How To Clean a Sauna Blanket (With Practical Daily Tips!)

Sauna blankets are becoming more and more popular. Once you’ve used yours a couple of times, you may notice it doesn’t smell quite as fresh as it used to. How do you clean a sauna blanet?

To clean a sauna blanket, wipe with an antibacterial wipe or spray after each use. After every 5-10 uses, deep clean using a homemade vinegar spray by mixing equal parts water and vinegar with a few drops of essential oil in a spray bottle. After either type of cleaning, leave the zipper unzipped and fold it open to allow the blanket to air dry.

Keep reading for more information about how to maintain your sauna blanket, and how to deep clean it when necessary.

How often should you clean a sauna blanket?

Sauna blankets are just begging to be stinky due to their dark, damp, warm environment. Let’s go over both maintenance and deep cleaning.

You should wipe down a sauna blanket after each use and do a deep clean after every 5-10 uses. To wipe it down, you can either use antibacterial wipes or an antibacterial spray. To deep clean, use vinegar and your favorite essential oils. The essential oils will make your sauna blanket smell good while also being antibacterial.

Sauna blankets are damp and dark – the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive. Especially since there might be sweat on the inside of your blanket, it can get both smelly and unsanitary. 

Because of this, you have to wipe down your sauna blanket every time you use it. This is your maintenance cleaning. You do this with either antibacterial wipes or an antibacterial spray.

When you want to perform a deep clean after every 5-10 uses, use a 1:1 water and vinegar ratio in a spray bottle with some essential oils mixed in.

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What materials do you need to clean a sauna blanket?

The materials required to clean your sauna blanket depend on the kind of cleaning you’re doing.

The materials you need to clean a sauna blanket are antibacterial wipes, antibacterial spray, white vinegar, and essential oils. Antibacterial wipes and spray are used after each use. Meanwhile, a white vinegar, water, and essential oil mixture is used for deep cleaning after each 5-10 uses.

Here are the materials you will need:

• Antibacterial wipes – Most antibacterial wipes kill 99.9% of bacteria and are able to clean pretty much everything. 
• Antibacterial spray – Likewise, disinfectant spray usually kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria. You can get spray specifically designed for fabric!
• White vinegar – White vinegar, when distilled at a 1:1 ratio with water, is able to cut through grime even more effectively than most cleaning agents on the market. 
• Essential oils – Using your favorite essential oils will give your sauna blanket a pleasant smell. Many essential oils, including lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint, and orange, also have antibacterial properties.

What materials should you avoid?

Here are some cleaning agents to stay far away from!

Never use bleach, ammonia, or a combination of the two to clean your sauna blanket.

• Bleach – Bleach can damage the inside of your sauna blanket, causing discoloration. It also isn’t friendly on your skin.
• Ammonia – Ammonia isn’t safe on the skin and can cause burns. 
• Bleach and ammonia together – While you shouldn’t use either of these on your sauna blanket, it’s worth noting that bleach and ammonia should never be combined. This combination will create toxic fumes.

Step-by-step instructions for cleaning a sauna blanket

Cleaning a sauna blanket is very simple. Since it’s so easy, there’s no excuse not to clean your blanket after each use!

To clean a sauna blanket, let it cool down first. Then wipe off any excess sweat. Clean it with the cleaning agent of your choice – either antibacterial wipes, an antibacterial spray, or white vinegar mixed with water and essential oils. Leave the zipper open and fold one side open to let it air dry.

There are three main ways to clean a sauna blanket:

• Using antibacterial wipes
• Using antibacterial spray
• Using white vinegar and essential oils

While these three methods include different cleaning agents, they all utilize similar techniques:

You want to let the blanket cool down first. Then wipe off excess sweat from your session. Clean your sauna blanket using your preferred cleaning agent. Lastly, leave the zipper open and fold one side open so your blanket can air dry.

Antibacterial wipes

Most people already have antibacterial wipes around for general household cleaning. In addition to sanitizing tables, doorknobs, and bathroom counters, these wipes are perfect for your daily sauna blanket cleaning.

Here’s how to use antibacterial wipes to clean your sauna blanket:

1. Let your sauna blanket cool down.
2. Use a clean antibacterial cloth to wipe off any excess sweat from your sauna blanket.
3. Wipe down the inside of your sauna blanket with a fresh antibacterial wipe.
4. Leave the zipper open and fold one side open so it can air dry.

Antibacterial spray

If you prefer an antibacterial spray to wipes, it’s a very similar process.

Here are all of the steps:

1. Let your sauna blanket cool down.
2. Use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess sweat from your sauna blanket.
3. Spray the inside of your sauna blanket.
4. Use another clean cloth to wipe off the spray.
5. Leave the zipper open and fold one side open so it can air dry.

Vinegar, water, and essential oils

To perform a deep clean after every 5-10 uses, the best thing to do is to create a vinegar, water, and essential oil solution. The cleaning process is similar to everyday maintenance.

To deep clean your sauna blanket, follow these steps:

1. Mix one part white vinegar with one part water in a spray bottle and add a couple of drops of essential oil. Choose lemongrass, eucalyptus, peppermint, or orange oil for additional antibacterial qualities in addition to a great smell.
2. Let your sauna blanket cool down.
3. Use a clean cloth to wipe off any excess sweat from your sauna blanket.
4. Spray the inside of your sauna blanket.
5. Use another clean cloth to wipe off the spray.
6. Leave the zipper open and fold one side open so it can air dry.