How to Ruin Your Electronics: The Heat & Moisture in a Sauna Will Do It!

How to ruin your electronics with heat & moisture? It’s easy & requires no thought. Take them in the sauna with you.

Probably without thinking about it, you’re using the sauna at home or in the gym with your electronics in hand.

The day has come for you to stand up (or lie down) for gadget-free relaxation.  Bite the bullet and find our why.

You bought your Finnleo sauna so you can get away from it all.  Getting away from your gadgets –iPods, iPhones, iPads and their cousins – can mean more quality relaxation time that’s better for you, and better for the electronics, too. The sauna qualities that help you feel better are hard on them.

Can’t stand the heat.

Electronic equipment is made to work at room temperature – a normal room, not a sauna. Apple, for example, recommends no exposure above 95°F. For one thing, heat above 105°F speeds up the rusting that shortens a battery’s life. Temperatures above 158°F can damage the display. On top of that, the materials in the device expand and contract at different temperatures, and the wide degree swings, from outside the sauna to inside and back again, can put stress on the circuit board and connections.

If it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity.

Sure, your sauna is dry – about 5 percent relative humidity, maybe 25 percent if you throw water on the rocks. But that’s all relative – hot air can hold more water than cooler air. That’s why dew forms when the temperature drops at night. So when you leave the sauna, the moisture inside your device can condense, corroding the electronics, discoloring the display, and voiding the warranty. And the cooling device will draw in surrounding air, which could mean even more moisture if you’re near a pool or shower.

The phone is smart enough to hold your calls, and you’ll have plenty of time to fool with Facebook later. Take care of your gadgets by keeping them out of the sauna – and take care of yourself by getting plenty of relaxation time inside.

The Good Sweat starts with a Finnleo Sauna from Olympic Hot Tub Company.

Hot Tub Buyers Guide: The Scary Truth About Buying Online!

What’s the scary truth about buying a hot tub online?

Answer:  You have one of two options.

1.  If you want a great hot tub ownership experience, buy from a local dealer with a real store.

OR

2.  If you just want to get soaked, buy online.

Really, we’re not ordering diapers and dog food here. This is a major home improvement investment for your peace of mind, health and well-being. Why buy another headache just because it’s cheap?

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but one test soak is worth more than a thousand pictures. You won’t know if it’s comfortable until you’re in it, and if it’s shipped from out of state, it’s too late. If it’s not a good fit, you’re in for a return-policy hassle and starting over on your hot-tub shopping. You don’t want to buy a product you can’t return, even a “clearance” item in a store, and certainly not something from somebody in cyberspace.

Here’s another thing: online orders are probably dropped off at the end of your driveway by some delivery service. We’re talking about 400 to 1,110 pounds to get to the precise spot in your back yard without breaking the tub or your back. If the seller can’t install, the buyer should beware.

Of course, there’s also the question of service after the sale. Maybe the seller online has some subcontractor in your area that can get to it sometime and may or may not be qualified. You want a local certified spa technician trained in your specific brand.

Don’t buy from anybody, online or otherwise, until you get satisfactory answers to these questions:

1.  How long has the manufacturer been in business?  You don’t want a tub from anybody in business less than 30 years with a good reputation.

2.  How do I get service?You need the local number of a factory-trained and certified technician who works for the dealer and makes house calls.

3.  What’s the warranty? If you can’t see the warranty before you buy, that’s a red flag to not buy.  If a warranty is provided, read it! The standard is five years for parts and labor and seven years on the shell, with no disclaimers about water chemistry on the heater. Don’t accepts a warranty that requires you to ship anything out of state for repairs. And don’t believe the old saw about “Lifetime Warranty”.  Lifetime is considered 7 years in Washington state.

4.  What are my energy costs? You need full foam insulation on your unit to save on energy, and don’t buy unless the seller can show you third-party independent test results. One test, for example, showed that it costs less than $20 a month in Puget Sound to keep Hot Spring Spa’s Sovereign model hot 24/7 and use it for a half-hour every day.

5.   What of water care systems are available for my hot tub?  The ACE Salt sanitizing system available for Hot Spring & Limelight Hot Tubs set a new standard for automated, easy, environmentally-safe water care. Natural products like SilkBalance should be available for your unit. Avoid hot tubs that require bromine, chlorine and biguanide for sanitizing the water – they’re a hassle to use and can irritate your skin and eyes.

The scary truth: You’re not going to get those answers from an online seller, so you might as well start with a local company that has quality products and a long-standing relationship with the manufacturer. Buy the right hot tub first! Then you can really relax.

SANUM PER AQUA Latin for Health through Water.

