04/08/2025
💦 What Happens When You Add Water to Sauna Stones?
Pouring water on hot stones isn’t just about steam, it’s about creating löyly. This is a Finnish word pronounced low loo and changes the atmosphere in the sauna from hot dry to humid and softer. Culturally löyly is sacred, Finns believe löyly carries the soul or essence of the sauna experience. It’s what gives the heat its character and so water is added with intension.
🤓 Science Bit
The stones, often heated to 200–500°C, instantly vaporise the water, raising humidity and making the heat feel more intense but more bearable.
💥 Let’s just clarify here…it doesn’t make your sauna hotter!
The heat feels more intense on your skin. Sweat evaporates more slowly, so your body cools itself less efficiently so you feel hotter!
😰 A Cold Sauna
Too much water, too frequently will spoil your sauna, so please don’t dump water on the stones! Remember you are cooling the stones, the stove and air temperature, reducing the overall temperature.
💧The sweet spot
• Pour small amounts every 5-10 minutes.
• Give the stones time to recover between pours.
• Less is more and löyly is better when it’s built gradually.
Remember that sauna is for slowing down, resting & rejuvenating the body.
It’s not a race to heat!
Löyly is a rhythm, a pause, a moment to feel…there’s the woo woo bit 🌿 but it’s true! and that’s why we enjoy it and keep returning because it makes us leave feeling good 😊
What sauna facts would you like to learn next? Let us know in the comments below 👇🏽
