Keeping your kiuas (sauna stove) in tip top condition

Keeping your sauna stove clean is essential for maintaining a safe and enjoyable sauna experience. It’s also a way to extend the life of your stove. Of course, maintenance slightly differs between maintenance of an electric stove and a wood-burning stove. There is also a question of how frequenly you should carry out this cleaning routine. Here are some steps to get you started.

Step 1: Safety First

This seems pretty obvious, but it’s good to mention anyway. Before you start, make sure the sauna stove is completely cool to ensure your safety during the cleaning process. If you’re cleaning an electric stove, it’s a good idea to turn off the breaker before you start cleaning, just in case. With a wood burning stove, make sure there are not hot coals burning in the firebox. The best time to clean your wood-burning stove is on a day that you haven’t yet warmed it up.

Step 2: Gather Your Supplies

You'll need a few items for the job: a soft brush, a sponge, a vacuumn cleaner or shop vac, a few cloths, mild soap, water, white vinegar and a bucket or two.

Step 3: Remove Ash and Debris

Obviously you can skip this step if you have an electric stove. :) We clean out the ash drawer regularly to make room for new ash but we don’t often sweep out the firebox. Open the stove door and carefully remove any ashes and debris using a soft brush. Make sure to get into all the nooks and crannies to ensure thorough cleaning. Pro tip! If you have a glass door for your firebox, save a bit of the ash to clean it. More on that below.

Step 4: Remove and clean the rocks

This step is often skipped and there are different schools of thought on how often the rocks should be removed and cleaned. One website says a good rule of thumb is based on how often you use the sauna. If you use it once a week, this should be done once a year. Twice a week? Then twice a year. On the other hand, we know people who have never cleaned their rocks. We figure a happy medium exists in there somewhere.

The heat causes rocks to move and sometimes crumble, and the accumulating dust can block the air circulating through it, so it’s a good idea to remove them every once in a while to rinse off any rock dust that may have accumulated. Natural rocks require cleaning and replacing more often than ceramic rocks do. Consult the instructions that you received from the stove manufacturer for more details.

You can put the rocks to soak in water with a drop of detergent for a few minutes and then scrub them with a sponge or a brush, but probably not the one you used to scrub the firebox with :) You can also check them for integrity. Squeeze the rock in your hand to see if it holds together. Anything that breaks apart should be removed and replaced. Rinse the rocks in clean water after soaking and scrubbing, and set them aside to dry.

While the rocks are drying, use a vacuumn cleaner, shop vac or damp cloth to remove any debris at the bottom of the space. You can use the rest of the drying time to continue with the following steps.

Step 5: Clean the firebox door

Again skip ahead if you have an electric stove or if you don’t have a glass door for your firebox. If you have black soot spots that just won’t come off, this following tip will work a treat. Using a clean cloth, dip a corner of it into some clean water and then dip it into the ash you saved from the firebox. Rub it on the stubborn soot spot in a circular motion and watch it come off like magic (and with a bit of elbow grease, too). Then wipe the glass with a clean damp cloth to get rid of the mixture and soot. You can use the vinegar mixture in the step below to make it squeeky clean, but remember to rinse again with water.

Step 6: Clean the Exterior

Wipe down the exterior of the stove using a damp cloth. This will remove any dust and dirt that might have accumulated on the surface. If you are concerned with the water spots left on your stove from the calcium in your water, you can use a mixture of 4 parts white vinegar to one part water to remove it. Wipe the stove down with the mixture and a clean cloth. Then rinse with water and a new cloth. You could even dry it with a third cloth to keep it looking super shiny.

Step 7: Check the Ventilation

Take a moment to inspect the ventilation system of the stove. Make sure that the air vents and chimney flue are clear of any obstructions to ensure proper airflow. If you find obstructions in the flue, you may need to call in a professional to help clear it out.

Here’s an interesting fact - on Misa stoves, there is an access to the upper channels of the stove from the front. Once the cover plate is removed, you can use a shop vac to clean out the channels.

Step 8: Reassemble

After the stove is clean and dry, carefully reassemble things. Place the rocks back over the firebox. REMEMBER - larger ones at the bottom, smaller ones at the top and don’t pack them in. It’s important that there is space left between the rocks to let air circulate.

Step 9: Time to sauna!

With the stove being clean, it’s time to heat the sauna! Remember, a clean sauna stove not only looks better but also ensures efficient heat distribution and a safer sauna experience. Enjoy your sauna time to the fullest!

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions or need additional tips. Happy sauna cleaning!