What Is Proper Sauna Etiquette?

It seems people really love to discuss with me how disgusting others can be in public. I’m sure they are even worse at home, but since I’m not there–and don’t plan to be–let’s just use public misbehavior for today’s article. Something that really drives people crazy is poor hygiene and it’s always worse at the gym.

What Is Proper Sauna Etiquette?

I wrote an article last year called “What Is Proper Locker Room Etiquette,” which provoked a lot of comments and stories. I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one who thought sweat should be left on one person’s body only and not shared with others.

So, in this article, and in light of a recent email I received, I’m going to discuss proper sauna etiquette. Yes, that’s right folks; I’m going deep in the heated, sweat-filled dungeon known as the gym sauna to correct all kinds of rude behavior. Without further ado, let’s start this heated (no pun intended… okay, well maybe a little bit) discussion to learn my top three tips on how to have proper sauna etiquette.

Tip #1:  Don’t Use The Sauna to Workout

It was the 90’s hip hop group, “House Of Pain,” that said, “Jump around, jump around, jump up, jump up and get down! Jump around!” But I’m pretty sure they weren’t talking about what to do in a sauna. Leave the jumping to the gym and the sitting to the sauna.

Now, I say this with a little caveat, since as a wrestler I’ve used the sauna to cut weight, and yes, it does help to do some stretching and even jogging in there to shed some more pounds. But unless you are there to make weight for your next MMA fight, I say, keep you butt on the bench.  Most gym saunas are not that big–usually only meant for five or six people so it’s not polite to stand in front of your fellow heat dwellers and bust out some jumping jacks.

Constantly moving around in the sauna is not only a distraction, it’s disgusting too! The only sweat I want on my body is my own and the last thing I want is for you to splash drips of your sweat on my face because you want to do lunges.

If this happens to you, kindly ask the person if they wouldn’t mind waiting until others leave to do their exercising. Or let them know that their movement is shaking the sauna (which it does) and it’s making you nauseated (which it will).

Tip #2:  Don’t Go Naked

I touched on covering up in the locker room etiquette piece, and for the sauna, the rule still applies. First off, saunas are wooden and wood absorbs things like sweat and germs. When sauna benches are cleaned, the cleaning staff doesn’t always get all the germs that others leave behind.  I say the word behind on purpose, for those sauna-goers who insist on being nude.

Even if you don’t think your body is germ-and sweat-free, you should still have the courtesy to cover up for others. This isn’t like the locker room where you can move around easily; here you are in a confined place, so making people sit very close to your naked self can be very uncomfortable.

If Joe Fitness does not have a towel, kindly let him know there are some outside. You can even excuse yourself to use the restroom and come back in with another for him. Better yet, bring two in with you–one for you and one for any gym-goer who may lack the proper etiquette. Just in case.

Tip #3: Turn the Music Down

One of my biggest pet peeves (and some of yours too as my emails have shown) is when someone blasts their music in public. It’s always inconsiderate to blast your music—whether on a bus, a plane, at work, or in a sauna. 

When you are in public, you have to remember that there are others around you and you have to respect their space. If you want to listen to your headset or iPod, go ahead, but keep it low enough so it doesn’t bother anyone else.

If you are unfortunate enough to experience this lack of manners, simply ask the person if they can turn it down.  Trust me, you won’t be the only one wanting them to turn it down. If this is an ongoing problem you might even want to see whether  the staff can post a note about proper music level for inside the sauna. It will be well appreciated by everyone.

Do you have a great story about how you witness poor sauna manners? Post them on my Modern Manners Guy Facebook page so we can all hear the details. As always, if you have another manners question, I’m look forward to hearing from you so drop me a line at manners@quickanddirtytips.com. As well, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter  @MannersQDT. And of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips. 

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