Optimal temperature and humidity in the bath: Russian steam room, Finnish sauna, Turkish hammam

What should be the temperature and humidity in the bathhouse during health procedures? This question is no less important than the choice of a heater or a bath broom.

When using a bathhouse, it is recommended to adhere to certain rules for increasing the temperature relative to air humidification in different rooms.

First of all, novice bathhouse attendants need to know this, because it is difficult for them to determine the correct ratio of these parameters when visiting the steam room for the first time.

What's good about a bathhouse?

1. A significant temperature difference has a hardening effect, making us resistant to the negative influences of the external environment.
2. The heat sharply accelerates metabolism, removes accumulated toxins and harmful substances, trains and improves the health of the cardiovascular and nervous systems.
3. Stress symptoms are relieved, a beneficial effect on the psyche is achieved, mood improves and anxiety decreases.
4. Muscles and ligaments warm up, tension is eliminated, and the elasticity of muscle tissue increases.
5. Colds, skin diseases, joint diseases and other ailments are cured.

Scientists have conducted studies in which they were able to prove that regular visits to baths and saunas increase life expectancy.
Experts divided the participants into 2 groups and observed them for 20 years; as a result, those who enjoyed steaming showed much better health and lived longer; the percentage of disorders in the cardiovascular system, heart attacks and strokes among avid bath attendants was lower compared to those who visited this establishment rarely or did not use it at all. With a reasonable approach, in a gentle manner, steaming is beneficial for people regardless of age, from infants to the very elderly.

Recipes for tonic tea:

Those who like to steam can brew medicinal tea, which restores strength and has a beneficial effect on the entire body.

St. John's wort and meadowsweet are combined in equal proportions. 10 grams of the resulting mixture is poured into 200 ml of boiling water. The product is infused for 30 minutes. After this, the infusion is filtered.

20 grams of herbal mixture consisting of oregano and mint are brewed with a liter of boiling water. The resulting mixture should be simmered over low heat for half an hour. After the specified time, the herbal tea is filtered. It stabilizes blood pressure and replenishes vitamin deficiencies.

Active steamers are advised to give preference to caps that dry well and do not shrink with frequent washing. Typically, models are purchased from natural materials.

Wearing synthetic hats can lead to excessive hair fragility and the appearance of seborrhea. When products made from artificial fabrics are heated, harmful substances may be released. The best option is models made from felt. It has low thermal conductivity and excellent hygroscopicity.

Comparison of steam rooms (temperature, humidity)

There are many types of different pairs. Almost every nation has contributed something of its own to the art of washing the body using steam. The most common today are the Russian steam bath, Turkish hammam and Finnish sauna. New infrared saunas are gaining great popularity. Below is more information about how many degrees there are in the bathhouse, sauna and hammam and what is the maximum temperature in the sauna.

Of course, this is the optimal temperature suitable for almost all categories of people. Experienced bathhouse attendants, as a rule, prefer it hotter. The comfortable temperature for them in a Russian bath is in the range of 90-120 degrees Celsius. When you come to a public bathhouse, where these seasoned bath attendants usually gather, be prepared to encounter exactly this temperature.

Requirements for ensuring epidemic well-being

These requirements imply:

• monthly activities to exterminate rodents and parasites;
• ongoing elimination of defects in floors and walls (as cracks form);
• weekly general cleaning;
• routine cleaning during the working day;
• the final “promenade” of the cleaning employee at the end of the working day, the last cleaning is done with the mandatory use of disinfectants.

The SES will definitely check the disinfection log and the consumer’s corner in the sauna.

How to properly heat a sauna

First you need to prepare several types of firewood, these are aspen, pine and birch firewood.

We heat the sauna with pine wood. Since pine is a resinous tree, a layer of soot remains on the walls of the pipe. The next stage is laying aspen firewood, which perfectly cleans chimneys.

Russian steam bath

It’s not for nothing that the Russian bathhouse is called a steam room. Its big advantage is that there is no big difference between the humidity in the bathhouse and outside the window. The optimal temperature in the bath is 60-90 degrees, maintained by a heater or stove, onto which water is poured to achieve the desired humidity level.

The optimal temperature in a Russian bath is in the range of 60-90 degrees. Experienced bath attendants can feel comfortable at temperatures up to 100-120 degrees Celsius.

