Sauna use goes way back, and they have a strong presence in many cultures. While today’s modern steam and infrared saunas may have chromotherapy, red light therapy, and halotherapy, the original saunas came from humble roots. Read on to learn about the history of saunas and how they have played an integral part in health, wellness, and even social practices throughout history.

The Beginnings: Types of Saunas & Similar Experiences

As humans developed the ability to make fire at will, the first ‘Saunas’ were built. Fire not only allowed our ancestors to cook their food, but it also brought with it the means to intentionally heat the body. The first Saunas built in Africa were developed to rid the body of infectious disease. While rudimentary in their structures, the methodology was effective.

Far from the upscale saunas found in spas of developed countries today, the design of the first heat therapy developed in East Africa had the same intention. Clearly, human beings have used the specific technology at their disposal to create heat structures with the motivation of inducing profuse sweating, to cure disease, and optimize health.

Finnish Saunas

To explore the history of saunas, a good start is learning about the great Finnish tradition of sauna use thought to date back as far as 7000 BC. For residents of Finland, a sauna is not a luxury, but rather a necessity. There is on average one sauna per household (3 million saunas in Finland serving a population of 5 million), and sauna therapy is the cornerstone of Finnish culture. The country’s reverence for its health benefits, tradition and community support have made it among the world leaders in sauna therapy. Most dry heat saunas found in developed countries today are based on the modern construction of the Finish archetype.

The earliest known sauna structures date back 2000 years and were dug into the earth and lined with stone. The structure of saunas in Finland has evolved substantially over thousands of years. Traditionally, stones are heated up in the fire and water are poured over them to create steam and heat.

Today, saunas are heated with hot stones, wood stoves, hot embers, and electricity. Typically the structures are made of wood, as trees are in great abundance in the Baltic States. The Savusauna, or smoke sauna, takes place inside an unventilated space. A fire is stoked and once the flames burn out, smoke is released from the room and individuals can step inside to enjoy the emanating heat. Finnish sauna connoisseurs consider this version of the sauna to be the most effective.

Roman and Greek Bathhouses

Roman and Greek Bathhouses paved the way for modern spas today. Heat therapy was integral to these communities in the form of a hot spring bath and steam rooms. The Roman and Greek bathhouse was a cornerstone of society and shaped one of the most powerful civilizations ever known. The investigation sauna history would not be complete without honoring the Roman and Greek tradition.

The bathhouse provided an opportunity to purify the body through intense sweating thus opening up the pores to detoxify the body of pollutants and promoting heightened states of health. Purification of the body was the original intent, but bathhouses evolved into a social meeting place, where political decisions, business deals, and social gatherings occurred.

Sweat Lodges

A sweat lodge is a dark dome made with clay, rocks, and grass that fits 10-15 people. Hot rocks are placed in the center of the dome lodge, then water spilled over the rocks to create steam to heat up the well-insulated unit. The darkness, heat, prayer, and music create an environment to unveil the curtain between the physical and spiritual. The expectation is that through physical purification, profound mystical experience transpires.

The sweat lodge recognizes the inextricable connection between spirit and body, while the heat fosters the health of the body through purification and opens the spirit to communion with the divine. This profoundly ceremonious, spiritual tradition has been steeped in the culture of Native Americans, including South, Central, and North America for thousands of years, along with the Maori of New Zealand and aboriginal people of Australia.

Turkish Hammams

A Turkish Hammam was a bathhouse created inside ornate buildings and became a safe haven for spiritual and social communion. Their popularity grew during the Ottoman Empire to include the entire Islamic world. Participants of the Turkish Hammam began in hot air rooms to initiate deep states of relaxation. The tradition of spiritual and physical purification of the Turkish Hammam spread into Europe and became a staple during the Victorian Era.

Following the hot air room sessions, participants would move into a room of hotter, drier temperatures, and finally, purify the body with cool water. Similar to modern day spas, massage was available as was specified hair removal and other treatments to purify, relax and beautify the body.

