Saunas and Hot Tubs: Separating Fact from Fiction

Saunas and hot tubs are great options for relaxing, healing sore muscles, and making the most out of your backyard. While saunas and hot tubs are a significant investment, they’re worth the effort. To clear up misconceptions about their use and care, we’re here to set the record straight and help you decide if one is right.

Below, we’ll debunk common myths about saunas and hot tubs, sharing insights from our experts at Backyard Canada.

Top Five Myths About Saunas

Saunas, including traditional outdoor saunas or the smaller, barrel-shaped variety, come with many options. They can produce dry heat or wet heat, can use various heating sources such as wood or electricity, and have long lifespans depending on the materials used during construction. Here’s our overview of some of the common myths we’ve seen about saunas and what you should know: 

Myth 1: Saunas Help With Detoxification

A common misconception is that saunas help eliminate toxins from your body through sweating. This isn’t true because sweat is 99% water. It contains proteins, carbohydrates, and urea (a waste product created by the body when it breaks down proteins). What breaks down toxins is mostly controlled by your kidneys and liver. 

According to Harvard Health, many products that advertise their detox effects offer very few benefits, as the body itself is already equipped with its own defenses against pathogens, chemicals, and other foreign substances. Organs such as the immune system, the liver, and the kidneys all work together to detox the body and keep it healthy. If you’re feeling ill, the best source for treating your symptoms is to seek out your physician. 

Myth 2: Saunas Can Cause Overheating

This is a partially true statement. It’s only true if you have certain health conditions, such as heart problems, low blood pressure, or are pregnant. Overheating isn’t a usual concern for healthy people as the body has a thermoregulation system that checks your temperature. Avoid saunas if you’ve consumed alcohol or are on medications that affect normal function, as it could pose serious risks.

If you have any health conditions and want to use a sauna, you should speak with your physician first to avoid any potential risks. 

Myth 3: Saunas Can Help You Lose Weight

Saunas may lead to temporary water weight loss but don’t contribute to long-term weight loss goals. Currently, there isn’t enough research to determine whether or not using saunas can help with weight loss, but studies do show that it can help increase blood circulation, increase sweat perspiration, and heal soft muscle damage using heat therapy. 

Myth 4: Being Nude Gives You The Best Sauna Experience

Nudity is a cultural topic, and while many of its origins start with nudity, today, it’s not required to enjoy a sauna. You do not have to be nude to enjoy a sauna, especially if you are uncomfortable with the idea. 

However, suppose you intend on wearing clothes in a sauna. In that case, you should wear loose clothes made from cotton, linen, or other natural fibers, as they will help you regulate body temperature and keep your body cool. 

Myth 5: Saunas Should Only Be Used During Winter

Saunas aren’t just for the winter folks up north and can be used during any time of the year. Saunas can even be used in hot summers, helping your body adapt to higher temperatures. Most of all, these buildings are great for their health benefits – they’re great for your immune system and help improve your blood circulation, which is great when combined with regular exercise. 

Top Five Myths About Hot Tubs 

Hot tubs are the first thing to come to mind for those imagining what a luxury backyard looks like. These large, heated pools of water offer a great way to relax, wind down, and heal sore muscles while spending time outdoors. Because it’s less common to own one, there are also a lot of misconceptions out there. Here’s what we have to say about them. 

Myth 1: Bleach Is Enough To Keep Your Hot Tub Clean 

Bleach contains an active ingredient called sodium hypochlorite, which attacks proteins in bacteria to prevent them from growing. While it is a cleaning agent often used around the house, it’s not recommended for hot tubs. 

Maintaining a hot tub requires balancing its pH using sanitizers, oxidizers, defoamers, and filter cleaners to keep it clean and functional. When used alone, Bleach can damage the hot tub’s pipes, irritate the skin, and disrupt your water’s pH balance. 

Myth 2: You Don’t Need To Shower Before Entering A Hot Tub

Because hot tubs require a good pH balance, so any lotions, perfumes, and oils on your skin can disrupt that balance and keep your hot tub from sanitizing. If you don’t shower beforehand, bacteria can easily grow in the water when the hot tub is not in use. We recommend showering beforehand, as it helps keep both you and your hot tub hygienic and clean. 

Myth 3: Hot Tubs Are High-Maintenance And Hard To Clean

It’s only hard to clean and high maintenance if you don’t do regular maintenance. Neglecting a hot tub for over a year can lead to algae, bacteria, and rust in the water pumps, which can be costly to repair.

However, maintaining a hot tub is easy when you know how to do it; if you want to keep your hot tub clean, test the water’s pH levels, change out cleaning filters, and drain and refill the hot tub once every few months.  Most hot tubs have filtration systems that do the work for you. 

Myth 4: The More Jets It Has, The Better Quality The Hot Tub

This isn’t always true; the quality of your hot tub will depend not on how many jets it has but on the placement, size, and type of jet pumps it has. Hot tubs can perform well with fewer jets if supported by a quality filtration and heating system. Alongside that, their power is also dependent on the company’s products, their materials, and how they design the hot tub. 

Myth 5: Hot Tubs Are Too Expensive To Buy

While some high-end hot tub models can be costly, some can be designed to fit your budget. For instance, our variety of hot tubs is pretty cost-effective for what they offer, as they’re designed locally by some of the top leading designers in Canada, and we offer a wide range of price points that all offer an excellent hot tub experience. Models like those available on our website are modern and accessible, meaning they’re less costly to run and repair if needed. 

Rediscover Your Backyard with Backyard Canada

If you want to change up how your backyard looks, look no further than Backyard Canada. Through our experts, we offer a wide selection of outdoor saunas and hot tubs through our selection of locally sourced partners. Our experts are here to make your backyard dream a reality. If you’d like to learn more,  reach out to us today for a custom quote on any of our products.