The Russian bathhouse is the only steam room with such an interesting tradition as broom massage. The temperature and humidity in a Russian bath are considered optimal for removing toxins in the absence of a strong load on the body. During one visit you can stay in the Russian steam room 2-4 times for 15-20 minutes.

Features of furnaces

Large brick ovens are most often used; heating them will take about 3 hours. Metal stoves must be lined with brick or heater.

Traditionally, the walls of the bathhouse are made of timber or logs, and inter-crown insulation is used as insulation. Wood regulates humidity levels, creating a comfortable microclimate. It is better not to use impregnation; after it, the quality of the material will significantly decrease. When exposed to high heat, boards will release chemicals.

The shelves are made of solid wooden boards. They can be made from linden or aspen. Palm tree is also often used for these purposes; it has a loose structure. The shelves in the bathhouse should be wide; they are about 2.5 cm thick.

The room should be spacious enough, the minimum ceiling height is 2.5 meters. The steam room must have a ventilation window.

The benefits of a hot steam room

The level of temperature and humidity in a Russian bath affects the quality of steaming. Benefit:

• strengthening the immune system;
• acceleration of blood flow and metabolic processes;
• strengthening the walls of blood vessels and cardiac muscle fibers;
• cleansing the body of toxins and waste;
• removal of mucus from the respiratory tract;
• elimination of muscle and joint pain.

After visiting the steam room, a person feels emotional relief. Therefore, regular trips to the bathhouse are useful for people under long-term stress.

Optimal performance

The bath complex consists of several rooms, each of which has its own indicators:

Depending on the temperature, the time a person can spend in the steam room changes:

• 70°C – up to 60 minutes;
• 82°C – up to 49 minutes;
• 93°C – up to 33 minutes;
• 104°C – up to 26 minutes.

This is the maximum time. It is dangerous to spend so much time inside the steam room. It is better to sit in the steam room several times for 5–7 minutes than to go once and for a long time.

Temperature and humidity

The bathhouse consists of three zones: a locker room, a dressing room and a steam room. In the first of them, the temperature is about 25 degrees and the humidity is 60%, in the dressing room it is 27-29 degrees and 80%, respectively. The temperature in the steam room of a Russian bath is 50-90 degrees, humidity is approximately 70%. The degrees increase gradually and the body has time to get used to the heat. The water in the reservoir should be cool, in the range of 10-25 degrees, so that the contrast with the steam can be felt.

A study was conducted to find out what temperature and how long the body can withstand.

According to it, they came to the conclusion that the higher the temperature, the less time the visitor can be present in the steam room:

• 71 degrees – 60 minutes;
• 82 degrees – 49 minutes;
• 93 degrees – 33 minutes;
• 104 degrees – 26 minutes.

The temperature in the steam room can even exceed 110 degrees. The more hardened the body is, the easier it is for it to adapt to the changes occurring in the surrounding space. Therefore, you should not immediately try to sit in the steam room for a long time.

The effect of heat on the human body

The temperature and humidity in the bathhouse have a strong impact on your well-being. During your stay in the steam room, your body temperature rises. During the first 10 minutes, the skin warms up, and then, in the next 10, the internal organs. To ensure the correct process of sweat separation, it is necessary to wipe it from time to time (read: “The right sauna - how often to visit and other recommendations”).

As blood circulation accelerates, pressure rises. The bath is useful for people who suffer from blood stagnation in the extremities. However, for those who have problems with the heart and blood vessels, the steam room can be harmful.

Also, visiting the bathhouse is highly not recommended for those who have cancer, asthma, epilepsy, ischemia, or diseases related to the brain.

But some diseases can, if not get rid of, then significantly alleviate their course, provided that you regularly take procedures in the steam room.

These include:

• frequent colds;
• obesity;
• allergy;
• circulatory disorders.

Precautionary measures

Even with precise temperature control, it is difficult to predict each organism's individual response to such extreme levels of heat. Moreover, this can be influenced by a lot of external factors. In order to be able to isolate ourselves from the dangers of the sauna, let's figure out what effect it has on a person and how to visit it correctly.

Impact

The influence of dry steam temperature is less aggressive than wet steam. A person's pulse in a Finnish steam room does not exceed 120 beats per minute, while in a Russian one it reaches 170.

Advice: hypertensive patients are recommended to visit the sauna, not the bathhouse. Because in a dry environment blood pressure drops, and in a humid environment it increases.

