You finish a brutal workout, unzip your jacket, and get hit with a smell that could clear a locker room. Sound familiar? That’s what happens when sweat has nowhere to go.
Knowing how to clean a sauna suit fixes that, and it’s easier than most people think. This guide walks you through hand washing, machine washing, drying, odor removal, and storage, so your suit stays fresh and doesn’t fall apart after a few months.
The short answer: turn the suit inside out, rinse it in cool water, wash it gently with a little mild detergent, rinse again, and let it air dry away from heat. The one thing that changes from brand to brand is whether a washing machine is okay. Check your care label before you decide.
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Key takeaways
- Read the care label first. Brands disagree on machine washing.
- When in doubt, hand wash in cold water.
- Never use a dryer, bleach, or an iron.
- Rinse after every workout and deep clean about once a week if you wear it often.
- Dry it completely before putting it away.
What Is a Sauna Suit, and Why Does It Get So Dirty?
A sauna suit is a jacket and pants made from a material that doesn’t breathe. It traps body heat so you sweat harder during exercise. Most are made from PVC-coated fabric, coated nylon, or neoprene.
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Here’s the catch. Because air can’t move through the fabric, your sweat stays pressed against the inner lining. Warmth plus moisture is exactly what bacteria and mildew love, so a suit can start to smell after just a handful of workouts.
One of the guides I reviewed also points out that plastic-style suits tear fairly easily and that nylon can pick up bacteria quickly. That’s a good reason to clean the suit gently and often instead of aggressively and rarely.
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Check Your Care Label Before You Wash Anything
This is the step most people skip, and it’s the one that matters most. Brands don’t agree with each other.
Hayabusa says its own sauna suits can go in the washing machine on a gentle, cold-water cycle, though it still treats hand washing as the safe general approach.
Hotsuit, on the other hand, tells you to wash by hand in cold water, dry it flat in the shade, avoid long soaks, and skip bleach, ironing, and dry cleaning. It doesn’t recommend machine washing at all.
Both can be right, because the coatings and construction aren’t the same from one suit to the next. So look for the tag inside the jacket or along the waistband. If it’s missing or the symbols have faded, hand wash. That’s the lower-risk choice every time.
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What You’ll Need
You don’t need anything fancy:
- Mild liquid detergent (just a little)
- A clean tub, sink, or bucket
- Cool or cold water
- A soft sponge or cloth
- A wide hanger or drying rack
- White vinegar or baking soda (optional, for odor)
How to Clean a Sauna Suit by Hand
Set aside 20 to 30 minutes. Most of that is waiting, not scrubbing.
- Turn the suit inside out. The inside lining is where all the sweat collects, so that’s the side that needs the attention.
- Rinse it with cool water. Get the surface sweat out first. Even if you do nothing else, this quick rinse after a workout makes a real difference.
- Mix a little detergent into cold water. A small squirt is plenty. Too much soap is hard to rinse out and can irritate your skin the next time you sweat in the suit.
- Wash it gently. Work the soapy water through the fabric with your hands or a soft sponge. Focus on the armpits, collar, waistband, and lower back. Skip stiff brushes, since they can crack or scratch the coating.
- Soak it briefly if you need to. For heavy odor or stains, 10 to 15 minutes is enough. Don’t leave it sitting for hours. Hotsuit specifically warns against long soaks.
- Rinse until the water runs clear. Refill with fresh water and rinse again. Leftover soap is one of the most common reasons a suit still feels grimy after washing.
- Press the water out. Squeeze gently or roll the suit in a towel. Don’t wring or twist it, because that stretches seams and can crack the coating.
- Hang it up to dry. More on that in a minute.
Can You Put a Sauna Suit in the Washing Machine?
Sometimes, but only if your care label or the brand says so. If it does, here’s how to do it without causing damage:
| Setting | What to use |
|---|---|
| Water temperature | Cold |
| Cycle | Gentle or delicate |
| Spin | Low, or off if you can |
| Detergent | A small amount of mild liquid |
| Loading | Inside out, zippers closed, Velcro fastened |
| Fabric softener | Skip it |
Wash the suit alone or with a few soft items. Towels, jeans, and anything with zippers or rough edges can scratch the coating. SaunaRide also points out that spin cycles can be rough on sauna suit fabric. If your machine lets you turn the spin down or off, do it.
If the label says hand wash only, believe it. A setting that’s fine for one brand can ruin another.
How to Dry a Sauna Suit the Right Way
Air dry it. That’s the whole rule. Heat from a dryer can shrink the suit, warp it, or damage the coating.
Hang it on a wide hanger or lay it flat on a rack in a room with decent airflow. Unzip everything and turn the pockets out so air can get inside. Keep it out of direct sunlight and away from radiators and heaters.
Different brands disagree a little on sunlight. Hayabusa recommends avoiding it and Hotsuit says to dry in the shade, so shade is the safer bet. SaunaRide suggests checking your care label, which is good advice for any suit.
Before you put it away, make sure it’s dry on the inside, not just the outside. A suit that feels dry but is still damp in the lining is how most mildew problems start.