The History of Infrared Saunas

The advent of electricity in the late nineteenth century gave birth to the first infrared sauna. John Harvey Kellogg dedicated his life to holistic healing modalities including a well-balanced diet, colonics, regular exercise, and sauna therapy. Mr. Kellogg recognized the profound healing effects of purification through intense sweating and wanted to improve upon the traditional sauna therapy being used.

He turned to the first electrical light bulb and created his ‘Incandescent Light Baths’. Patients entered cabinet-like structures heated with exposed light bulbs that generated profuse sweating. In addition to the prolific sweating, Kellogg noticed the profound impact of exposure to light. The incandescent light bulbs were found to primarily emit infrared light that penetrated deeply into the skin membrane. This penetrative lighting was so effective in its ability to produce excessive sweating, and therefore detoxification, that it became the forefather of the infrared sauna we know today.

Below is a timeline of infrared sauna history:

• 1893: Kellogg’s Incandescent Bath Lights are shown at the World’s Fair in Chicago and skyrocket in popularity and across the world.
• 1960s: NASA takes an interest in the variety of wavelengths created through the infrared. The discovery of the near, mid and far infrared wavelengths catapulted the sauna to its next evolutionary state.
• 1965: A Japanese doctor received the first patent to create a ceramic infrared sauna using far-infrared wavelengths. Until the late 1970s, Japanese doctors were the only known medical practitioners to use far infrared sauna treatment for their patients.
• 1979: The first full spectrum infrared saunas became available to the public in the United States. In the last twenty years, heating systems have been honed to create optimal infrared wavelengths that promote comfort, safety, and ultimately profuse perspiration.

Today, infrared sauna use is one of the most effective holistic health practices. Additional features for the modern sauna now include extra health tools such as chromotherapy, halotherapy,  While modern-day saunas offer a luxurious experience and sleek designs, they do not stray too far from the initial design and intent of the original Finnish sauna. Saunas have evolved over the years but have held true to their main goal to create a healthy life both physically and mentally.

Sharing a sauna with others, whether with strangers at the gym or with your family at home, means you have to be mindful of the space. We cover all the main etiquette tips to keep you and others comfortable. Tips will include what to wear, how to keep your area clean, and which behaviors to avoid.

Gym Sauna Etiquette

If you have a sauna at your gym, we hope you are using it! Using a sauna at the gym is a wonderful way to boost your workout and remedy things such as muscle soreness, recovery time, fatigue, and performance. Infrared saunas are the perfect companion for your health journey as they help you sweat, burn calories, and heal. Just be sure you use the sauna after your workout and not before to avoid injury.

Your fellow gym buddies are also soaking in the sauna health benefits, so it’s important to know the proper gym sauna etiquette to make it a pleasant experience for everyone.

Gym Sauna Dos

1. Shower before entering. Since you will be using the sauna after your workout, you’ll probably be sweaty after the gym. Rinse off any sweat or dirt so you enter the sauna fresh, everyone in there with you will appreciate it.
2. Stay aware of your space. Public saunas can get crowded, so be courteous and be wary of how much space you’re taking up. If someone new joins the sauna, make room for them so everyone can sit comfortably.
3. Be quick. We don’t recommend sauna sessions lasting much longer than 20 minutes in general, but make your gym sauna time quick so more people can use it. Don’t forget to be quick with the door too to keep heat in.

Gym Sauna Don’ts

1. Don’t go in the nude. This is a public space, so please respect your sauna neighbors. Wear a towel or robe to avoid sitting directly on the bench, and definitely don’t wear your dirty gym clothes or shoes.
2. Don’t bring electronics. You don’t want to potentially damage your phone with the heat, and you also don’t want to annoy other sauna users with the light from your screen or music from your headphones.
3. Don’t exercise in the sauna. You just finished your workout in the gym, so use this time to relax! Others will be trying to wind down from their workouts, and interrupting their time with an exercise session would be rude.

Learn more about how to use an infrared sauna at the gym here.

