Sauna Care & Maintenance

Keeping your Calore sauna clean protects the Canadian cedar, keeps the air fresh, and extends the life of your sauna. This guide covers the interior and exterior, your benches and rocks, and preventing mould — for both home and commercial spas. The video below walks through the full routine, and the sections beneath break down each step in detail.

How do I maintain and clean the interior of my sauna?

See our Sauna Cleaning Instructions for full detail. Treating your benches with paraffin oil reduces how much sweat and dirt is absorbed and extends their lifespan — treat new benches before use and repeat once or twice a year. The oil is colourless and odourless but gives the wood a slightly darker look; wood must be completely dry before treating.

Under normal conditions, washing the interior every 3 to 4 months maintains cleanliness. Avoid ammonia or harsh cleaners, which can turn the wood grey. Wash with a sponge or soft-bristle brush, always brushing with the grain; if dirt is embedded, sand lightly. Rinse thoroughly, then run the heater for 1 to 2 hours to dry the room. Re-stack your sauna stones every 6 months and replace the rocks every 12–18 months. After each session, run the heater for an additional 60-minute cycle with the door closed to dehumidify and help prevent mould.

Should I install shingles or a roof on my sauna?

Without a roof, it is normal for water to leak through the roof boards — the interlocking staves do not form a watertight seal. We recommend installing wood or asphalt roof shingles (with a roofing underlay beneath for extra protection), or sourcing roofing materials locally. Some water seeping in on a rainy or windy day will not harm your sauna. After heavy rain, run the heater for a 1-hour cycle to dry the room; running it a couple of times a week in wetter months helps prevent mould or mildew.

How do I clean the exterior of my sauna?

Hose it off gently with water to remove debris and stains. We recommend adding a roof, which significantly increases your sauna's longevity and water resistance.

How often should I adjust or replace my sauna rocks?

Repeated heating and cooling cracks the rocks over time; they shrink, settle and can push the heater coils into contact with one another, which causes coils to burn out. Every 6 months, turn the heater off at the breaker, remove all the rocks, and re-stack them so the coils are vertical and not touching. Harvia and HUUM recommend replacing the rocks every 12 to 18 months depending on use.

What should I do if water leaks into the sauna?

A small amount of seepage is usually condensation and won't hurt the sauna. Substantial seepage may mean the bands have loosened and water is getting in around the staves. Wood naturally shrinks in warm, dry weather and with age, so cracks can appear; check band tension every few months and retighten loose bands as you did during first assembly. If tightening won't close the cracks, you may need to add more staves under the bands. Adding a roof significantly improves longevity and water resistance.