Terveen saunan tekijät

Finnish sauna is a traditional hot room (70 ... 100°C) for sweating, relaxing as well as mental and physical cleaning. Healthy Sauna field study produced the practical guidelines for a good, clean, comfortable and desirable sauna. The subjects were nine public saunas owned by the city of Helsinki. Some of the saunas were in swimming halls and some in multistorey apartment buildings. Traditionally we Finns think that a sauna is a clean and a hygienic place to be born and bathe. New generations of people and saunas, new habits and technology may have both good and bad effects on sauna. High humidity may cause hygienic problems in sauna. Also the economical pressures may reduce the budget of cleaning and maintenance. Adequate ventilation in saunas and in bathrooms is not obviousness yet it is very important. We were relieved that no dangerous microbes or diseases were found in saunas. However, cleaning procedures, methods and materials should be further developed. Cooled ceramic seats in sauna are quite popular in swimming halls. The low temperature level (40°C) offered the microbes very pleasant living conditions. Even cleaning had almost no effect on them. The traditional wooden seats were much cleaner than the ceramic ones. The surface temperatures of the wooden seats were typically 70°C. No special detergents are needed for normal cleaning of saunas. Slightly alkalic and slightly acid detergents are suitable. No disinfecting is needed. However, there is also need for further developed the cleaning procedures, methods and materials. Best cleaning results was achieved when the sauna was cleaned right after the use, typically in the evening. Heat from the stove and increased ventilation dried the clean sauna efficiently. However, durability of wooden structures should be developed. Structures should be easy to clean and repair. Water should flow away quickly from structures to allow for fast drying.