Spa Sauna Etiquette

Because it is a public setting, using a sauna in a spa is a very similar experience to using a gym sauna. One of the biggest differences between a spa and the gym is the clientele. Instead of looking to repair and restore, spa visitors are looking to relax and rejuvenate, so things move at a slower pace. Saunas in spas are offered as a service before, after, or between spa services, so visitors are more likely to take their time to fully unwind.

A more relaxed environment typically means a quieter one, so your spa sauna etiquette should take that into account.

Spa Sauna Dos

1. Shower before entering. If you’re using the sauna before your appointment, take a shower to rinse off any dirt from before entering the spa. If using after a service, rinse off any oils or lotions that may have been used.
2. Learn the clothing policies. Some spas require towels or robes while others allow full nudity. Knowing the clothing policies beforehand can save you and other visitors from a surprise or unpleasant experience.
3. Take your time. Taking your time is more of a sauna etiquette for yourself. Don’t stress and rush yourself through a relaxing sauna session, but instead be aware of your time before heading in and planning accordingly.

Spa Sauna Don’ts

1. Don’t be loud. A spa is all about being quiet and in the moment, so be wary of the people around you. People are unlikely to want to strike up conversation, and they especially don’t want to listen to your conversations.
2. Don’t bring electronics. Just like the gym, bringing your electronics in to the sauna is frowned upon. Watching someone send a work email or play a game on their phone can be stressful to onlookers just trying to relax.
3. Don’t forget about your appointments. Spa saunas are more leisurely, but be aware of your time and your appointments. If using the sauna before or between services, don’t have the spa chasing you down for your spot.

Home Sauna Etiquette

Just because you’re home doesn’t mean there aren’t any rules. Of course, your own personal sauna will have more relaxed rules than public ones, but home sauna etiquette is aimed toward keeping your household happy and ensuring your sauna functions properly for years to come.

Home Sauna Dos

1. Shower before entering. See a theme here? Rinsing off before using your sauna is imperative, regardless if you are in public or at home. Without tracking in dirt, your sauna will thank you for keeping it clean and pristine.
2. Clean up after yourself. Just like showering before your home sauna session, cleaning up after yourself is a key piece of sauna etiquette. Clean your space so the rest of the household can enjoy the sauna once you’re done.
3. Schedule time. If you live with multiple people, be sure everyone has their fair share of sauna time! If you are practicing something like hot yoga, make sure you have a timer set so you don’t lose track of time.

Home Sauna Don’ts

1. Don’t stay in too long. This is more of a sauna etiquette for you and your home. Staying in longer than 20 minutes is not recommended for your health, and longer sessions can add up to higher electric bills.
2. Don’t forget a towel. If you’re at home, you have control over the clothing rules. But even if you decide to go nude, never forget to bring a towel to sit on to avoid staining the bench with sweat or other debris.
3. Don’t skip regular maintenance. Sauna care is fairly simple, but letting little things build up over time will lead to a shorter sauna life span and a more unpleasant experience for your household. It just takes a few minutes!

Read more about sauna care tips here.

Regardless of where you are using a sauna and who you are using it with, being sure to keep the area clean and comfortable is key. Knowing what to wear in a sauna, how much time to spend, and what you can do to be mindful of other people’s experiences are all necessary for sauna etiquette. By practicing proper sauna etiquette, you ensure an enjoyable sauna experience for everyone!

From commercial use to home saunas, Clearlight offers all the components you need to build your own custom sauna for to fit your needs. This blog will cover tips to make the building process as easy as possible, along with things to consider prior to building your own from an infrared sauna kit.

Is a Business or Home Sauna DIY Right for Me?

Before starting your DIY journey, it is important to be realistic with yourself first. Adding an infrared sauna to your home or business is an exciting decision, but make sure the installation process isn’t biting off more than you can chew with a new project. Installing an infrared sauna is typically done in one of three ways:

1. Ground-Up: User builds a new infrared sauna out of lumber and tools by following blueprints or creating a new DIY sauna plan from scratch. This method can be extremely time-consuming and requires meticulous attention to detail. While it is the most hands-on method, it does allow for high levels of customization and a sense of pride in the end.
2. Custom Infrared Sauna Kits: Designing your own sauna with custom infrared sauna kits is the happy medium between the ground-up and base model options. These kits can be modeled to fit your space perfectly and are easily installed. By using DIY infrared sauna kits like these, you get to design many aspects and still put your building skills to work, but with less pressure.
3. Base Model: User purchases a base model sauna that is easy to install, but with lower customization opportunities. For those wanting a more hands-off approach to adding a sauna to their home or business, this route is ideal for high-quality results with less effort.