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How to Throw the Perfect Hot Tub Girls Night In Party

Are you and your gal pals looking for a great way to bond over a night of popcorn, movies, and drama?

Take those covers off your tubs, ladies!

Hot tubbing is a great way to bond with your favorite female friends.  It’s time to throw a hot tub party for a girls night in!

Here’s why:

Having a hot tub party creates an intimate environment that both relaxes and refreshes. Think spa night at home. Think juicy gossip.

Hot tubs also provide you and your friends the chance to compare swimsuits, flaunt your dieting progress, and also relax your muscles before sleep.

If you have an indoor hot tub or can move your TV to show from the hot tub, it’s worth putting on a couple of your favorite chick flicks on your girl’s night in. How about The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, The Ya-Ya Sisterhood or Steel Magnolias?  Don’t want to watch a film? How about playing cards. Hint: Waterproof playing cards are perfect for hot tub parties.

How to be the perfect hostess: The 5 senses are key for your girls’ night in the hot tub party

1. Sense of Touch. Be sure your Hot Spring Spa is the perfect temperature 102-104 is right for most people. Too hot and a 20 minute dip will zap your energy and your guests’. Too cold and a soak won’t feel relaxing.  Leave the cover on until your guests arrive so the water will be that perfect temperature.

2. Sense of Smell.  Be sure your hot tub water is clean and odorless to start with. The only scent your guests should encounter is an aromatherapy blend like Spazazz.  Spazazz has many so fragrances to choose from.  Select one that goes with the theme of your party.

3. Sense of Sight. Your hot tub lighting is designed to “set a mood”.  Have the lights on when your guests arrive so that when you lift the cover your hot tub will look super inviting.

4. Sense of  Sound. The sound of moving water is always soothing when coming from a hot tub fountain. Add music from your ipod for the evening. How about movie themes? If your hot tub doesn’t have a built-in entertainment system, consider an Outcast portable stereo. Its speakers are fabulous and will definitely help you create a party atmosphere. It’s on sale this month at Olympic Hot Tub’s e-store.

5. Sense of Taste. Let your creativity run wild. Try chocolate covered strawberries and bananas. Finger foods are a must for hot tub snacking. Save any fork or spoon foods and alcohol for after soaking. Serve chilled San Pellegrino with a twist in the tub. And, use plastic glasses & plates, please, to avoid broken glass.

Anyone have other suggestions for a great Hot Tub Girls Night In Party? Do leave a comment!

As they say in Rome: RES EST SEVERA VOLUPTAS-Pleasure is a serious business!

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Want A Budget Friendly Spa? Your Best Buy is An Energy Efficient & Plug-N-Play Freeflow Spa

Take a tip from Freeflow Fred.

He’s here to give you a lesson in Relaxation 101:  Freeflow Spas.

For a quality basic spa you can plug into your household outlet and fill with a garden hose, check out Freeflow Spas at Olympic Hot Tub. We chose a friendly bulldog to represent Freeflow because these spas are tough & durable just like a bulldog. They’re energy efficient, too.

The Plug-N-Play unit makes a great starter spa, and it means you can add relaxation to rental property, vacation homes, military housing or retirement living. They’re not Hot Springs Spas, the top-shelf brand, but they come with Olympic Hot Tub’s quality service and they’re made by the makers  of Hot Spring-Watkins Mfg.

Olympic’s delivery team will bring your Freeflow Spa to your home in the Puget Sound area and set it up where you want it – pretty much any level surface will do.

The unit has EcoFlow filtration to keep the water clean and clear, and you drain it a few times a year to keep things fresh. Freeflow has full foam insulation and a durable molded shell in a wide choice of colors. Olympic has three Sport Models and four Premium Models with different sizes and options to fit your space and budget. As always, you can test the model in the store to make sure it fits your comfort.

Pick it out, fill it up, plug it in, sit back and relax. That’s what a budget-friendly Freeflow Spa from Olympic Hot Tub’s all about!

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.

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The Hot Tub Diet

I think the hot tub diet book was destined to happen.  I’ve been talking about the benefits of hot tubbing for weight loss for some time.  And, now a sharp gal from Colorado Spring has taken the plunge, soaked in a hot tub at her gym and found the self-acceptance and weight loss she’d craved.

Bravo!

The Hot Tub Diet is a book for anyone who is tired of diets that don’t work, tired of punishing exercises, tired of buying shoes because only accessories “look cute” on you, and tired of feeling bad about yourself—and anyone who is ready to change your mindset, feel confident, and finally have a body you love.  Here’s author Bridget Praytor’s story:

For Bridget Praytor, every woman’s magazine on the supermarket checkout line rack and every weight loss book on the Internet promised magic: a perfect body in a month, if she just followed this week’s fad diet.