Check your blood pressure levels before using the sauna

How to visit the bathhouse

Having found out what temperature should be in the steam room of the bath, you need to pay attention to how to properly attend the procedures. First of all, this needs to be done regularly, not occasionally.

Recommendations for visiting the bathhouse:

1. A person visiting the steam room for the first time should not stay in it for more than 5 minutes. There is no need to use brooms right away. When no problems arose during the first visit, gradually, each time, the time of stay can be increased by a couple of minutes.
2. Those who often visit the bathhouse know that it is highly undesirable to stay in the steam room for more than half an hour. But this does not mean that you need to sit until the end - if you feel uncomfortable, you should leave it.
3. You should not stand in the bathhouse, as you can get heatstroke. The position of the body should be such that favorable conditions are created for the outflow of lymph - you need to lie with your legs elevated. Thanks to this, the load on the heart is reduced. If it is impossible to lie down, it is recommended to sit so that your legs are at the level of your torso.
4. To warm up the body, you should change postures. You only need to breathe through your nose.
5. There is no need to stand up suddenly, as you may lose your balance and fall.
6. Regardless of the temperature of the Russian bath, you are allowed to enter the steam room 3-4 times. Moreover, after each visit, the time spent in it or the locker room should increase.
7. Between visits to the steam room, contrasting procedures are needed. It is better to start tapping with brooms after the second visit to the steam room.
8. When the body warms up, you can do a massage. But before this, it is not advisable to go into other rooms or drink cold drinks. After completing the massage, take a warm shower and wash.
9. The visit to the bathhouse ends after the body has dried and cooled down - there is no need to immediately go outside.

• visit the steam room at least 1.5 hours after eating;
• no need to steam at high temperatures or when you feel unwell;
• no smoking;
• You should remove metal objects from yourself to avoid burns;
• no need to wash your hair in the steam room;
• you need to remain calm and not make sudden movements;
• you cannot go to the bathhouse on an empty stomach and drink alcohol;
• Before going outside, you should cool down and rest;
• You should use a broom only on a steamed body;
• You need to wash only after the steam room;
• when visiting the steam room, do not immediately lie down on the top shelf;
• You don't need to create a lot of steam on your first run.

You need to take bath accessories with you:

• sheet and towel;
• soap and shampoo;
• brooms;
• head cap and slippers;
• robe;
• comb
• drinking water.

State Fire Supervision Requirements

At the design stage, familiarize yourself with the basic requirements of the PPB. They should be taken into account both when planning premises and the alarm system in them, and when choosing sauna cladding; for example, the use of resinous wood is strictly prohibited. Deciduous trees are preferred.

Premises requirements

The walls of the steam room are made of durable material (brick or concrete, that is, type I fire partitions are installed), the ceilings are made of type III (reinforced concrete). A separate exit from the dry heat room to the street is required (not to the reception, staircase or somewhere else).

The volume of the dry heat room is strictly standardized:

• 8-24 m3;
• with a height of -1.9 m.

An electric heater (heater) is selected based on the volume of the sauna, provided that it consumes no more than 15 kW. Permitted continuous operation is eight hours. After this, the electric heater should turn off automatically.

Additional requirements for it:

1. The control is mounted in front of the steam room.
2. All cables are made with the maximum degree of protection and heat resistance.
3. The heater is installed at a distance of 0.2 meters from the wall to avoid fire.
4. A shield with a 5-centimeter gap from the ceiling is mounted above the heater. The shield material must be fireproof and prevent overheating and destruction of the ceiling.

The maximum permissible temperature in the sauna is 110°C. The steam room is under no circumstances sealed. You need to leave a gap of 3 cm between the floor and the door. This allows for a flow of dry, hot air into the room.

PPB: basic requirements

The dry heat room itself (steam room) is equipped with a deluge (dry pipes connected to the water supply system are installed around the perimeter of the “steam room”). The control is installed before entering the dry heat room. Some designers propose to “close” the steam room with “sauna” type heat sensors with a PTLM wire; this system is triggered at 150°C.

Showers can be classified as rooms with wet processes. They do not install AUPS. Smoke detectors must be installed in locker rooms, administrative and service rooms. In these rooms, it is prohibited to use coating materials that are easily flammable and highly smoky.

The following fire extinguishing systems are acceptable for saunas:

• foam;
• water;
• gas.

The presence of additional, more stringent requirements may be due to the large throughput of the enterprise, the presence of additional premises (billiard rooms, stores of related products, cafes).

