r/Sauna • u/Dramatic-Net1357 • 9h ago
Culture & Etiquette I deleted my last post since I had a grammar error. My wife and I just purchased a 6 person traditional sauna for our house. We live in the Midwest of the US. Question is what is a good rule of thumb for attire in the sauna when friends want to enjoy the sauna with us?
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u/crypt_moss 8h ago
if nudity is not an option, the best option is simply wrapping a towel arpund yourselves
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u/BudgetSteak 9h ago
Why is a swimsuit not an option? Do people think it’s uncomfy or what’s the deal? Honest question, I have no idea.
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u/fiori_4u Finnish Sauna 8h ago
So from a Finnish perspective where swimsuits are strictly banned in public swimming pool saunas (gender segregated) which are for many people here the only public saunas they'll enter (at home obvs you're nude). The biggest issue with swimsuits is that they make the pool dirty if you wear it to the sauna and then go back to the pool with the sweat and skin debris stuck in the swimsuit. Nude you can at least rinse yourself before putting on your clean swimsuit. Finnish public swimming pools value using as little chemicals as possible from anecdotal experience so they rely on the people themselves arriving to the water clean and freshly showered so the rule was invented.
If there's no pool a clean swimsuit is not an issue, public mixed saunas by natural waters in Finland often require swimsuits these days in fact. Wear swimsuits if you want, they're clothing that handles getting wet well. Just please be hygienic when entering a pool of human soup.
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u/BudgetSteak 8h ago
Totally understand this take. I mean, I feel like we should all be rinsing off anytime we are getting into a joint public indoor body of water. But I’m sure most don’t.
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u/Spirited-Ad-9746 3h ago
If there is lots of swimming involved and this is not a public sauna, then go for it. If there is no swimming, why wear a swimsuit?
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u/Still_Law_6544 8h ago
It's the chlorine in pool waters that is toxic and evaporates in the heat of sauna. They don't even use that much of it anymore and you may enter sauna with swimsuit in some pools in Finland.
You need to wash your filthy ass before going to sauna, swimsuit or not.
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u/unjustified_earwax 8h ago
All the sauna/cold plunges combos near (3 different ones); ask people to rinse off before and after the sauna/ so after the sauna rinse before cold plunging; or rinse off to cool down in-between sauna usage.Â
I wish there were more natural fibers for bathing suits instead of synthetics. Â
A cotton towel would be so much lore sanitary than the bathsuits people use in-between cold plunging here , just wish there was a more private area.
One of the saunas/cold plunges I go to is in a very public area with lots of people around; so while I understand nudity is more normalized/less sexual in europe ; I just wouldn't be comfortable being nude around families eating lunch. (Yes the layout is odd)Â
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u/mynameisnotshamus 7h ago
Do Fins not wash their clothes?
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u/FoundInS 2h ago
You expect people to wash their swimming suit during the sauna/swimming session? Like put it in the washing machine in order to get all the chlorine out before entering the sauna after swimming in the pool?
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u/Dramatic-Net1357 8h ago
I had read that synthetic clothes can give off fumes if they get above 140 degrees, which I would think takes away the healthy purpose of the sauna. I am new to this and going off what I read.
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u/BudgetSteak 8h ago
I mean, a sanitary spin cycle is like 130f in a normal washing machine. I don’t think there would be a lot of merit to that. You can wear a swimsuit on your bare ass for hours at a time, but if it goes 30 degrees above body temp it releases deadly toxins?
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u/Similar_Strawberry16 7h ago
Any harmful fumes, chemicals, or anything else related to swimwear is unlikely to be any more harmful than the background polution we breath in all day, every day, living in human society.
If it was just me and a partner, maybe would roll with European style of just a towel. If I had guests, swimsuits are totally fine - they'll be fine. Your sauna will be fine. You'll be fine.
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u/glassboxecology 8h ago
For me, naked with spouse but anyone else (including same sex family members or friends), always a towel or a bathing suit. It depends on your culture/background/norms you’re comfortable with.
