The Mold Awakens: What We Found Inside Sydney’s Wellness Saunas
Where sweat, steam, and self-care collide with something far less serene.
Sydney is obsessed with saunas right now. Infrared. Dry. Wet. Ice bath combos. Wellness studios are popping up from Bondi to Newtown, all promising detox, clarity, and a deeper connection to your inner self — for just $55 a session. But beneath the soft towels and eucalyptus steam lies a darker truth: these places are breeding mold at a supernatural rate.
Ultrix has been called in to clean more than a few wellness saunas in the Inner West — some brand new, others well-loved. And trust us, the Instagram aesthetic doesn’t show the moisture hiding between the cedar panels or the black fungal crusts thriving under the bench. When we peel back the benches (literally), what we find could qualify as biological warfare.
Let’s be real: the sauna is the perfect habitat for mold. Warmth? Check. Moisture? Check. Organic materials? Check. Add in sweaty humans cycling in and out every 45 minutes and you’ve got the ideal petri dish for Aspergillus, Cladosporium, and black mold colonies that no essential oil can fix.
We once cleaned a studio in the Inner West that had a kombucha bar in the front and mold so bad in the back sauna that our team had to wear masks before masks were cool. There were spores behind the mirrors, in the speakers, under the floor slats, and in the actual control panel. A power outage had caused a leak two months earlier — and nobody cleaned it properly.
“Wellness” doesn’t mean clean. Most of these studios focus on vibe — not hygiene. We've seen saunas wiped down with vinegar spray and a prayer. Some rely on scented disinfectants, which cover the smell but not the problem. Steam doesn’t clean — it just helps the mold grow faster if you don’t air it out.
Infrared saunas in particular can be misleading. They don’t feel as wet as traditional saunas, but we’ve still pulled mold clusters out from under light panels and control boxes. And when we shine UV light in the corner? Whole new civilizations.
This isn’t just about hygiene — it’s about reputation and liability. Guests pay top dollar expecting relaxation and detox. If they leave with a rash or respiratory flare-up, that’s not wellness. That’s a refund and a potential lawsuit.
Ultrix now includes specialized sauna sanitisation protocols in our commercial cleaning services. We use non-toxic, anti-microbial agents safe for timber, paired with moisture mapping tools and full air quality testing. Our team has cleaned saunas in fitness studios, private gyms, day spas, and Airbnb wellness rooms.
The difference afterward is noticeable — not just in smell, but in how the air feels. One studio owner told us their retention rate jumped after our service. Another asked us to come weekly because their towels kept getting that mysterious “wet dog” smell again. (Spoiler: it wasn’t the towels.)
✅ Own a Sauna or Wellness Studio in Sydney? We Need to Talk.
Ultrix Cleaning provides specialised mold removal and deep cleaning for wellness spaces across Sydney’s Inner West and Eastern Suburbs.
🧖♂️ Safe for wood, steam, and sensitive equipment
🧼 Anti-fungal treatments using eco-friendly products
📍 Bondi, Newtown, Leichhardt, Marrickville & more
💻 Book a cleaning audit now at www.ultrixcleaning.com — before your zen turns into a spore storm.