How often do you clean your equipment?

Iwantavacation · Post by **Iwantavacation** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:13 am

I clean the nasal pillow everyday. If it's not dry by the time I am ready for bed, I just run a Qtip around the hard to reach spots. Works like a charm.

I have only had my machine for about 7 weeks. I decided after the 4th week to only clean the pillow every few days and skipped the weekly cleaning of the hose and humidifier. I noticed an "odd" odor midway through the next week week. So, I am back to cleaning everything on schedule. Might just be a personal preference, but the odor is gone and I like the idea of "better safe, than sorry."

Thanks for all the tips and suggestions on this board. They have been invaluable to me as I navigate through this learning process.

msla · Post by **msla** » Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:50 am

Water tank, it is the dishwasher cleanable model, every 1-3 days, rinse with tap water and finger scrub the metal tub. If I feel like it I will swish a little rubbing alcohol through the water chamber and let it dry, keeping the pink crud at bay. This has not adversely affecter my 2 year old tank.( We only have a manual dishwasher , since we have not replaced the broken down one while planning a kitchen remodel.) Filters 1 per month. Regular hose once or twice per year. Climate line for winter use, never. Pillows every 1-3 days. Head gear and chin strap every couple of months.

cmw03101 · Post by **cmw03101** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 7:04 pm

I found the following review of this new CPAP sanitizing and disinfecting unit on the blog "Sleeping with CPAP" sleepingwithcpap dot blogspot dot com.

He says that it is "less labor-intensive than hand-washing everything." And that you can clean the CPAP every day without having to disassemble it. "Trust me, us CPAP users hate that. (So much so that it leads to putting off much needed cleanings)."

Is any one else familiar with this sanitizing unit or tried it?

cmw

idamtnboy · Post by **idamtnboy** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 9:27 pm

cmw03101 wrote:I found the following review of this new CPAP sanitizing and disinfecting unit on the blog "Sleeping with CPAP" sleepingwithcpap dot blogspot dot com.

He says that it is "less labor-intensive than hand-washing everything." And that you can clean the CPAP every day without having to disassemble it. "Trust me, us CPAP users hate that. (So much so that it leads to putting off much needed cleanings)."

Is any one else familiar with this sanitizing unit or tried it?

cmw

I looked at their website. The technology very well may be legitimate, but the cost? $199 "introductory" price, $349 regular price. You can buy a lot of soap and disinfectant for that kind of money. It uses "activated oxygen" to kill bacteria. That's just a fancy phrase for ozone. Ozone is a disinfectant. Here's a document from EPA describing use of ozone for wastewater treatment. http://water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/ ... b_ozon.pdf

Besides cost, the biggest downside I see is that the system won't clean crud out of the cpap equipment, it just disinfects it.

If you're obsessed about sanitation then this might just be the thing for you. If you're inclined to clean your CPAP once every 3 to 6 months like a lot us are, spend your money on cleaning agents.

Ozone is a very powerful oxidant. I'd be suspicious about what it would do to the aluminum of the humidifier tank, and what it might do to the internals of the air path through the blower.

Elle · Post by **Elle** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:08 pm

I went over 5 years with my last machine washing the hose once, the mask about once a month, the mask cushion daily, and the humidifier chamber maybe once a month (used distilled water). All of the equipment looked good when I switched to my new machine this past December. I think the heated hose didn't heat anymore because I started getting rainout near the end and it didn't occur to me to get a new one because it looked good.

I fully intended when I got my new machine in December to be a tad more vigilant but here I am into March and have not washed the hose. I have washed the humidifier tank a couple of times.

I have two brothers in law who have been using cpap for many years and neither of them washed anything ever. I guess getting new equipment is the only time they have clean stuff.

BTW my ex told me it was like living with Howard Hughes I was so clean and organized with everything else and my apt. looks like no one lives here it is so clean so I am not sure why I am not anal with the cpap.

kgresgott · Post by **kgresgott** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:26 pm

I've been on my machine for two weeks. I wash my tank and nasal mask every morning and my hose ever other day or so. This works for me.

