History of Steam Bathing

Deep Roots and Long Traditions

The desire to cleanse, purify and enjoy steam in a communal setting stretches back as far as the Bronze Age. Ruins of the earliest public baths were found in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization (currently Pakistan and India). Steam bathing has always been a place to meet and socialize, relax and leave behind the stress of the day – whether that be in the thermae of ancient Rome, the sweat lodges of the Native Americans, or the spring-fed onsen of the Japanese. Our contemporary need to find a tranquil escape in steam has extensive and long-standing roots.

 

The Ancient World: Greek Gymnasia and Roman Thermae

The Greeks and Romans took their public responsibilities seriously – and this included providing ornate bathing facilities for their citizens.

Bathing in Greece started from simple basins where young athletes splashed their bodies after exercise, evolving togymnasia, where marble-mouthed lions poured down streams of water, and tranquil pools gave young men a place to relax and discuss the budding philosophy of the day. Homer described hot water tubs and hot-air baths, heated either by coal burning fires or by heated rocks. Bathing became a ritual that included cleansing sands, hot water, hot air in dark vaulted “vapor baths, ” a cooling plunge, and a rubdown with aromatic oils.

The Roman Emperors, never content with merely copying the Greeks, competed with one another to create thermae – taken from the Greek word for “heat” – bigger and better bathing houses with each new generation.  Thermae became the pleasure hub of the Romans, complete with sports halls, restaurants, and, of course, a multitude of luxurious baths. Utilizing the bread and circus mentality that the populace was best served when they could afford the pleasures of the Empire, these enormous complexes either charged minimal fees or were actually free to all.

The Tranquility of Japan: Volcanic Spring-FedOnsen

Far from the bustle of the Roman Empire, the Japanese have enjoyed their hot springs since 1, 000 CE. Fed by the fuel of active volcanos, thousands of these hot water springs are widespread throughout the islands. Onsen (the Japanese word for hot springs) were traditionally located outside. Men and women enjoyed the baths together until the late 1800s, when the West brought more puritanical views to Japan. But mixed bathing continues to be the norm in rural areas of the country.

The springs that feed onsen are rich in minerals and are said to aid healing. Bathhouses around the country feature different healing properties, bolstered by the varying chemical composition of their natural waters.

 The Sweat Lodges and Temazcalli of the Native Americans

A world away from the tranquil Japanese bathhouses, the Native Americans – as far north as the Inuit of Alaska and as far south as the Mayan and Aztec cultures – used sweat lodges to cure illness, revive tired muscles, and purify the body.

Some of the earliest sweat houses were those of the Aztecs. Archeologists have found ruins of temazcalli created during the same era as the Roman Empire.  These sweat houses were small rooms resembling a cookhouse, allowing a small number of bathers inside, producing sweat by a furnace of stone or bricks, followed by a shower of cold water. In addition to curing illness, women commonly used the temazcalli after childbirth.

Many of the first American settlers wrote about the curative use of sweat lodges. But because they were part of local religious ritual, missionaries saw them as a threat and forced the Native Americans to stop using them, interrupting a tradition that was more than a thousand years old.

 The Hamam of the Middle East: Turkish Baths

The prophet Muhammed himself enthusiastically recommended sweat baths around 600 AD, helping to spread the hammam tradition throughout the Middle East.

The hamam merges the functionality and architecture of the Roman thermae and baths along with the Central Asian tradition of steam bathing, ritual cleansing and deep-rooted respect of water.

Like the Roman baths, the hamam became a social center – easily affordable and open at all hours. Even wealthy patrons frequented the public hamam to show their public spirit. Many were patrons of the bathhouses, which often donated proceeds to charity. And if you needed some form of ritual cleansing – before wearing new clothes, following a journey from home, upon rising from a sickbed, or after you were released from prison – you would head to the hamam.

Looking Northward: Eastern European Banya and the Hot Springs of Iceland

The earliest description of the Eastern European banya, or steam bath, comes from 1113, when the Apostle Andrew visited the region. He wrote of the small, wooden bathhouses which the Slavs would heat, and how, after sitting in the heat and lashing their bodies with switches, they would douse themselves in cold water.