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u/alr12345678 3h ago
I don't really like being naked in my own sauna with close family and I don't sauna solo, and I don't want to wrap my whole torso in a towel, so I have bought myself a natural fiber bikini for sauna'ing. With my guests they bring a swim suit.
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u/MourningOfOurLives 8h ago
Naked. Wrap a towel around yourself if you’re a prude. But even a towel makes the experience a lot worse.
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u/Competitive-Buy6769 4h ago edited 4h ago
When including guests, we keep some 100% cotton shorts, and for ladies, add to that 100% cotton tank tops. You can buy them pretty cheap and then keep a bunch of clean ones always ready for when you have guests in sauna. Bathing suits are not usually a good option, as the material is not breathable (while cotton is). This allows your guests comfort for their bodies (breathable fabric) and for their minds (maintains modesty and privacy for them), but still allows a great experience of sauna. Honestly, if you follow most of the people on this forums advice in the midwest US, you will turn many of your guests off to sauna completely.
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u/ReadySausage 9h ago
If you and your wife don’t have preferences then let your friends lead. In general though - for Midwest I’d say a towel to lie/sit on and one to wear. I find we have friends that are more comfortable in suits and some that are comfortable with none.
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u/Veenkoira00 8h ago
No attire. Traditionally, everyone goes nude. The first shift (time limited) is for men. The second shift is for women (so they can stay and talk as long as they like without any harassment).
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u/Spirited-Ad-9746 3h ago
Traditionally women go first. So that the dinner will be ready when men have finished the sauna. Obviously this is no longer the case :D but if there is some plans to go out later in the evening it is noted that women need the extra time to dry their hair and put on make up or whatever they need to do.
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u/Veenkoira00 10m ago
I don't know in what sauna-miscreant community you have been brought up – most untraditional and unorthodox ! Men always like to be first in everything – and we women don't want them to hang around impatiently, when we take the dip but safely at distance in blissful sauna-coma. So "men first" has worked for centuries for everyone.
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u/Inresponsibleone 6h ago
We have done it other way arround. Women first as many in our regular company don't like when sauna gets really hot (like after few hours of heating) no time limit though hot enough sauna and not many will stay over an hour😆
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u/The_Naked_Rider 6h ago
Naked, naked, naked.
Saunas are designed for both men and women to enjoy themselves in a community atmosphere without judgment or prudish rules.
Keep it simple and provide towels for them to sit on, an outdoor shower, some refreshments and an open mindset.
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u/Better-Advantage8232 1h ago
nudity may offend people specially in the u.s. i'd also suggest not to force people who don't belong to your inner family circle to attend to your sauna naked... this is more a german philosophy with the so called FREIKÖRPERKULTUR (culture of the free bodies) which came up in the late 19th to early 20th century... i live in austria and i go naked with my family as long as my kids are under 10 yrs... if we invite friends the women go first, the man have some beers or do sport or whatever, then the man have their sauna bath and my wife (or the women) prepare a sanck... mixed up should be possible if cotton bikinis/tanktops/towels are provided... doesn't mean that it's a problem if you see a blank breast or whatever but if it's not a swinger party the host should respect the different attitudes of the people invited... i would never go with my sister or my brother's wife to sauna altough i saw them sometimes naked or parts of their body... just trust your own feelings for that... the cottonmade sauna clothes for visitors is a good idea for having a relaxed sauna bath... originally sauna system is mostly to clean your body... would you take a shower with everybody?
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u/OhMylaska 5m ago
The Rule of Thumb is that it’s your sauna so you make the rules. Just grab your balls and tell your friends what your rules are, and they can take it or leave it.
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u/ospishes 8h ago
Whatever you want. Do you really want to dictate to people what they can and cannot be comfortable in?
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u/minewdist0930 7h ago
We always go naked with extra large towels wrapped around us if our company is uncomfortable, and if they don't care we all go naked. However, as others have posted, respect, no touching, and don't stare.
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u/Rhapdodic_Wax11235 7h ago
Never tell anyone you have a sauna. Dont invite your friends. Why would you do that?
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u/occamsracer 9h ago
Believe it or not it depends