New to steaming?

If you’re new to steaming and want to learn about what it is, who it’s for, and how it improves fertility - read this first: Everything you need to know about Vaginal Steaming at home

Do you need special equipment to steam at home?

Nope! Setting up your steam spa at home is super easy. Bare minimum, you need a pot of hot water and a towel. If you want to get fancy, you need a pot of hot water, a towel, something to sit on, herbs, a sarong, and maybe an electric burner if you want to do a longer steam.

Seriously, that’s it. There’s no reason not to give steaming a try!

What should be in your Yoni Steam Kit?

Bare Essentials Vaginal Steam Kit:

• Bowl for water

• Towel

So basic steam set up, you’re going to boil some water then remove from heat. You’re going to put the pot of water on the ground (be careful of hot metal pots and wood floors), wrap your towel around the pot to protect your legs from the heat, and kneel with your knees on either side of the pot for about 10 minutes.

That’s it.

This set up works well if you want to try steaming before investing in a steam stool, or when you’re traveling. Of course you can also add herbs to this set up. We’ll talk more about choosing herbs in a later article.

The benefits of this set up are that it’s easy and you don’t need any special equipment. The downside is that kneeling for 10 minutes isn’t the most comfortable which is why eventually you’ll want to get a steam stool eventually.

Next Level Vaginal Steam Kit:

• Chair or stool with a hole in the center

• Electric burner, if appropriate (more details below)

• Herbs, if desired

• Gown or cloak, if desired

Steam Stool

The advanced set up does use a stool. Pick out a steam stool that works well for your space. If you want to put it away when not in use, pick a stool with detachable legs. Alway make sure the stool is rated at the correct weight limit for your needs.

Electric Burner

An electric burner, like this one, will keep the heat going longer so you can steam up to 30 minutes.

Warning, long steams are not recommended if you have a cycle shorter than 26 days, if you’re prone to infection, or hot flashes.

Otherwise, doing a longer steam can be very therapeutic and is great for long cycles or when there is a lot of old residue.

Herbs

Herbs can be very helpful if your trying to achieve something specific with steaming. Certain herbs can help lengthen a short cycle, shorten a long cycle, prevent recurrent infections, or generally support cleansing for the uterus.

Gown or Cloak

You can certainly use a sarong or blanket to put over your lap. Some people call this cloaking.

If you’ve ever gone to a korean spa for a yoni steam they wrap you in a plastic cloak to keep the steam in. This isn’t necessary and I don’t recommend ever steaming with plastic. Simply wrapping yourself with a cloth sarong can trap enough of the steam to steam your whole body like a sauna, without the potential hazards of plastic.

The only other caution here is to do what’s comfortable. Don’t overheat yourself, that’s not the point of this. You should be comfortable.

And if you’re using a burner be cautious with the fabric.

Quality is Important

Whichever set up you choose, do not ever use plastic. Don’t put the hot water in a plastic bowl, don’t wrap yourself in a plastic cloak. Plastics contain numerous compounds that shouldn’t be in your body. Heat and steam tend to make it easier for those compounds to break apart and its better not to risk exposing yourself, especially if you’re steaming for fertility. It’s the same reason you shouldn’t microwave food in plastic.

Use good clean water A lot of tap water does contain trace amounts of VOCs, these are the compounds in paint, and they aerosolize easily so they can come up with the steam. Use filtered water when possible.

Ambiance is Important

Steaming is very relaxing. Lean in to it. Instead of using your 10 or 30 minute steam session as another chance to multi task - let yourself relax and enjoy the experience.

Steaming is a great time to meditate, journal, read a book for fun, listen to music, paint, draw, or just do whatever relaxes you!

Let this be your time. You don’t need to meet a deadline or do anything perfectly. Let the stress of the day melt away with the steam.

How often should I steam?

It depends on what you’re trying to achieve. I suggest making steaming a part of your regular self care routine, whether that’s a couple times a month or once a week.

Read this post for more detail on when and how long to steam.

Purchase your own yoni steam chair

I personally love getting in a workshop and making things - but I know that’s not everyone’s jam! If you don’t want to make your own steam stool, you can purchase a steam stool here and support this blog, or check out stools made by other amazing folks around the world.