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How to wash sauna benches

The enemy of a sauna bench is not dirt but moisture that cannot leave. Which is why the important work is not the washing but what you do afterwards.

The Suomen Saunat editorial team Published 7 August 2026 6 min read
A hand scrubbing a wooden sauna bench with a brush, half the slats wet and freshly pale, a galvanised bucket and hose alongside

The short answer

A brush, hot water and a mild sauna-specific detergent, worked along the grain. Then rinse, and — most important — let it dry: door ajar, ventilation running. No varnish, paint or ordinary wood oil on the seating surface, because a hot coated surface is one that sticks to skin.

What to know before your first visit

  • A brush and water are usually enough. Strong chemicals are not needed.
  • Always brush along the grain, never across it.
  • No varnish, paint or ordinary wood oil on the seating surface.
  • Drying does most of the work: leave the door ajar after every session.

After every session: two minutes

Most of the care a bench needs is not washing but habit. In a shared sauna the benches are rinsed after use, and that belongs to the same hygiene practice as washing before going in: the next person sits on the same wood.[1][2]

Rinsing means exactly that: water over the bench, sweat gone. It takes two minutes and needs no equipment.

Then leave the door ajar. This is the most important sentence on the page. Wet wood that cannot dry darkens and starts to smell; wood that dries does neither. Ventilation does this work, not detergent.[2]

The proper wash: brush, water, grain

A few times a year the benches deserve a real wash. The tools are simple: a stiff brush, hot water and a mild detergent meant for sauna rooms. A sponge will not do, because the dirt is in the pores of the wood rather than on the surface.

Always brush along the grain. Brushing across it lifts the fibres, and a roughened surface collects more dirt next time than a smooth one. This is the detail that separates well-kept benches from badly kept ones.

Rinse with plenty of water. Detergent left behind dries into the wood and transfers to skin at the next session.

  1. Take off the loose dirt

    Rinse the benches with plain water first, so sweat and dust are gone.

  2. Brush along the grain

    Stiff brush, hot water, mild detergent. Brushing across the grain roughens the surface.

  3. Rinse thoroughly

    Plenty of water, so no detergent stays in the wood.

  4. Dry it

    Door ajar and ventilation on until the wood is dry to the touch.

What not to put on them

Varnish, paint and ordinary wood oil do not belong on the seating surface. The reason is direct: they form a film, and a hot film sticks to skin. Beyond that, the film stops the wood releasing moisture, so water stays trapped under the surface.

Untreated wood also feels gentler in heat than treated wood. That is why benches are the way they are — a choice rather than an economy. Paraffin-based bench protectors made for sauna rooms do exist, and using one is a different thing from varnishing; the product's own instructions decide.

Chlorine-based cleaners are best avoided too. They bleach the wood unevenly and keep their smell in the heat.

When the wood has already darkened

Grey or patchy wood is not always dirt. Often it is moisture damage built up over months of poor drying, and it will not come off with washing.

The fix then is a light sanding along the grain, which brings pale wood back. Sanding is a one-off repair; if the drying problem is not solved, the same thing returns.

If the benches have gone soft or rotten, this is no longer about washing. They are replaced, and it is worth finding out why they got wet.

Practical answers

First-visit questions

What do you wash sauna benches with?

A stiff brush, hot water and a mild detergent meant for sauna rooms. Brush along the grain and rinse with plenty of water.

Should you rinse the sauna benches after every session?

In a shared sauna, yes. It belongs to the same hygiene practice as washing before going in: the next person sits on the same wood.

Can sauna benches be varnished or oiled?

Not the seating surface. Film-forming products stick to skin when hot and stop the wood drying. Protectors made for sauna rooms are a different thing, and the product's instructions decide.

What should you do to the sauna after using it?

Rinse the benches and leave the door ajar so the wood and floor dry. Drying keeps benches sound for longer than any detergent.

Editorial review

Sources

Reviewed 7 August 2026
  1. Suomen SaunaseuraAbout sauna hygiene
  2. Suomen SaunaseuraSauna bathing and customs