Sauna etiquette: the most important rules for your sauna visit

Sauna etiquette is not a rulebook to learn by heart but common sense: hygiene, consideration and quiet. If you know it, you'll feel confident even on your first visit – and the other guests will appreciate it too. We have been running the Meri Sauna at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years and have summarised the rules here as they are customary in most German saunas: from showering and the towel to the infusion, cooling down and resting.

Contents17

1. Why there is sauna etiquette
2. Sauna etiquette at a glance
3. Before the sauna round: arrive, shower, dry off
4. The most important rule of sauna etiquette: no sweat on the wood
5. In the cabin: space, quiet, consideration
6. Infusion etiquette: be on time, don't wave yourself
7. Cooling down: shower first, then into the pool
8. Relaxation area: share loungers instead of reserving them
9. Sauna etiquette in steam rooms, bio saunas and infrared cabins
10. As a couple, in a group, with children
11. When someone ignores sauna etiquette
12. Naked or in swimwear?
13. Consideration for yourself and others
14. After the last round: leave tidily
15. The most common faux pas
16. Conclusion
17. Frequently asked questions

Why there is sauna etiquette

In a sauna, many people share a small, hot room, usually without clothes. To keep it pleasant for everyone, three principles have become established:

• Hygiene: Sweat belongs on your own towel, not on the wood. Going into the cabin freshly showered is a sign of consideration for everyone else.
• Quiet: Many guests come to switch off. Conversations aren't forbidden, but they are quiet and short.
• Safety: Heat, wet floors and cold water call for a little attention – for yourself and for others.

The exact rules are set out in each sauna's house rules, and they always take precedence. The sauna etiquette below describes what is customary in Germany.

Sauna etiquette at a glance

Situation	What is customary	Better not
Before the first round	Shower thoroughly, dry off, remove make-up and jewellery	Entering the cabin with perfume, cream or wet skin
In the cabin	Sit or lie fully on your towel, feet included	Skin or feet directly on the wood
Door	Open and close it quickly	Leaving the door open so heat escapes
Infusion	Go in before it starts, stay until the end or leave during a pause	Going in or out during the infusion, waving your own towel
Cooling down	Shower off sweat first, then into the plunge pool	Getting into the pool sweaty
Relaxation area	Towel on the lounger, keep quiet, free the lounger after resting	Reserving loungers with towels for hours
Phone	Leave it in the locker	Photos or phone calls in the sauna area

Before the sauna round: arrive, shower, dry off

Sauna etiquette starts in the changing room. Take your time; plan two to three hours rather than one hectic hour. Few people enjoy the sauna on a full stomach or a completely empty one – a light meal some time beforehand is customary.

1. Take off jewellery, watch and glasses: Metal gets hot in the heat. What else you may take with you is covered in Glasses, jewellery and contact lenses in the sauna.
2. Remove make-up: Make-up, cream and perfume have no place in the cabin.
3. Shower thoroughly: With shower gel, so that sweat, deodorant and skin oil are gone. A mild shower gel such as the VEGAN FOX Shower Gel is perfectly sufficient.
4. Dry off well: With dry skin you start sweating sooner, and your sauna towel stays dry.

How often and when to shower around the sauna is explained in detail in Showering before and after the sauna.

The most important rule of sauna etiquette: no sweat on the wood

If you remember only one rule, make it this one: in the cabin you always sit or lie fully on your towel – feet included. Sweat soaks into the wood and is very hard to remove. That's why your towel should be long enough to stretch out on. For most people a towel measuring 180 × 100 cm is fine; tall people are better off with a length of 200 cm, such as the Ocean StayOn hammam towel (200 × 70 cm).

Many sauna-goers bring two towels: one for the bench and one for drying off. That way you never sit on a wet towel. With light hammam towels, weight is not an issue. Why the towel is your most important item in a textile-free sauna is explained in Textile-free sauna.

In the cabin: space, quiet, consideration

Small gestures count in the cabin. These points are part of good sauna etiquette almost everywhere:

• Close the door quickly: Every second it stays open lets heat escape.
• Greet briefly: A quiet "hello" when you come in is customary – no more is needed.
• Leave space: When it's full, sit up instead of stretching out. Where it is how hot is explained in Top or bottom? Which sauna bench is right for you.
• Keep quiet: Short, hushed conversations are fine in many saunas; loud ones are not.
• Don't stare: Nudity is normal in the sauna. Still, keep your eyes to yourself.
• No grooming in the cabin: Scrubs, shaving or combing your hair belong in the shower, not on the bench.
• Leave slippers outside: Bath slippers are usually left in front of the cabin door.
• Listen to your body: A sauna round usually lasts about 8 to 15 minutes. If it gets too much, simply leave – that's not impolite. More on duration in How long should you stay in the sauna?

Infusion etiquette: be on time, don't wave yourself

For many people, the infusion is the highlight of the sauna day. For it to work for everyone, a few extra rules apply:

• Be on time: Arrive a few minutes before it starts so the door is closed when it begins.
• Don't go in or out during the infusion: Every time the door opens, heat is lost. If it gets too hot, of course you still leave – ideally during a pause between rounds and after a quick word with the sauna master.
• Don't pour water yourself: In saunas with an infusion schedule, only staff pour.
• Don't wave your own towel: Distributing the heat with a towel is the sauna master's job. What exactly they do is explained in Sauna towel during the infusion.
• Stay quiet: Nobody talks during the infusion. Applause at the end is customary in many saunas.

Cooling down: shower first, then into the pool

After the sauna round you cool down – in the fresh air, under a cold shower, in the plunge pool or in a natural pond. The most important rule: before you get into a plunge pool or pond, shower off the sweat. A pool is not a washbasin.

