Rules of etiquette for the sauna
No-go’s in the sauna. For example, avoid entering or leaving the sauna during an infusion or accidentally leaving the door open. Performing an infusion without the consent of the other guests or even using your own infusion products are among the absolute no-goes. What else is considered good manners in the sauna? We’ve put together a little sauna etiquette guide to help you avoid the worst sauna pitfalls.
Hygiene no-go
When it comes to hygiene, it goes without saying that you shouldn’t go to the sauna without showering and then rinse off your sweat before jumping into a pool of water. Also frowned upon is any intimate form of personal hygiene, such as cutting or filing fingernails and toenails. Many people find it particularly disgusting when someone wipes the sweat off their body with their hand and touches other people or “just” the wooden benches – these are not varnished and really absorb the sweat.
Pay attention to the towel size
So be sure to take a sufficiently large hand or shower towel with you into the sauna. The size should be at least so that you do not sit or lie on the wood, and hands and feet also find space on it. When sitting down and standing up, be careful not to use other people’s towels as doormats. Otherwise, enter the sauna naked; bathing suits and slippers have no place in this place.
Small talk in the sauna
What about conversations? Small talk is not very welcome in the sauna, but a short greeting when entering the sauna and, if necessary, the question “Is it free?” is appropriate in many cases, especially if the sauna is quite full. Very annoying are visitors who do not talk in whispers, but loudly or possibly make telephone calls. Unless you are the only sauna guests, it is best to choose innocuous topics of conversation (slandering work colleagues is an absolute no-go!). And avoid loud laughter so as not to disturb the relaxing atmosphere. By the way, cell phones are not allowed in the sauna – above all, please do not take any photos!
Respectful behavior in the sauna
Getting too close to others is also a no-go. There should be at least 30 centimeters between you and the person next to you. If there is not much going on, you can lie down. But only if the other sauna guests can also lie down. Other no-goes: sitting with your legs apart, conspicuously displaying your own body, staring at others or making insinuating remarks. Many people find this particularly unpleasant in the sauna. In the same way, caresses & Co. with one’s own partner have no place in the sauna.
If you behave respectfully in the sauna, as you would expect others to do, you’re pretty much on the right track. One last tip to conclude: one day before you visit the sauna, remember to avoid onions, garlic, alcohol, and other odor-intensive foods and stimulants that could become an odor nuisance in the sauna. Then you won’t run as much risk of catching a sauna grease puddle …
Smear wooden benches with honey
Some saunas have honey dispensers hanging at the entrance to the cabins. The following applies to these and also to honey you bring yourself: A sticky bench is unpleasant for other sauna guests to sit on. So make sure nothing drips on the wood and wash off the rest of the sticky mass thoroughly before jumping into the plunge pool.
Do not close sauna door after leaving
To prevent heat from escaping, the sauna room door should be opened and closed as soon as possible. If an infusion has already begun, you should not enter to avoid disturbing the infusion ceremony. Of course, you can leave the sauna cabin at any time if you feel unwell or if it becomes too hot.
Swimwear in the sauna
Almost everywhere in Germany, there are nude saunas. Firstly, it is impolite to move among naked people wearing bathing suits, and secondly, bathing suits affect the sauna climate, apart from the fact that bathing suits are unhygienic in the sauna.
Purchase recommendation: Healthy and fit by the sauna
Sauna guide by Wolfgang Bartl
The web developer and blogger Wolfgang Bartl has been dealing with the topic of saunas for many years. So what could be more obvious than to start a blog on this topic. No sooner said than done, he started in 2004 with a website and forum on the topic of saunas. He quickly realized that not only in Austria sauna enthusiasts were looking for information on this topic or wanted to exchange ideas, so in 2005 he changed the domain to sauna-portal.com to expand the target audience. Many questions about sauna and sauna construction reached him, which he not only answered directly, but also published in the form of articles on his portal. As the desire of his visitors to read this content offline grew, he compiled the most popular articles of the portal into a sauna guide.