How to Get the Smell Out of a Sauna Suit
If your suit still smells after a wash, bacteria are probably hanging on in the lining. Work through these in order and stop when the smell is gone.
- Rinse right after every workout. Don’t let sweat dry on the fabric.
- Do a proper wash using the steps above. Make sure you rinse out all the soap.
- Try a vinegar soak. Mix about one part white vinegar to four parts cool water, soak the suit for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse well. This is a common home remedy for synthetic workout gear, not something the brands I reviewed recommend, so test it on a small hidden spot first.
- Use baking soda on the inside. A light dusting or paste on smelly areas, left for a short time and then rinsed off, can help absorb odor.
- Let it dry fully. A lot of “stubborn” smells come back because the suit went into the closet damp.
Whatever you do, don’t cover the smell with perfume or body spray. It mixes with sweat and makes the suit harder to clean later.
How Often Should You Wash a Sauna Suit?
Rinse it after every session. Give it a full wash about once a week if you wear it daily. SaunaRide recommends a weekly detergent wash for daily wearers, with a quick rinse or spray in between.
| How you use it | Quick rinse | Full wash |
|---|---|---|
| Daily | After every session | About once a week |
| 3 to 4 times a week | After every session | Every 1 to 2 weeks |
| Now and then | After each use | When it smells or looks dirty |
There’s no scientific rule for this, so treat the table as practical guidance. Your nose and how much you sweat are the best guides.
Cleaning Tips for Different Sauna Suit Materials
| Material | What to know |
|---|---|
| PVC-coated | Hand wash, no scrubbing, no heat. Small tears can spread, so be gentle. |
| Coated nylon | Usually fine in cold, gentle conditions. Dry it fully, since odor builds up quickly. |
| Neoprene | Generally more durable and easier to clean, according to SaunaRide. Still avoid heat. |
| Not sure | Hand wash in cold water and air dry. |
How to Store a Sauna Suit
Make sure it’s completely dry first. Then hang it, or fold it loosely so you don’t create hard creases that weaken the coating. Store it somewhere cool with steady temperatures, not in a hot car trunk or a sunny window. And don’t seal it in a plastic bag if there’s any chance it’s still damp.
Mistakes That Ruin Sauna Suits
Most damage comes from a few predictable mistakes:
- Using the dryer. Heat is the fastest way to ruin the coating.
- Using bleach. Hotsuit says not to.
- Ironing it. Also on Hotsuit’s do-not list.
- Scrubbing hard. Rough brushing can crack or peel the surface.
- Adding fabric softener. It can leave a film that traps odor. That’s general laundry advice, not a brand rule.
- Washing it with rough fabrics. Zippers and denim can scratch the surface.
- Storing it damp. This is the top cause of mildew.
- Skipping the care label. Brands really do differ.
A Quick Safety Note
Keeping the suit clean is only half the picture. A sauna suit makes you sweat a lot, but that’s mostly water loss, not fat loss, and you get it back when you rehydrate. Drink water before and after training, and stop if you feel dizzy, nauseous, or unusually weak.
These are the same heat-related risks you’d watch for in any hot environment. If you have heart, blood pressure, or other health conditions, talk to a doctor first.
Plenty of fighters and athletes use sauna suits as part of their training. Used sensibly and kept clean, they’re a tool, not a shortcut.
When It’s Time to Replace Your Sauna Suit
Cleaning can’t save a suit that is cracking or peeling on the inside, torn at the seams or zippers, still smelly after repeated deep cleaning, or showing black or green mildew spots.
I couldn’t find a reliable published lifespan for sauna suits, so I won’t give you a number. Frequent use, rough washing, and poor drying all shorten it.
Sauna Suit Cleaning FAQs
Can you wash a sauna suit in the washing machine?
Only if the care label or brand allows it. If it does, use cold water, a gentle cycle, low or no spin, and a small amount of mild detergent. Otherwise, hand wash.
How often should you wash a sauna suit?
Rinse it after every workout. Do a full wash about once a week if you wear it daily, and less often with lighter use.
How do you get the smell out of a sauna suit?
Wash it with mild detergent, then try a diluted white vinegar soak or a baking soda treatment. Rinse thoroughly and dry it completely.
Can you put a sauna suit in the dryer?
No. Heat can shrink or damage the material. Air dry it instead.
Can you use bleach or an iron on a sauna suit?
No. Hotsuit’s instructions specifically say not to bleach or iron.
Why does my sauna suit still smell after washing?
Common causes are leftover soap, not enough rinsing, or storing it while damp. Try a vinegar soak, rinse well, and make sure it dries fully.
Can mildew be removed from a sauna suit?
Light mildew may come off with a vinegar soak and a gentle wash. If the spots or musty smell stay, it’s time to replace the suit.
Final Thoughts
A clean suit is a small habit with a big payoff: less odor, fewer skin problems, and a suit that lasts longer. Rinse it after workouts, wash it gently when it needs it, and let it dry all the way through.
If you remember one thing, make it this: check the care label before you wash. Brands disagree, and that one step prevents most ruined suits. Tonight, read your suit’s tag, pick a weekly wash day, and hang it somewhere airy after every session.