The usual order: briefly into the fresh air, then a cold shower, and finally the plunge pool if you like. Which way of cooling down suits you is covered in Cooling down after a sauna session.

Relaxation area: share loungers instead of reserving them

Between rounds you rest, usually for as long as the sauna round itself or longer. The towel rule applies here too: a towel goes on the lounger, even if you're wearing a bathrobe. A lounger towel with a pocket for the backrest, such as the StayOn, stays in place.

A common annoyance in many saunas: loungers "reserved" with towels while their owners are elsewhere for hours. The fair approach is to use a lounger while you're resting there or briefly in the cabin, and to free it up afterwards. Many saunas clear abandoned towels after a certain time. The unwritten rules of the relaxation room – from reading to snoring – are collected in our relaxation room etiquette.

Sauna etiquette in steam rooms, bio saunas and infrared cabins

The basic rules apply everywhere, but there are small differences depending on the type of sauna:

• Finnish sauna: Hot and dry; the towel rule is strictest here. Infusions usually follow a schedule.
• Steam room: The benches are usually tiled and the air is humid. It is customary to rinse your seat before and after with the hose or shower provided. A seat towel is still pleasant, but a thick terry towel quickly gets soaked. More in Sauna towel in the steam room.
• Bio sauna or sanarium: Milder and often with light or scents. Many guests look for quiet here in particular, so conversations are especially out of place.
• Infrared cabin: Usually smaller, often for one or two people. Here too, a towel belongs between skin and wood.

An overview of the different types is given in Types of sauna at a glance.

As a couple, in a group, with children

Going to the sauna together is lovely – as long as the other guests don't notice. Couples hold back on affection, and groups spread out over several cabins rather than filling one and chatting. How to make a visit for two relaxing is covered in Going to the sauna as a pair.

Whether and from what age children may come into the sauna is up to each facility. Some offer dedicated family times. Children should know the rules beforehand, especially the towel rule and keeping quiet in the relaxation area.

When someone ignores sauna etiquette

Not everyone knows the rules. A friendly, quiet hint usually works better than an annoyed look, for example: "Here you put the towel under your feet too." For repeated disturbances or safety issues, the staff are the right people to talk to. For newcomers: if you're unsure, watch how others do it for the first few minutes, or simply ask.

Naked or in swimwear?

In German saunas it is customary to sit naked on your towel in the cabin. Swimwear is usually not welcome there because it holds sweat and chlorinated water from the pool. In the relaxation area and on the walkways, you wear a bathrobe or wrap yourself in a towel. Where you wear the bathrobe and where not is explained in Bathrobe at the thermal spa.

Abroad, sauna etiquette often looks different: in many countries swimwear is expected in public saunas, and men and women sometimes use the sauna separately. There are also textile saunas and women's saunas in Germany. A look at the house rules clarifies this before your visit.

Consideration for yourself and others

Sauna etiquette also means taking good care of yourself:

• Stay at home if you're ill: With a cold or fever you rest and don't infect anyone.
• No alcohol: Heat and alcohol don't go together.
• Drink enough: Water or tea between rounds, not in the cabin itself.
• Health questions: If you're unsure whether the sauna is right for you, check with a doctor beforehand.

After the last round: leave tidily

Saying goodbye is part of sauna etiquette too. After the last cool-down, take another warm shower, this time with shower gel if you like, and only apply cream afterwards – in the shower or changing room, not in the relaxation area. Blow-dry long hair in the area provided. Tips on hairstyles and hair care can be found in Sauna with long hair.

• Take all your towels: Lounger towel, seat towel and hand towel go into your bag, not stay in the relaxation room.
• Free the lounger: Put the sauna's blankets or cushions back the way you found them.
• Don't spread out wet towels: Radiators and loungers in the relaxation area are not a drying rack.
• Clear away drinks and cups: Empty bottles and cups go in the bin or back to the bar.

The most common faux pas

These small breaches of sauna etiquette bother other guests most often:

1. Towel too short, feet on the wood.
2. Entering the cabin wet or without showering.
3. Opening the door during the infusion.
4. Getting into the plunge pool sweaty.
5. Blocking loungers with towels.
6. Loud conversations or a phone in the relaxation area.
7. Letting your towel hang over the edge of the bench onto the guests below – or putting it near the stove.

Related reading: Relaxation room etiquette: the unwritten rules of the sauna break · Cooling down after a sauna session: fresh air, shower, plunge pool · Sauna terms explained: the glossary from infusion to venik

Conclusion

Sauna etiquette comes down to a few points: shower and dry off beforehand, always sit fully on your towel, be on time for the infusion and don't wave yourself, shower before the plunge pool, keep quiet in the relaxation area and don't reserve loungers. If you take this to heart, you'll be a welcome guest in any German sauna – and if in doubt, the house rules will help.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most important rule in the sauna?

No sweat on the wood: you always sit or lie fully on your towel, including your feet. That's why the towel should be at least as long as you are.

Can you talk in the sauna?

Quietly and briefly, yes, in most saunas. During the infusion and in the relaxation area, silence is customary.

Do I have to be naked in the sauna?

In most German saunas the cabin is textile-free and you sit naked on your towel. But there are also textile saunas. The house rules tell you what applies.

May I leave during the infusion?

If it gets too much, yes – your health comes first. Ideally leave during a pause between rounds so that as little heat as possible is lost.

How many towels do I need?

At least two: one for the bench and one for drying off. For a long day in the relaxation area, a lounger towel is often added.

May I reserve a lounger with my towel?

Briefly, while you're in the cabin, that's customary. Blocking loungers for hours, however, is considered impolite and is not allowed in many saunas.

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Personally written by Martin – founder of BeachAndSteam and sauna operator at Lake Kulkwitz for more than 18 years.