In the southwest, the baths were built after the Islamic and Roman models. Portable sweat baths were used by the nomads of central and eastern Russia, resembling the sweat lodges of the Native Americans. Sweat bathing has always been popular in Eastern Europe, and even in areas where wood is scarce, such as the snowy reaches of Siberia,  banya are built from turf or clay. Sweating and health go hand-in-hand in Eastern Europe, where folk medicine continues to advocate the healthful properties of the sweat bath.

In Iceland, the natural hot springs have always been lauded for their medicinal characteristics and the sense of relaxation they impart. Today, in addition to providing free electrical power for the entire country, Iceland’s natural hot springs have become a popular tourist destination.

In Other Destinations Around the World

As the Roman Empire spread, so did their steam bathing – as far north as England, where an entire town grew around the hot springs of Bath. Even Jane Austen (not a fan of Bath) includes passages in which the “waters, ” are used to treat all sorts of ailments, both as a medicinal drink and by bathing

As new immigrants came to the United States, they brought their steam bath traditions with them. Cities such as New York, Chicago – even Toronto – boasted Turkish and Russian steam rooms, where men gathered not merely to have a “shvitz” but also to socialize, relax, and leave the stress of the day behind – just as generations of steam bathers have done before them.

And Today…

Now you can enjoy this long-standing tradition – one that stretches all the way back to the Bronze Age. There’s clearly a reason why people gathered to commune and unwind in steam baths throughout time, all over the globe. Experience the reasons why yourself in the comfort of your own home – with Mr. Steam!

What Is a Steam Shower?

Experience Wellness. Where? At home, in a health club, spa, or resort. Mr. Steam makes it possible.

3’ x 3’ x 7’. You might think that’s too small a space for a steam shower. But we make that magic happen right in the comfort of your own home.

Of course, we make bigger steam baths, too. Our commercial steam rooms in your local health club, spa, and resort can accommodate many people, all enjoying the luxury of steam.

How does it all work?

• A steam generator, typically no bigger than a briefcase, heats the water.
• Steam, heated to 110 relaxing degrees, enters the shower enclosure through steam heads.
• You sit in total comfort, taking in the steam for 10 to 20 soothing minutes, followed by a refreshing shower.
• Now wrap yourself in the comfort of a fluffy towel heated by a towel warmer to complete the total spa experience.

You say your body feels like Jello? You’re welcome!

And that’s not all. Mr. Steam merges scent, light and sound with steam to create a Total-Body Sensory Experience. Here’s how we create a SteamTherapy event:

• Controls for the steam are usually inside the unit, but you can also go wireless.
• At your computer or mobile device? We offer a wizard for smart phones, laptops and tablets that fully integrate into home automation systems.
• ChromaTherapy adds the therapeutic effect of colored lights.
• Infuse the steam shower with aromatherapy scented oils. Breathe deep!
• Surround yourself with the Beatles, the Beastie Boys or Bach – as the music of your choice plays from our integrated music systems.
• It’s been a long day. Sit down on the shower bench that’s right where you need it. Relax.

 

SteamTherapy

SteamTherapy: A Mixing and Melding of the Senses

SteamTherapy keeps you glowing as warm moisture opens your pores, leaving your skin softer and more supple. Steam cleanses and nourishes the skin, leaving it with a healthy glow. You look better – and feel better.

Add the wellness benefits of aromatherapy and chromatherapy, along with the calming swirl of music to create a truly healthful, invigorating steam experience.

AromaTherapy: The Healing Boost of Scent

AromaTherapy has been recognized for centuries as having potentially profound healing effects. Aroma Therapy was mankind’s first medicine, a holistic practice of caring for the body using botanical oils. Essential oils can help awake and stimulate, or relax and promote better sleep. The Mr. Steam Aromas are a unique collection of natural fragrances that enrich the steam experience. Each aromatic oil offers a distinct fragrance with characteristic benefits:

• Eucalyptus – A deeply refreshing aroma with cleansing effects, eucalyptus may help open air passageways
• Lavender – A sweet, lightly floral scent, lavender may help soothe anxiety with its calming and restorative properties
• Evergreen – A refreshing blend of spruce, fir and pine reminiscent of a forest on a crisp morning
• Energizing Mint  – A blend of mint, citrus and herbs that may stimulate and energize
• Breathe – A tropical combination that may help clear chest, nose and sinuses

In addition, these chakra oils, extracted from organic flowers and plants, to help you restore and repair:

• Feeling sluggish? The essence of Red Vitality may help you feel invigorated.
• Feeling inhibited? Energy Orange essence may help lessen sexual inhibitions.
• Difficulty staying focused? Yellow Awakening may help improve memory and concentration.
• Stressed? 
Green Harmony may help you restore a sense of balance.
• Difficulty making connections? Blue Celestial helps you see solutions everywhere.
• Creatively blocked? Mystic Indigo may enhance your creative intuition.
• Need to unwind? Violet Nirvana may help calm agitated nerves.

Chromatherapy: The Magic of Light

Like water and heat, light is a fundamental life force and may improve your physical and mental state.  The Mr. Steam ChromaSteam™ system integrates light with steam, creating chromatherapy environments rich with color, mood and warmth. ChromaSteam suffuses the steam shower with a spectrum of color from airy blue to sensual red.

Set the mood you desire or cycle from one to the next:

• Red – Vitality that sparks raw creativity
• Orange – Exploration, both physical and mental
• Yellow – Awakening to personal power and awareness
• Green – Harmony, helping you to get back in step with life’s rhythms
• Indigo – Mystic, to discover the rhythm of energy surrounding you
• Blue – Celestial, helping you communicate and share your discoveries
• Violet – Nirvana, the culmination of time, place, and being

MusicTherapy: Because Nothing Soothes like Music

From infancy on, we respond to music – letting it set the rhythm of our days, making us happy or sad, energized or relaxed. The idea of music as a healing influence is as old as the writings of Plato and Aristotle. Having the ability to listen to music in your steam shower engages that elemental sense of sound. And we all know that music has the power to relax, refresh, and reinvigorate us.

MusicTherapy uses sound to address the physical, emotional, and cognitive needs of everyone, no matter how old. It can help to:

• Manage stress
• Alleviate pain
• Express feelings
• Enhanced memory
• Improve communication
• Promote physical rehabilitation

Please confirm that this is the name of the oil.

Derived from https://www.whats-your-sign.com/chakra-color-meanings.html

 

Benefits of Steam

Suddenly, that really bad day just took a heavenly turn.

Mr. Steam created SteamTherapy® to help educate and promote the deeply therapeutic benefits of steam.

A daily steam shower is one of the most refreshing rewards you can give yourself. Step inside and feel your senses expand. Boundaries soften and disappear. This is the most sensual of beauty rituals: relaxation and rejuvenation, stimulation and exhilaration.

SteamTherapy keeps you glowing as warm moisture opens your pores, leaving your skin softer and more supple. Steam cleanses and nourishes the skin, leaving it with a healthy glow. It hydrates dry skin. And, hallelujah, it can also aid in the fight against cellulite while boosting your metabolism.

That daily steam indulgence is a natural detox that removes harmful impurities from your body. It can also enhance your breathing, leaving you with an improved sense of tranquility, promoting restful sleep and wellness.

As if that weren’t enough, steam is also recommended for the relief of symptoms of colds, flu, sinusitis, bronchitis, allergies, asthma, throat irritation, arthritis and more. Sore, tired muscles? Rigid joints? Steam eases the pain.

And don’t forget the wellness benefits of aromatherapy and chromatherapy, along with the calming swirl of music that turns that dreadful day into a distant memory.

 

How to Select a Steam System

Know that you want to experience the luxury of steam at home – but afraid you don’t know what to ask? Let us help you through the process.

The first step is to select the right size steam generator for your particular enclosure. A generator that is too small will not deliver the full steam experience. One that is too large will be wasteful. The materials used for the shower enclose effect how large a generator you need.

Our online Mr. Steam easy-to-use Virtual Spa tool helps you determine just the right generator size. 
Click Here and we’ll walk you step-by-step through the process.