Personnel requirements

It is unacceptable to allow persons under 18 years of age to operate sauna equipment. All workers servicing sauna equipment must be trained in safe working techniques and know the safety regulations.

They must know:

• rules for turning on/off equipment;
• main types of problems;
• their actions if any malfunctions are detected;
• their actions in the event of a fire.

What should be in different types of saunas?

There are several different types of steam rooms. They all differ depending on the maximum and optimal temperature, as well as the percentage of humidity. To truly improve your health, you need to choose the appropriate temperature regime.

Russian bath

A Russian bathhouse is usually called a steam room. There may be no difference between the temperature inside and outside. The oven and heater help maintain optimal temperature conditions. The minimum is 60 and the maximum is 90 degrees.

If the visitor already has experience, then he will not feel any discomfort in the steam room even at temperatures exceeding 90 degrees. To achieve the desired humidity level, you need to pour water on the hot stones.

Another distinctive feature of such a bathhouse is the use of brooms (in Russia this has long been a tradition).

Finnish sauna

In a Finnish sauna, the temperature ranges from 70 to 110 degrees. Compared to a Russian bathhouse, here the air humidity level is 5-10% lower. It is recommended to visit this steam room no more than 2 times for a duration of 5 to 10 minutes.

It is better to check with a doctor immediately, since for some such high temperatures are simply contraindicated.

Turkish hammam

In a Turkish hammam the humidity reaches 100%. The average temperature here is low, so you can sit in the steam room all day long.

This sauna is suitable for almost any person.

Infrared sauna

There are no high temperatures in an infrared sauna. Here the air humidity is regulated - you can choose a drier or wetter mode. The main effect of this procedure is that the body warms up thanks to infrared emitters.

You can compare the humidity in the types of saunas as a percentage:

• in a Russian bath it ranges from 50 to 90%;
• in a Finnish sauna - from 5 to 15%;
• in a Turkish hammam - from 80 to 100%;
• in an infrared sauna - from 40 to 60%.

When a person comes to the bathhouse for the first time, it is recommended to spend no more than 5 minutes in it. Over time, the body trains and begins to withstand higher temperatures.

In general, you should steam for no more than half an hour. To warm up your body as much as possible, you should periodically change positions.

SES requirements

According to the new requirements, saunas are prohibited from being placed in the basement or basement of multi-apartment residential buildings. If you say: “how is it possible, we saw bathhouses built in a residential building” - you will be right. There was no such ban until 2013. But newly built establishments must be built according to new rules.

Requirements for the placement and premises of the sauna

When designing a sauna, you need to follow an internal layout that allows guests to move sequentially: from the locker room to the sauna. Sanitary rooms are equipped with changing rooms.

On the territory of the sauna you can mark out rooms to provide additional services to clients:

• manicure and pedicure rooms;
• enterprises selling related goods;
• cafes, billiard rooms;
• swimming pools (up to 100 square meters).

If you plan to place such establishments in a room with a sauna, you need to familiarize yourself with the legislative acts regulating their activities. For example, when arranging swimming pools, do not forget to look at SanPiN 2.1.2.1188-03.

Saunas must be equipped with internal engineering networks:

• running water with drinking water (hot and cold);
• ventilation;
• heating system;
• sewer network; in the absence of centralized wastewater collection, it is necessary to install local treatment facilities.

The decoration of the sauna premises should allow the walls and floor to be washed and disinfected.

It must be resistant to aggressive factors:

• high temperatures;
• constant humidity at an increased percentage.

All surfaces from floor to ceiling must be smooth, without cracks and especially without traces of mold.

If in previous years it was allowed to seat guests on soft sofas, then modern saunas have to get rid of upholstered furniture. All surfaces of cabinets, benches, etc. made from smooth, easy-to-clean materials.

The number of hangers and seats in changing rooms is calculated based on the capacity of the establishment, according to the principle: each guest has a hanger and a seat. It is to this room that representatives of the epidemic are especially picky. supervision. After all, clients who have just arrived and those who have already washed themselves “meet” here.

Sauna room set

In addition to the sauna itself (a place for thermal procedures), the enterprise must have additional premises:

• reception (hall);
• dressing rooms;
• staff rooms;
• household rooms (for storing equipment, linen, disinfectants, etc.);
• toilet rooms.

Separate premises are provided for staff, including changing rooms with furniture. Closets are required that allow uniforms to be stored separately from “street” clothing.