Sauna DIY Kit Considerations

If you’ve read the above and have decided that a DIY infrared sauna is right for you, great! After the first step of deciding which sauna installation is right for you, there are a few more steps in building the sauna of your dreams. When building your own sauna, you must consider these four components: type of sauna, size, wood type, and accessories.

Type of Sauna

There are two main types of sauna, traditional and infrared. Traditional saunas use high heat and steam to create the hot environment. Using this system requires more maintenance in the long run, as the wet-dry system has more opportunity for wear and bacteria collection if not cleaned properly.

Infrared saunas, on the other hand, use radiant heaters to warm the interior. These infrared systems require less energy to heat and penetrate the body, which makes the experience more comfortable and lowers your electric bill. There are plenty of infrared sauna benefits that are more pronounced than when using a traditional sauna.

Sauna Size

Once you’ve decided on which type of sauna to build, it’s time to decide which size is best for your needs. Consider the number of people who will be using the sauna at a time, how big of an area your space allows, and if the sauna will be used for any activities such as hot yoga.

For personal use, 1-2 person saunas may be ideal to save space and energy. Larger families and businesses will benefit from the space of a 4-5 person sauna models. Custom saunas typically range between 25 and 80 square feet, but can be designed to fit a much larger capacity. We recommend a sauna ceiling no higher than 7 feet to keep heat close to the occupants.

Wood Type

Now that you’ve decided how big to build your sauna, the next necessary step is choosing the type of wood to use in construction. The type of wood you choose makes a considerable impact on the construction of your custom sauna. Avoid woods that get too hot to the touch, contain high levels of sap, and are easily damaged by heat or water.

Instead, choose woods that are soft, resilient, and are visually appealing. Basswood, birch, and spruce are the three most popular woods for building a DIY infrared sauna for your home or business.

Accessories & Amenities

Finally, the last decision to make when building a custom sauna is the fun part: choosing your accessories and amenities! While this step doesn’t require building, it is an exciting part of customization. The sauna health benefits in its base form are wonderful, but why not kick it up a notch with some upgrades for the ultimate personal sanctuary?

Building a sauna from scratch may make it more difficult to add in extra amenities. However, DIY infrared sauna kits allow you to include a range of accessories already built in. Some of these upgrades include halotherapy generators, chromotherapy lights, digital keypads with smartphone control, and audio sound systems.

How to Build a Sauna

You’ve made all your decisions for your perfect custom sauna, and now it’s time to build it! Depending on if you decide to build from scratch or build from a DIY infrared sauna kit, your process will be slightly different.

Building from Scratch

When building from scratch, your building process will start with collecting the measurements of your space and gathering materials such as lumber, tools, and hardware. Cutting your lumber to the precise measurements of your space is imperative, as an improper fit will result in a poorly-functioning sauna that may not retain heat.

There are plenty of online tutorials and blueprints to help you plan the design and construction process. If you are feeling unsure, cross referencing a few plans can give you more clarity on which techniques work best.

Building from Infrared Sauna Kits

Using an infrared sauna DIY kit, the building process is much easier. The initial steps include simply filling out a form with your specifications and ordering a kit. The prefabricated kits come with all the materials necessary to assemble your sauna, and simply mount to the wall and most plug in to a standard 110V/220V outlet.

No matter how you decide to add an infrared sauna to your home or business, it is a wise decision to make! Building from scratch, building from a kit, or ordering a base model will all give you a product that is sure to create a sanctuary that will keep you happy and healthy for years to come.

