Cleaning Cpap??

General Discussion on any topic relating to CPAP and/or Sleep Apnea.
conasauga
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:31 pm

Cleaning Cpap??

Post by conasauga » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:18 pm

I immerse my hose, mask cushion and shell, and humidifier reservoir in warm water with few drops of dish-washing soap. I wipe out the mask shell and the cushion. Then I rinse all with with warm water. I do this daily. Once or twice a week I add mask frame and headgear in the the soapy water. I have no idea if this is adequate. I see hose brushes available but am not sure ifn that is necessary to keep hose clean. I know some people use dilute vinegar instead of detergent. I have had not allergy problems with the detergent. I just don't hav a good sense of the dangers of bacterial growth and possibility of residual contamination inside the hose, reservoir, and machine. I be interested in hearing cleaning ideas from long term users.

PS I use a Fisher & Paykel Simplus mask.

User avatar
palerider
Posts: 32300
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Dallas(ish).

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by palerider » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:20 pm

whatever makes you happy.

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: S9 VPAP Auto
Get OSCAR

Accounts to put on the foe list: dataq1, clownbell, gearchange, lynninnj, mper!?, DreamDiver, Geer1, almostadoctor, sleepgeek, ajack, stom, mogy, D.H., They often post misleading, timewasting stuff.

conasauga
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:31 pm

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by conasauga » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:30 pm

I was hoping to get some knowledgeable input about frequency of washing and methods others have found helpful.

User avatar
Julie
Posts: 19898
Joined: Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:58 pm

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by Julie » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:44 pm

Here you go - very many of us have never, in actual decades, cleaned the hoses. Really. There is absolutely no justification or need because all that happens is that filtered room air (that you breath unfiltered all day) goes through the machine into the hose and then into you or out the vent. And never, ever goes backwards. Unless you pour something noxious into the hose, or you see wildlife inside, just don't bother. Mfgr's advice is there to keep their lawyers happy... nothing at all to do with the actual equipment. Swish your mask wkly, maybe use baby wipes daily or whenever, but otherwise relax! The humidifier should never have anything in it but distilled water and/or an occasional clean out with a 1/4 dilute mix of vinegar:water. That's all. Period. Enjoy!

User avatar
palerider
Posts: 32300
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Dallas(ish).

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by palerider » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:46 pm

it's been discussed ad nauseum here. doing a bit of searching will turn up hundreds, if not thousands of posts, ranging from obsessive compulsive washing of everything to the occasional wipedown of the mask, and maybe washing it now and then, with a quick rinse of the humidity chamber....

hoses? I washed a hose once, seven years ago, it lasts longer without the constant stress. I'm now on my second one.

so, like I said, whatever makes you comfortable.

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: S9 VPAP Auto
Get OSCAR

Accounts to put on the foe list: dataq1, clownbell, gearchange, lynninnj, mper!?, DreamDiver, Geer1, almostadoctor, sleepgeek, ajack, stom, mogy, D.H., They often post misleading, timewasting stuff.

User avatar
Goofproof
Posts: 16087
Joined: Mon Dec 05, 2005 3:16 pm
Location: Central Indiana, USA

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by Goofproof » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:51 pm

That would require reading a few of the thousands of posts that have been made on the subject. I think I cleaned mine last year sometime. I keep the area clean and the filters clean. Any germs in my house are friends and they keep my immune system working up to snuff. Jim
Use data to optimize your xPAP treatment!

"The art of medicine consists in amusing the patient while nature cures the disease." Voltaire

User avatar
chunkyfrog
Posts: 34377
Joined: Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:10 pm
Location: Nebraska--I am sworn to keep the secret of this paradise.

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Sep 15, 2016 6:54 pm

When I started cpap, I washed my mask every morning, per mfr's directions.
When vacation rolled around, I decided to give myself a break, and took baby wipes to use every night.
The pillows on my Swift FX mask lasted twice as long as usual.
The daily cleaning was WEARING THEM OUT.
Resmed's directions were forcing me to replace my pillows way more often than otherwise.
Now, I use a baby wipe when I FEEL LIKE IT.
I clean my tank when it looks or smells like a good idea.
I never wash my hose. I just replace it when needed, in a year or so.
I have had a fraction of the colds that I had before cpap.

