What Not to Bring Into a Hot Room

The First Rule: Follow Your Unit's Guidelines

There is no universal rule that fits every hot room, but there is a simple principle that covers them all: bring in only what the maker of your sauna, steam room, or steam shower permits. Cleveland Clinic advises following the guidelines of the sauna you are in so your body does not overheat. Those guidelines usually cover session length, temperature settings, and what belongs on the benches.

Treat the hot room as a place for people, not storage. If an item is not part of the session, it belongs in a locker, a dry bag, or another room. The less you carry in, the less you have to worry about heat damage, spills, or tripping. If you need a seat cover, choose a bench towel made for the heat and keep the rest outside, as explained in bench cushion or towel.

Plastics and Synthetic Materials

Traditional saunas are typically heated to between 150 and 195 F, and infrared saunas usually run between 110 and 135 F, according to Cleveland Clinic. Those temperatures work well for people who are used to sauna bathing, but they do not work well for ordinary plastics. Plastic combs, food containers, bags, and bottle caps can soften, warp, or pick up odors when left on a hot bench or near a heater.

Leave plastic accessories and synthetic cushions outside. A plastic bottle can also become too hot to hold, and a soft plastic item left in the room can mark the wood. For water, use a bottle rated for high heat or hydrate before and after the session. The same caution applies to foam and fabric items that are not rated for the room; see foam and fabric in heat.

Aerosols and Pressurized Containers

Aerosol cans, spray deodorants, hairsprays, sunscreen sprays, and compressed-air dusters should stay outside the hot room. Pressurized cans are not meant for high-temperature spaces, and their labels almost always warn against heat. A can left on a bench or near a heater is a risk with no benefit.

If you need to freshen up, use spray products in the dressing area or bathroom, not next to the heater. For scent in a sauna or steam room, use only a method the manufacturer planned for the room. Read more in essential oils in sauna safety.

Open Flames and Lit Items

Candles, matches, lighters, incense, and anything else with an open flame have no place inside a hot room. Benches, walls, and towels can catch, and people can be burned. A sauna's heater is already the only heat source the room needs, and a candle or match can be knocked over when someone shifts on the bench or reaches for a ladle.

The same rule applies to every heater type. In a wood-fired sauna, the controlled fire belongs in the stove, behind its door, not on a tray. If you use an electric or infrared heater, there is no reason for any flame in the cabin. Review sauna fire safety basics and keep smoke and carbon monoxide alarms where they are required; see smoke and carbon monoxide alarms.

Electronics and Valuables

Your phone, smartwatch, tablet, and wireless earbuds are not designed for a hot, humid room. Heat can strain batteries, sweat can get into ports, and rapid temperature changes are hard on screens. A hot room is also a good place to be away from notifications; leave devices in a locker.

If your sauna has built-in sound, lighting, or controls, those components are installed as part of the certified system. Your personal electronics are not. More details are in phones and electronics in heat.

Glass, Jewelry, and Loose Items

Glass bottles, drinking glasses, and decorative glass can become intensely hot in a hot room and may crack or shatter if placed on a heater or dropped on tile. If you bring water, choose a heat-rated vessel and keep it away from the heat source.

Jewelry and other metal objects heat up faster than skin and can leave burns. Remove rings, necklaces, watches, and body piercings before entering, and store them outside the room. See jewelry and metal in heat for more.

Loose items on the floor are also a tripping hazard, especially in a steamy room where visibility can be low. Keep the floor clear and the benches clear.

What to Bring Instead

Keep the list short. A towel to sit on protects the wood and is part of normal sauna etiquette. A heat-rated hat keeps your head comfortable, and water in a heat-rated bottle can help you stay hydrated if your room allows it. See what to wear in traditional sauna and sauna hat purpose.

Before and after the session, hydrate well and let your body cool down gradually. If you have health concerns, check with a healthcare provider before you heat bathe. When you choose a setup, match the room to the way you want to use it: look at traditional sauna gear, infrared sauna gear, or steam sauna gear.

• Bring in: a towel, a heat-rated hat, and water in a heat-rated bottle if the room allows it.
• Leave outside: plastics, aerosols, open flames, electronics, glass, and jewelry.

What to pick for your use

Questions

Can I bring a plastic water bottle into a sauna?

It is safer to leave plastic bottles outside or use a bottle rated for high heat. Hot air can soften plastic and make the bottle uncomfortable to hold. Hydrate before and after your session, and keep any water container away from the heater.

Are there exceptions for electronics made for sauna use?

Some saunas include built-in sound, lighting, and control systems designed for the heat, but those are part of the installed unit. A personal phone, tablet, or smartwatch is not made for extended time in a hot room, so leave it in a locker.

Can I use candles or incense in an infrared sauna?

No. Open flames and lit incense do not belong in any hot room, regardless of heater type. The room is full of wood, benches, towels, and people, and the unit's own heater is the only heat source you need.

What about aerosol deodorant after my session?

Use aerosol products outside the hot room, not in the cabin or steam room. Pressurized cans should not be stored or used near a heater. Apply deodorant or sunscreen in the dressing area after you cool down.

What should I do with jewelry before a sauna?

Remove rings, necklaces, watches, and body piercings and leave them outside the room. Metal can heat faster than skin and may become uncomfortable or cause burns. Watches and rings can also trap heat and sweat.