Nobody wants to be the person who gets it wrong in a shared sauna. At home the question is different: what is comfortable, and what keeps the benches clean.
This article covers both. For cabins and benches, see the home sauna buying guide, and for towels and buckets, the sauna accessories buying guide.
Short answer: wear as little as the setting allows: a towel at home, a towel or swimsuit in public. Always sit on a towel. Shower before you go in, cool off after, and dress only once you have stopped sweating.
What Finns do
The custom the sauna comes from is plain about it. Finland’s official guide says visitors “first take all your clothes off – something you have to try not to be shy about.”
That is the tradition, not a rule for your gym. In a public sauna outside Finland, the posted rules decide.
What to wear, by setting
| Setting | What to wear | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Your own sauna | Nothing, or a towel wrap | Your house, your rules |
| A friend’s sauna | Ask; bring a towel and a swimsuit | Customs differ by household |
| Gym or spa | Whatever the posted rules say, usually a towel or swimsuit | House rules |
| Any sauna | A towel under you | Hygiene, and the bench is hot |
The last row is the one the sources insist on. thisisFINLAND: “Place a small towel on the bench to sit on, both for hygienic reasons and because the bench may feel rather hot.”
For lying down you need a longer one. The Harvia Cotton Sauna Towel is 90 x 170cm and costs $56.80.
What not to wear
The sources here don’t list banned items, so this section is my own practical advice.
- Street clothes and shoes. They bring in dirt, and you will overheat.
- Jewelry, watches, and anything metal. Metal gets hot against skin at sauna temperatures.
- Glasses and electronics, unless the maker says they tolerate the heat.
- A wet swimsuit straight from a chlorinated pool, in a wooden home sauna. Rinse first so the chemicals stay off your benches.
- Lotion or oil right before. It ends up on the wood.
Sauna suits belong in this list too. They are made to increase sweating, and a sauna already does that.
Shower before
Finland’s guide says it twice: “It is considered polite to shower before going in,” and “Have a shower before entering the hot room.”
The reason is the same one the CDC gives for hot tubs: “Shower before you get in the water.” You are about to share a small space, or at least a bench you will use again tomorrow.
At home, a quick rinse also keeps sweat, sunscreen, and deodorant off the wood, which means less cleaning.
Shower after
Cooling off is half the session. Finns “jump in a lake or roll in the snow.” The same guide says most visitors can “simply take a shower.”
A caution from that guide: “People with heart complaints or high blood pressure should avoid swimming in cold water after leaving the hot room.” A lukewarm shower does the job without the shock.
If your skin runs dry, dermatologists’ advice for bathing applies. The American Academy of Dermatology says to keep showers to five to ten minutes with warm water, and to apply moisturizer while your skin is still damp.
When to get dressed
Don’t rush it. thisisFINLAND: “Get dressed only after the your body temperature has returned to normal and you have stopped perspiring.”
Dress too soon and you sweat into your clothes for the next twenty minutes. Sit, drink water, wait.
A hook outside the door keeps a robe dry and within reach. The Almost Heaven robe hook is $41.
A simple routine
- Rinse off.
- Go in with a towel to sit on.
- Stay as long as you are comfortable, about 15 to 20 minutes at most.
- Cool off with a shower.
- Repeat if you like.
- Dress when you have stopped sweating.
This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a heart or blood pressure condition, ask your doctor before using a sauna.
Bottom line: less clothing, more towel. Shower first, cool down after, and give your body time before you get dressed.
Sources
- thisisFINLAND, “Bare facts of the sauna in Finland,” accessed October 12, 2026: finland.fi
- CDC, “What You Can Do to Stay Healthy in Hot Tubs,” May 20, 2025: cdc.gov
- American Academy of Dermatology, “Dermatologists’ top tips for relieving dry skin,” last updated January 2, 2026: aad.org
- Harvia Cotton Sauna Towel listing at The Sauna Place and Almost Heaven robe hook listing at Select Saunas, checked September and October 2026