-Kathryn

hades161 · Post by **hades161** » Wed Mar 21, 2012 11:32 pm

I clean my stuff about once a week or if I forget once every other week.

steam261 · Post by **steam261** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 9:23 am

I clean all my stuff yearly, right before I go to see the sleep doctor, so he won't crab at me.

ohwhatanight · Post by **ohwhatanight** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 10:47 am

Thanks for all the responses. Nice to know I won't die of a dreaded disease if I miss a day.

I have to admit I am a bit grossed out by those of you who only clean your stuff annually (or never)! You must have really strong immune systems.

Pugsy · Post by **Pugsy** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:09 pm

ohwhatanight wrote:I have to admit I am a bit grossed out by those of you who only clean your stuff annually (or never)! You must have really strong immune systems.

Maybe that is why we have strong immune systems

All kidding aside...clean your equipment however often you feel the most comfortable in frequency and in whichever manner suits your own preferences.
When I first started therapy I was probably a bit of a clean freak (daily this and weekly that)...but after a couple of months my general lazy nature won out and I have been none the worse for it. Nasal pillows get washed probably weekly, tank gets rinsed out maybe every couple of months, hose...can't remember last washing.
2 colds in 3 years and both brought home by my husband.
Maybe a couple of stomach flu type things that lasted 3 or 4 hours.
Otherwise..totally illness free and only main complaint is arthritis.

Elle · Post by **Elle** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:18 pm

I would wager that those not obsessing about cleanliness will outlast the clean freaks.

Maxie · Post by **Maxie** » Thu Mar 22, 2012 12:29 pm

I rinse my nasal pillows daily and I rinse them in warm water just before I put them on at night as I "think" they fit better if I put them in while still slightly pliable. Otherwise I try to remember to wash the hose weekly and rinse out the humidifier every 3 days or so. I also have my filter reminder set for monthly. I'm exposing me to my germs as nothing related to my CAP leaves my room except to be cleaned.

Dudette · Post by **Dudette** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 4:04 am

Qtip works well for soaking up remaining water in nose pillows. It takes a little wiggling to get in between the layers but works well.

LSAT · Post by **LSAT** » Thu Aug 27, 2015 10:03 am

I'll bet there are some people that regularly change the air in their tires too.

Brinybay · Post by **Brinybay** » Wed Jan 24, 2018 10:27 am

ohwhatanight wrote:I've had my CPAP for a month now and have been really obsessive about cleaning everything - washing the hose, mask & humidifier tank every morning with Ivory & then air drying just like the instructions said. Also using vinegar once a week. I'm scared of having mold or bacteria blasted into my lungs. But I wonder if this is a bit too obsessive or is there no such thing?

So just thought I would ask - how long have you been using your xpap and how often do you clean everything?

I'm on my third cpap machine since about 2002 or 03. I use a nasal hose and pillow and clean them daily in the morning using liquid soap and water, then let them air dry. The humidifier tank I only empty out and let it air dry, no soap or tap water touches it, not even filtered water, I use distilled water only, as instructed. This is my second humidifier tank on this machine. I used filtered water in the first tank and it didn't take long before it started getting deposits and corrosion.

When I first got a cpap, I thought nothing of cleaning the mask (first one didn't have a humidifier). It's just plastic and my face is clean, what could go wrong? Well, something nasty did go wrong. I got a bad case of nasal discharge and couldn't figure out what was wrong. I went to a Dr and she said she suspected the cpap mask. I couldn't see how that was, but I took her suggestion and sanitized it with distilled white vinegar. I thought the yellowish color of the mask was just because it was plastic, which yellows over time, but when I dropped it in the container of vinegar, I was shocked! It instantly turned clear! I did the same with the hose, which also turned clear. When I used it that night, in the morning the nasal discharge was gone.

Moral of the story is keep your equipment squeaky clean!

How often do you clean your equipment?

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