But how long could someone eat only grapefruit, only beef, or only cabbage soup? At the drugstore, boxes of “magic pills” promised “Lose 10 Pounds in a Week!” in a huge font that nearly—but not quite—distracted her from the tiny “may cause death or permanent health problems” warning.

The gym promised her health and happiness—so why after torturing herself on the treadmill two hours every day, did she feel fat and miserable?

And then, after spending most of her adulthood giving in to the seductive call of convenience-store powdered donuts (small, cute, and six to a cellophane package), drinking twelve-packs of diet soda to try to fill herself up, taking diet pills, buying every kind of magic protein shake imaginable, running in a marathon without training for it, training three hours a day for an Ironman just to try to lose weight, and spending hours at the gym because she felt guilty about her weight (followed by evenings of guilt-eating because all that gym time cut into being with her family), Bridget’s life changed in an instant.

Rear-ended by a driver who hadn’t noticed the light had turned red, Bridget was devastated to learn that she wouldn’t be able to exercise strenuously for months. No more ironman. No more treadmill. No more no-pain, no-gain excessive workouts.

The only thing she could even do at the gym (where a little free childcare—salvation for a mother of three children under four—came with the membership) was sit in the hot tub. And so she sat. And listened to people talk as they sat next to her. And started to think.

Beautiful women were calling their toned bodies “saggy.” Buff men were pinching invisible fat. Women who had just worked out for two hours were spending the next hour talking about how they hated the very bodies that they’d just worked out, the bodies that had birthed their children, the bodies that took them where they needed to go. How could all these people think such negative things about their bodies? Bridget wondered. And then, How can I say and think such terrible things about mine?

Over the course of the next several months, as Bridget changed her mindset about her body, her weight, her goals, and the meaning of “healthy,” her body changed, too, pounds melting away. The “magic” she’d been searching for didn’t exist in a fad diet, a pill, a surgeon’s office, or even the gym. The magic had been inside her all along. And it’s inside you, too.

The Hot Tub Diet is now available on Kindle as well as paperback on Amazon.

Thanks for the inspiring story, Bridget.  Take a tip from her inspiring book.  If you’d like to be on the path to weight loss instead of frustration,  hot tub the pounds away.  Check out my post on Hot Tub Weight Loss Secrets.  A daily soak in your Hot Spring Spa will feel great, give you added energy and just might be the answer to permanent weight loss.

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for health through water.

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5 Ways to Improve Your Golf Game Without Leaving Your Hot Tub!

Did you know that you don’t actually have to be on the golf course to improve your game! The way this spring weather has been going, I’ll get that you haven’t had much actual golf time.   So, stay sharp and improve your game before you tee off.

Don’t be envious when you watch the US Open Golf Championships this weekend. Think hot tub to improve your game.

Here are 4 ways to do that while you’re enjoying your hot tub in good weather or bad.

1. STRENGTHEN YOUR HAND MUSCLES.  Strengthen your wrists and the dozens of tiny muscles in your hands by laying a dishrag (or washcloth) on the edge of the hot tub. Crumple it into a tight ball, letting go and repeating a dozen times with each hand. Do this 3-4 times weekly. What a great way to get a better grip when you’re putting.

2. USE THERAPEUTIC BANDS. These stretchy bands are really great for strengthening and stretching shoulder muscles in ways that expensive gym equipment does not. Shoulder muscles, particularly rotator cuffs are easily injured and will keep you off the course for a long time if they become injured.  A strong chest is needed for an effective swing.

Hold the band overhead with both hands so that you feel some tension in the band. Increase or decrease the tension in the band by gripping it widely or narrowly.  Slowly lower the band behind your back, then up over your head and then down to your belt line. Resistance will increase when the band hits the water giving you a greater workout.

3. SHARPEN YOUR MENTAL FOCUS.  It’s been said that the most important six inches in golf are between the ears.  There are a number of books that help the avid golfer sharpen his/her mental focus and perform better under pressure.  A good book to take to the hot tub (reading it on your Aqua Reader so it won’t get wet) is “Golf is Not A Game of Perfect” by Bob Rotella, PhD, which offers some excellent visualization techniques.  You can also get it as an audio download to play on your ipod. These are techniques that can be done easily while you’re soaking in your Hot Spring Spa and perfectly relaxed.

4. DAYDREAM YOUR PERFECT GAME.  This is the perfect thing to do in the hot tub especially when it’s raining and you can’t get on the links. Daydreaming about the game has been proven to have a positive effect on performance.  Recent studies have shown that while physical practice is the most beneficial, mentally practicing your swing and desired ball flight and outcome is more beneficial than doing nothing at all.

