How Sanitary Are Steam Rooms?
A visit to a steam room or sauna can be a powerful way to relax. It’s a practice that has evolved over centuries from people using steam and hot water as a self-care tool. As the use of steam rooms grow so does the potential to put yourself or others health at risk, if the proper steps are taken you have nothing to worry about.
So, this begs the question we all ask, are the warm, damp locations we sit in after a good gym session or in your favorite spa or hotel sanitary and safe?
Bacteria thrive in warm and moist areas, making a steam room a hot spot for risky organisms. Contact with them can cause a variety of health complications, such as skin problems or upset stomachs. In this guide we will go over the precautions you can take before entering a steam room and new steam rooms that are sanitary and embrace innovation.
Traditional Steam Room vs. Advanced Hybrid Steam Room
A traditional Steam room installation can take several days and can be costly. Tile, stone, and grout are the perfect environment to grow viruses and bacteria. They require toxic chemicals to clean, and these chemicals are difficult to remove and end up being discharged into our coastal environments and waterways. Traditional Steam Rooms are:
- High Maintenance
- Costly Installation
- Polluting
- High Energy Consuming
Addressing the potential Health Risks of heated rooms
What are the potential health risks of heated rooms?
Before we go over the precautions we can take before entering a heated damp room, we need to address the risks that can take place if the wrong steps are taken. Bacteria loves to grow in hot, cold and moist environments, steam rooms and saunas check the boxes there.
1. Viral Infections:
In addition to stomach issues, exposure to bacteria in saunas can also increase the risk of viral infections. Contact with germ-infested surfaces and inhaling warm, circulated air can facilitate the spread of viruses, potentially resulting in common colds or more severe illnesses if exposed to someone carrying a more dangerous virus.
2. Skin Infections:
Dry saunas are often sought out for their potential to alleviate skin conditions like psoriasis by drying out the skin and reducing symptoms. However, if the sauna isn’t properly cleaned, it can exacerbate skin issues rather than providing relief. The presence of harmful microorganisms in an unsanitary sauna or steam room can lead to fungal or bacterial infections, even for individuals without pre-existing skin disorders.
3. Stomach Aches:
Exposure to bacteria in a sauna or steam room can increase the risk of stomach aches and digestive problems like diarrhea, even without consuming contaminated food or drink. Touching surfaces harboring molds or bacteria in these environments can lead to stomach discomfort, highlighting the importance of adhering to health precautions to minimize exposure.
By following these precautions, you can protect yourself from the health hazards associated with saunas and steam rooms and enjoy a safer and more hygienic experience.
How can you protect yourself and others from health hazards associated with saunas and traditional steam rooms?
Traditional steam rooms are a breeding ground for bacteria and that alone can have a long lasting effect on your health. Here are a few precautions to keep in mind when using different recovery products:
1. Check for Open Wounds: Before entering a sauna or steam room, conduct a thorough body check to ensure you do not have any open wounds. Open wounds can expose you to bacteria, increasing the risk of infection. If you have any wounds, either wait until they are healed before visiting these facilities or cover them with a suitable band-aid to prevent exposure to harmful bacteria.
2. Wear Footwear: If permitted, wear footwear in the sauna or steam room to protect your feet from potential fungal infections, such as athlete’s foot. It is advisable to use separate footwear for the inside and outside areas to avoid cross-contamination. Be aware of the policies regarding footwear in the facility you are visiting and follow them accordingly.
3. Avoid Direct Skin Contact with Damp Surfaces: To minimize the risk of exposure to bacteria, avoid direct contact between your skin and damp, potentially germ-infested surfaces in saunas and steam rooms. Consider sitting on a towel to create a barrier between your skin and the surfaces. Additionally, refrain from touching damp and porous surfaces that may harbor harmful germs.
By following these precautions, you can protect yourself from the health hazards associated with saunas and steam rooms and enjoy a safer and more hygienic experience.
Advanced Hybrid Steam Room
AHSR’s can be assembled in one day and does not require costly waterproofing or excessive room preparation. It is important to note that the innovation behind this design repels 99% of bacteria and mold. The Advanced Hybrid Steam Room is the best steam room on the market when it come to remaining sanitary and efficient. All the stress around the cleanliness of steam rooms go away when we embrace innovation and view the AHSR as thee future. Here are some of the benefits:
- Cost-Efficient
- Eco-Friendly
- Easy to Install
- Low Maintenance
Steam Room Cleaning
The Advanced Hybrid Steam Rooms are equipped with Scandia’s Powerzone 400, an advanced corona-discharge sterilization system that automatically eliminates all organic matter (mold, mildew, fungus, and viruses). This is a state of the art device compatible with most steam rooms but more so for the AHSR. For more information regarding this awesome steam room cleaning solutions check out our post related to it, What You Need To Know About Ozone Sterilization
So, Is it Sanitary and safe to visit saunas and steam rooms?
If you follow the proper precautions it is safe and sanitary to visit saunas and steam rooms. However, the owner needs to be diligent and take responsibility for cleaning and sanitizing the room either daily or weekly. Over time traditional tile steam rooms become less and less sanitary because bacteria can grow and get trapped in the grout of the tile.
If we continue to embrace innovation with products like the advanced hybrid steam room, we can almost guarantee that any location that has this steam room will be sanitary and effecient.