_________________
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments: Airsense 10 Autoset for Her

User avatar
LSAT
Posts: 13229
Joined: Sun Nov 16, 2008 10:11 am
Location: SE Wisconsin

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by LSAT » Thu Sep 15, 2016 7:07 pm

The easiest answer is ..minimal cleaning...or...follow the instructions that came with your machine and mask.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: Fisher & Paykel Vitera Full Face Mask with Headgear (S, M, or L Cushion)
Additional Comments: Back up is S9 Autoset...... Buckwheat hull pillow

conasauga
Posts: 13
Joined: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:31 pm

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by conasauga » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:04 pm

Thank you so much. Exactly what I was hoping for in information. I am new at this and did a search on cleaning and did not pull up much of help. I am sure as I get more acclimated it will easier to navigate and pull up information. Thank you all for being patient. This is a great site. Much more helpful than my Doctor and DME.

User avatar
palerider
Posts: 32300
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2009 5:43 pm
Location: Dallas(ish).

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by palerider » Thu Sep 15, 2016 8:15 pm

conasauga wrote:Thank you so much. Exactly what I was hoping for in information. I am new at this and did a search on cleaning and did not pull up much of help.
for future searching: use a search engine, and put "site:cpaptalk.com" in the search field, along with whatever else you're looking for. searching that and 'cleaning' on google comes up with 6,960 results.

_________________
Mask: Bleep DreamPort CPAP Mask Solution
Additional Comments: S9 VPAP Auto
Get OSCAR

Accounts to put on the foe list: dataq1, clownbell, gearchange, lynninnj, mper!?, DreamDiver, Geer1, almostadoctor, sleepgeek, ajack, stom, mogy, D.H., They often post misleading, timewasting stuff.

tlohse
Posts: 208
Joined: Fri Jun 27, 2014 5:32 pm
Location: West Bend, Wisconsin
Contact:

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by tlohse » Thu Sep 15, 2016 10:02 pm

I wash my mask and filter in vinager and water once a week on fridays and also change out my parts on the first friday of every month or as needed.
Thomas Lohse
Machine: ResMed AirSense 10 Auto Set With Heated hose and Humidifier
Mask: ResMed AirFit P10 Size M Nasal Pillow with headgear
Mask: ResMed AirFit N30i/P30i
Original Mask: ResMed Mirage FX Nasal
CPAP USER SINCE JUNE 2013

Cardsfan
Posts: 1509
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2015 3:02 pm
Location: Close to St. Louis, MO

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by Cardsfan » Fri Sep 16, 2016 3:01 pm

Never wash my hose, wash mask, liners, water tub once a week.

_________________
Machine: ResMed AirSense™ 10 AutoSet™ CPAP Machine with HumidAir™ Heated Humidifier
Mask: AirFit™ P10 For Her Nasal Pillow CPAP Mask with Headgear
Additional Comments:  CPAP 10 cmH20., User since 1/1/15.

egzbuen
Posts: 188
Joined: Thu May 05, 2016 10:06 am

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by egzbuen » Fri Sep 16, 2016 10:09 pm

I just wipe my nasal cushion every after and before use. Sometimes I also wipe the frame of the mask. Baby wipes that are water based is what I use.

Sent from heaven

User avatar
Omne
Posts: 217
Joined: Wed Jun 01, 2016 11:11 am

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by Omne » Sun Sep 18, 2016 10:49 am

I wipe my mask cushion every morning with a Pampers Sensitive wipe. I wash it once a week or so with Ivory soap in warm water.

Other than that nothing so far. I only used distilled water in my humidifier so it's clean.

WickedLoki
Posts: 40
Joined: Sat Aug 20, 2016 2:27 pm

Re: Cleaning Cpap??

Post by WickedLoki » Sun Sep 18, 2016 12:15 pm

Your humidifier *may* not pick anything up from the distilled water that you use. How long does it take you to use up a container of distilled water? Is the air that goes through your humidifier germ and virus free and does it go through so fast that nothing is left behind?