When designing a sauna, you need to provide separate linen: “clean” and “dirty”. The former are equipped with cabinets, the latter - with racks for storing linen. Furniture in linen rooms should be designed for regular wet cleaning.

Requirements for conditions in the sauna

The sauna premises must be maintained with a microclimate that meets the requirements of the SES:

• dressing room - 25-28oC;
• The washing room should not cool down to more than 25°C.

It is also allowed to use air conditioning devices to create the most comfortable conditions for clients. Faucets with mixers located in shower rooms, or rather their number, is also calculated based on the capacity of your establishment: 1 faucet + 1 cabin for 8 sauna seats.

The sauna is equipped with shelves for clients made from materials that are not hazardous to their health.

Ventilation system requirements

The ventilation system in the bath-sauna complex is performed with a mechanical start. It is necessary to ensure the influx of fresh air and the outflow of polluted air. Ventilation systems must be cleaned and treated with disinfectants at least once every 365 days.

Requirements for water supply and wastewater

The water supply system must be designed to ensure an uninterrupted supply of both hot and cold water that meets hygiene standards.

Draining wastewater without preliminary treatment (if there is no centralized sewerage system) is prohibited. The drains of this system must be cleaned regularly; clogging is unacceptable. Under no circumstances should dirty water stagnate on the floors of steam rooms and showers.

Requirements for equipment and inventory

The sauna should have separate and labeled equipment for cleaning different rooms. In the locker rooms and rooms intended for washing, marked containers are installed for storing bath accessories and collecting used linen and accessories. Containers must have lids. Each visitor must have 2 basins (one of them is “foot” with the appropriate marking).

Requirements for sauna workers

All service personnel undergo:

• medical examinations (preliminary upon entry to work and regular ones during work);
• training and testing for knowledge of sanitary standards.

Information about medical examinations and certification events is entered into individual medical records. Each member of the visitor service team should have such books.

Dry air in the bath

What if we make our bathhouse completely dry and at the same time hot? In this case, you will get the effect of a sauna. Bathhouse and sauna are similar and at the same time radically different from each other.

The sauna is used to setting temperature records with minimal humidity. In some cases, the temperature in it rises to 120 degrees with minimal air humidity.

Such loads are stressful for the body; time spent in dry, hot conditions must be strictly controlled. For this purpose, there are a variety of ideas in steam rooms, for example, hourglasses, bath thermometers...

Our body does not tolerate high humidity or high temperature with low humidity equally well. A bathhouse is a place where, in order to feel good, you need to find a middle ground and correctly calculate the ratio of temperature and humidity.

If the bath thermometer shows a temperature below 60 degrees, then the humidity can be increased, but it should not exceed 55%. In this case, the body will “feel” the heat of the bath better and the load on the body will be acceptable.

If you have come to the sauna kingdom for the first time and everything here is unfamiliar to you, then you can independently regulate the heat load. The hottest place in the bathhouse is on the top shelf - here the temperature is the highest. If you don’t want to get into the thick of it, go down to the bottom step.

For example, when I “went overboard” with the heat of the bath, I always went down to the “lower stalls” and washed myself on the floor, sitting on an inverted basin. As they say, catching up with the heat is a simple matter, how not to fall after that is the question!

Follow an important bath rule - alternating the heat of the steam room and the coolness of the dressing room! It is necessary to rest and cool down regularly!

Maintaining a comfortable temperature in a bathhouse is not an easy science and requires skills, knowledge and time.

Each owner of the bathhouse kingdom learns from his own mistakes how to heat a bathhouse and maintain the desired temperature. There is no need to despair - everything comes with experience!

I hope my tips are useful to you! Have fun!

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Standard rules for visiting the bathhouse

• You can go inside the sauna if an hour and a half has passed since eating;
• You should not steam if you feel unwell or have a high temperature;
• Smoking is strictly not allowed;
• It is worth removing metal objects. Then a person is not afraid of burns;
• It is not allowed to wash your hair inside the steam room;
• you should be calm and not move abruptly;
• You cannot visit the sauna on an empty stomach, or if you have been drinking alcohol;
• It's important to wait before going outside. The body should cool down and rest after all procedures;
• a broom can be used in relation to the steamed body;
• You should wash only after the steam room;
• Experts do not recommend sitting or lying down on the shelf located at the top from the very first time;
• If you are visiting for the first time, do not create a large amount of steam.