Etiquette is important when enjoying a sauna session, especially in a public setting. Saunas are meant to be for relaxing, cleansing and rejuvenating for everyone. To ensure everybody’s enjoyment, here are a few tips for dos and don’ts in sauna sessions.

Hygiene Practices

Shower before entering! It is common, especially in Finland to shower before entering the sauna to ensure that you are clean when entering the sauna. Another thing to do is to use a seat cover! Public saunas often provide paper, cloth, or wooden sheets to sit on. This prevents from soaking into the benches to keep it clean for everyone! With that said, NO food and drinks! This is to avoid odor, spills, and crumbs that may disturb the experience for others. However, this may not be always the case for drinks in private sauna sessions. Some Finns bring a can of beer, cider, or any beverage of choice when doing sauna sessions, but sometimes they leave it outside as well. Nonetheless, everyone is still expected to act accordingly.

Respecting Personal Space

Being mindful of others space, sauna coming from Finland has a culture of personal space. Try not to crowd others in the sauna. Another thing is to keep the noise low, especially in public saunas. Some private sessions are known to be social gatherings where people talk business, life, and things but these are exceptions. In some saunas, there are different preferences when it comes to clothing. Some prefer swimsuits, and other may prefer towels or full nudity so dress accordingly.

To ensure that everyone is having a good and relaxing time, some etiquettes are to be considered. Because relaxing is better when everyone is enjoying it!