick, preparing the dead for burial and giving birth, says Lamminmäki. “The sauna was also used as a sleeping place and place to meet someone in secret,” she adds. By the middle of the Iron Age (700–1BCE), bespoke sauna buildings were becoming a thing.
It’s an experience of intense physical extremes, so thoughtful preparation is key. SaunaGenius is your trusted source of information for anything related to saunas. There’s not much more do to than relax and enjoy the experience. “Reserve enough time” says the Finnish Sauna Society’s bathing guide. Since a group of real experts has compiled the instructions they are well worth following. The brief instructions may however, need a few additional explanations.
Wood Burning Sauna
Unfortunately, in most of America, we see the sauna as a luxury rather than a necessity. Remember, the safety tips we previously listed for saunas should also always be applied to steam rooms. If you are healthy and don’t fall into any of the above categories, using a sauna should be safe for you. However, there are still some things to keep in mind when using the sauna to keep you safe.
Step 6: Warm Up and Create Löyly
Additionally, your sauna needs an equally effective heater to maximize size according to UL, CSA or ETL guidelines. There are various types of saunas in Finland and they can be categorized by the building or by the stove it uses. Though, if in case a person or family doesn’t have a private sauna in their home, it’s common for Finns to go to a shared public one.
What Should I Do in a Sauna?
Read more about Sauna ceiling here. The longer you stay in the sauna, the more you risk dehydration, so a general rule is to cap your time to 15 to 20 minutes. As the idea of the sauna is for it to be hot, many people (even including many Finns) think that hotter is better.
The No. 1 rule for visiting saunas and steam rooms is the same — always shower beforehand. Pay attention to how other people are behaving to get a sense of what’s appropriate in that particular location. While some experienced sauna users, especially in Finland, may turn the sauna into a longer social event, don’t overdo it.