Investing in an infrared sauna is the ultimate step toward investing in your health. Just like you need to take care of your body to keep it running smoothly, you need to take care of your infrared sauna. Making sure you take proper care of your infrared sauna ensures you’ll be able to enjoy its benefits for years to come. Read below to find tips that cover maintenance, cleaning, and care tips to keep your infrared sauna performing optimally!

Infrared Sauna Cleaning Tips

Because Jacuzzi® infrared saunas provide dry heat, they require very little cleaning. The interior can typically be cleaned with a simple wiping down with a damp cloth. Do a light cleaning after every use, and aim to do a slightly more thorough cleaning every two weeks or so to maintain optimal cleanliness.

When more than water is needed for a more thorough cleaning, you may use a sauna cleaning solution or make your own. To make your own sauna cleaner, diffuse a few drops of high-quality essential oil in water and lightly wipe down the interior of your infrared sauna for a mild clean and refresh. You can also make a solution of 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a gallon of water to lightly scrub the wood and rinse for a deeper clean.

Using pure water will help reduce future maintenance as it avoids any minerals that may cause buildup in your infrared sauna. While unfiltered water is fine for cleaning, you can save yourself some additional work down the road by using filtered or distilled water.

How to Clean a Sauna Bench

Your sauna bench is the area that gets the most use during your sauna sessions. Because of this, you will need to take extra care to keep them clean. After each use, wipe the area down with a damp cloth. Perspiration stains are common to form from your body, and are nothing to worry about. If stains appear, remove them easily removed by lightly sanding the area.

How to Clean a Sauna Floor

Aside from the bench, the sauna floor is the most trafficked area of your sauna and can easily trap debris and bacteria. Use a vacuum hand attachment once per month to clean dust or dirt from your sauna that may have collected over the course of use. It is beneficial to mop your sauna floor from time to time with a sauna cleaning solution for a more thorough cleaning.

How to Clean Sauna Walls

The interior walls of your infrared sauna can be cleaned with the sauna cleaners mentioned above. For exterior walls, treat the wood like you would any piece of fine furniture. If using a polish (NOT paint or varnish) on the exterior wood, reapply when needed to maintain shine. Outdoor infrared saunas will require more exterior maintenance, and a periodic pressure washing will help keep the outside looking pristine.

How to Clean a Sauna Heater

Our Jacuzzi® infrared saunas naturally produce negative ions that help purify the air through the ceramic compound in True Wave heaters. Even so, your sauna heater may need an occasional wipe down. Simply use a damp sponge to wipe off any debris, fingerprints, or other buildup that may have collected over time. Just be sure the heater has cooled down prior to cleaning to prevent burns.

Infrared Sauna Maintenance Tips

Clean Yourself

Your body is the only way moisture, dirt, and dust can enter your infrared sauna. Because of this, you can minimize the chances of dirtying up your sauna by taking a quick rinse and dry before heading into your sauna session. If you cannot rinse off before entering, take extra care to clean away any debris you may have tracked in.

Use a Towel

When using your infrared sauna, use a towel on the bench and under your feet. On top of it adding another layer of comfort, this prevents stains forming in the wood from sweat, body oil, dirt, and dead skin cells. While the stains don’t affect performance, they can affect appearance.

Go All-Natural

Never varnish or paint your sauna. While you may want to match the wood to your decor, paints and stains prevent the natural wood from breathing. Breathing allows the wood to stay clean and feel “soft” with the heat.  You may, however, use furniture polish on the exterior.

Stay Dry

If you notice excess moisture after a session, wipe off any excess perspiration with a hand towel. You can also crack the door or roof vent and keep the sauna running for a few minutes once your session is over to evaporate any remaining moisture. This helps air out the sauna to keep it fresh.

Don’t Overdo It

Infrared sauna maintenance is quick and easy, so don’t worry about spending large amounts of time to clean. Taking the little steps after each use will minimize your work even more, so make the above sauna cleaning tips a habit.

With the proper care and attention, your Jacuzzi® infrared sauna will give you stellar performance for years to come. Make your sauna cleaning easier by taking the small steps along the way to prevent any issues from forming. Learning how to clean a sauna takes no time at all, and has long-lasting results.