Picture the sound and feel of solid contact from the tee, the flight of the drive, the club you choose for your approach shot, the contour of the green, etc. Play the first several holes in your mind until you start to lose focus.

5. LIMBER UP BEFORE PLAY. Prepare for a tennis or golf game by warming up in the hot tub. Move your joints through their full range of motion and condition your muscles.  Guaranteed to improve your match or beat your handicap!  As we age, we all get stiffer.  Also, as we age, it takes longer to recover from muscle pulls & sprains. Do yourself a favor-take steps to avoid injury by limbering up in your own Hot Spring Spa from Olympic Hot Tub.

Source: An article by Joel Zuckerman, a freelance golf & travel writer who’s has played nearly 800 golf courses around the world. Impressive. He know his golf!

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.

 

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Olympic Hot Tub’s Annual Gigantic Warehouse Clearance Sale-Saturday, June 9th 9AM-2PM

Terrific savings–One day only!

Saturday, June 9th from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Olympic Hot Tub’s Annual Gigantic Warehouse Clearance Sale

12818 Gateway Drive

Seattle, WA  98168-3311

Donuts & coffee served at our Warehouse in Tukwila

If you’re a hot tub owner:

Hot tub covers–$75 Off ◊ Filters–$6-$10 Off
SeaKlear Water Care Products–20% Off
Replacement Jets & Hot Tub Parts–15% Off
Cover Lifters–20% Off ◊ Spa Umbrellas–$100 Off
   
Addtional one-of-a-kind items on clearance too!

Looking for a hot tub or sauna?

Refurbished hot tubs &

selected 2011 tubs & saunas

Great selection of newly refurbished hot tubs available starting at $2895.

On display at the Warehouse
Final few 2011 tubs & saunas priced to clear

First come, first served! DON’T MiSS THIS EVENT!

New hot tubs & saunas at BIG savings

Save $1,100-$1,400 on Hot Spring Spas

purchased with our exclusive ACE Salt Water System

Save $500 on Finnleo Infrared Saunas

The safest in the industry!

Save $500-$800 on Finnleo Traditional Steam Saunas

Special pricing on wireless music, steps, SpaStone cabinets, umbrellas, SmartDecks & more!

 NEW HOT TUBS & SAUNAS ON SALE IN ALL FIVE RETAIL STORES


7 Ways to Save Your Own Skin While You’re Hot Tubbing

Why not use your hot tub time as a time to assess your skin health?  Make an effort to check your moles while you’re soaking.  While you’re nude or nude or nearly so, and you have a few minutes of uninterrupted time, check your moles.

During a hot tub soak, it’s easy to get a quick look at your moles, especially  you’re soaking with your partner.  You can check each others’ moles.

If  you think this sounds creepy, wouldn’t you rather avoid skin cancer-one of the deadliest forms of cancer?  We’re not talking every night.  Just once every 6-12 months.

Read these tips for checking your moles and what to look for:

1. Early detection of skin cancers — particularly melanomas — is crucial to treatment.

You can help protect yourself with regular at-home body inspections, says Dr. Melissa Schwarzschild of Richmond Dermatology & Laser Specialists in Richmond, Va. “You can be proactive and alleviate anxiety,” she says.

2. Do regular inspections. Check all of your moles about every six months, especially if you have lots of them or have a personal or family history of skin cancer.  See a dermatologist once a year for a routine full-body check.

3. Get to know your moles. Know their location, size and color. What better time to get to know them when you’re in your Hot Spring Spa?

4. Look for new or changing moles. It’s normal to develop new moles into your early 20s, but not beyond. Pay attention to any new growths or moles that have changed in size, color or shape.

5. Take pictures.  If you have lots of moles, keeping up with potential changes is difficult. One good idea: take photographs every six to 12 months; save and date the images on a computer and review as needed. You may find a “scary” mole has always been there — or that it is in fact new.

6. Beware of pink or black.  Normal moles and other benign skin growths such as keratoses typically are varying shades of tan to brown. Melanomas may be black or less commonly pink, while other skin cancers tend to be pink and are often scaly. See your dermatologist if you notice a pink or black lesion.

7. Check hidden spots.  Don’t overlook the soles of your feet or your genital area; ask a partner or friend to check your back, and have your hairdresser inspect your scalp. Skin cancers can appear even in areas where the sun doesn’t shine which is a very scary thought.

This blog post was adapted from a post by Alison Johnson, Special to Tribune Newspapers that appeared in the L.A. Times June 2011. Copyright © 2012, Chicago Tribune

SANUM PER AQUA. Latin for Health through Water.

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