Selecting the Right Generator

A quality Mr. Steam generator safely, quietly and reliably delivers the ultimate dream spa experience at home or in commercial spas.  Mr. Steam generators deliver continuous steam without interruption, cold spots or fluctuations in temperature. 

If you’re comparison shopping, make sure any generator you buy has these important features. (Hint: Mr. Steam products do.)

• Stainless steel inside and out for long life
• Compact size for ease and flexibility of installation
• Precision connectors for easy plug-and-play installation of multiple features
• Unique microprocessor-controlled water monitoring and delivery system
• Self-diagnostic LED indicators for hassle-free, smooth steam operation
• Unique seven-second electronic shut-off safety feature
• Anti-hammer, low voltage water Solenoid valves for a quiet, safe steam shower
• 24-volt transformer for safety and protection
• Standard ½” full port ball valve for ease of service
• Exclusive Express Steam® factory-installed option that maintains water temperature to start steaming more quickly
• Easy installation and service
• Eco-friendly, incorporating recycled materials. The generators themselves can be recycled
• UL listed in the US and Canada, allowing you to relax and buy with confidence

​Selecting the Right Steam Shower

​Shopping for a home steam shower?  Here are some questions to ask:

• When considering the recommended steam generator size, do you take into account wall materials and other construction factors to obtain the correct true size?
• Will the generator deliver an uninterrupted flow of steam, or will it cycle on and off?
• Will there be cold spots in the steam shower?
• How long will it take for steam to start?
• Do steam generator components have self-diagnostic LED indicators?
• If service is required, can it be done in the home, or do I need to ship the generator to a service center?
• Are all the steam shower products USA and Canadian UL listed, CE and NOM certified?
• Is there an automatic cleaning system available so I don’t have to remember to activate the cleaning system after each steam session?  
• Are the steamheads cool to the touch?
• Is the system compatible with SmartHome technology? Is a wireless control option available?
• Does the manufacturer offer a simple plug-and-play platform to easily add on components during steam shower installation?
• Are the steam shower controls and steam heads innovative, technologically advanced, attractive and in a finish that matches the rest of the bathroom?  
• Where is the generator made? In the US or elsewhere?
• How experienced is the manufacturer of the steam shower generators and components?
• Does the manufacturer have a clear warranty written in plain English?
• Does the manufacturer have fully staffed, convenient, U.S.-based customer care offices?
• Does the manufacturer have a network of carefully selected authorized dealers where you can see actual units,  even working units?
• Are there well known spas or hotels where you can experience one of their products personally?

You want all of these answers to be “yes.” When you buy a Mr. Steam system, you can be confident that they are.

 

Mr. Steam’s History

Making generation after generation feel good

Click here to Watch Our History Video

When you make steam boilers for the U.S. Navy, hospital operating rooms and the Kennedy Space Center like we do, superior technology and reliability is mission critical.

It’s no wonder demanding design professionals and discerning homeowners insist on the same exacting Mr. Steam quality and innovation when creating a relaxing home steam shower or a deluxe commercial hotel, gym or resort steam spa.

Since 1917, when Arthur Sussman first created a steam iron for garment factories, we’ve constantly innovated, becoming the largest manufacturer of electric steam boilers in the world.

Now under the leadership of a president who is an industrial designer, we continue re-imagining the commercial and residential spa experience. We offer innovative new high tech swipe-touch controls, advanced steam shower generators and systems, soothing aromatherapy and ChromaTherapy, and the sleekest, most advanced towel warmers on the market today.

Every single one of our products is designed to boost health and well-being.

Whether you are planning a commercial or day spa, remodeling a bathroom, building a new home, or just want to upgrade a small existing shower in your home, you can be confident when you purchase equipment from Mr. Steam.  All of our steam generators are manufactured in the U.S.  Our Mr. Steam customer service representatives are on the East and West Coast to serve customer needs eleven hours a day.

You can also reach us through Mr. Steam Canada and Mr. Steam Mexico.

No one knows more about steam than Mr. Steam. So relax, and trust your steam shower system to the experts.

Another wonderful product that Mr. Steam Makes is the fabulous the towel warmer. What a civilized item that we all need in our life!