Confused regarding Mask/Tubing/Humidifier Tub Cleaner

Hi there,

Apologies for possibly yet another stupid question (I am full of them ), but I was hoping somebody may be able to clarify something for me.

My mother is using a ResMed Lumis 150 VPAP ST machine and we have been cleaning the mask, tubing & humidifier tub once per week using Sunlight pure soap by taking a bar of the soap, lathering it into some warm water until the water becomes soapy and then cleaning the equipment with it and rinsing it with fresh water.

It has been suggested to us recently that this isn't the best as soap can leave a residue and we have also been noticing a "film" type substance on top of the remaining water in the humidifier tub each morning, which I am unsure is related to the soap but it could be.

I have now purchased some Palmolive Dishwashing Liquid to use instead of the soap, but I am unsure if this should be used on all parts of the machine (mask, tubing and humidifier tub).

An article on the Resmed website says the below when referring to cleaning of the mask cushion, frame & headgear:



However, further down the same article, it warns NOT to use the following items to clean the mask:



Is this not contradictory or am I misunderstanding something? The link to the article on the Resmed website is here:
https://www.resmed.com/en-us/sleep-apne ... equipment/

Below is a picture of the dishwashing liquid I purchased, would anybody be able to advise me if this would be safe to clean my mother's mask, tubing and humidifier tub with, or should I use something different for any of the equipment? I really appreciate any help!



Link to the product if needed:
https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/prod ... aloe-ultra

Product description from the website:

Product Details
Palmolive Ultra Strength Dishwashing Liquid Gentle Care with Aloe is Hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested and gentle on sensitive skin. The formula instantly cuts through grease and contains aloe extracts.

Palmolive Ultra Strength Concentrate Dishwashing Liquid is tough on grease. Powerful grease cutting action leaves your dishes sparkling clean.

• Instantly cuts through grease
• Dermatologically tested
• Hypoallergenic
• Gentle on sensitive skin
• Concentrated dishwashing liquid
• Washes away bacteria on dishes
• Removes stuck on food
• Cleans to a sparkling shine
• 100% Recycled and recyclable bottle
• Made with aloe vera extracts
• Proudly made in Australia.

Biodegradability: The surfactants in Palmolive Ultra Strength Concentrate dishwashing liquid variants are readily biodegradable.

Please recycle me! Our bottle is 100% post-consumer recycled plastic. (Does not include cap).

Size: 950mL
Gentle Scent: Aloe

DERMATOLOGIST TESTED DISHWASHING LIQUID: Palmolive Ultra Gentle Care dishwashing liquid is hypoallergenic and dermatologist tested

GENTLE ON SENSITIVE SKIN: Palmolive Ultra Strength Gentle Care Dishwashing liquid formula is gentle on sensitive skin with a low fragrance

CONCENTRATED DISHWASHING LIQUID: Palmolive Ultra Strength Gentle Care Dishwashing Liquid has a concentrated formula

MILD FRAGRANCE: Effectively cleans dishes to a sparkling shine, removes stuck on food and has a mild aloe vera scent

AUSTRALIAN MADE AND RECYCLABLE: Our bottle is proudly made in Australia from 100 percent recycled plastic and is recyclable. Does not include cap

View less
Ingredients
Contains anionic and non-ionic surfactants.

It looks like the advice against using certain products is based on their strong odours or harmful vapours.

I think the key to getting your gear back into a usable condition is thorough rinsing in hot water to get all residue out. The general advice is to let the gear air-dry, but I have found that causes watermarks in the humidifier (we have high calcium water here). On the rare occasions I wash my gear, I always rinse very thoroughly in hot water, then use a soft lint-free cloth (old tea towel) to dry it. Provided you rinse thoroughly, I don't think it matters a lot what soap or detergent you use.

I've been using a cpap for more than 13 years now. I use two things and two things only to soak my equipment and I do it once per week.

White vinegar and warm water. I make a solution of ~20% vinegar with warm water and submerge the tank, the heated hose, the nose piece, and the mask hose.

White vinegar kills microbes, is nontoxic, and rinses cleanly. Win win.

For daily cleaning, cpap wipe (cut into pieces) on the pillows and then everything gets disconnected and hung up to dry.

I agree... mild detergent, but not dish soap? Confusing.

I use vinegar for the tub... monthly... full-strength... soak it for a while, then scrub with a toothbrush. Then rinse thoroughly, then fill and let sit with tap water in it until bedtime, then rinse again and fill with tap for use. Daily, just rinse and fill. Never had mold. I agree with Respirator99 that air-drying tends to leave minerals in it.

I wash my mask cushion with Dove Unscented Hypoallergenic 'beauty bar'... weekly... same thing I wash my face with, same thing I shave with. The bar never touches the mask, I lather my hands and use that on the cushion. Again with the toothbrush for the exhaust ports.

I rinse the Climateline with water as hot as I can get it, then sling it like a lasso from each end. I do this (monthly) right before bed so the use will dry it out. When I detect an odor or deposits in the tube it goes in the trash... at least every 6mos.

No residue in my tank from air drying. I use distilled water and dump the tank every morning and I place the open reservoir upside down to dry. I know, I know, SO wasteful.

I also do the lasso thing and spin the tubing over my head to get as much moisture out as possible. Then I hang em all up to dry behind my bedroom door.

Zaiforce wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 22, 2024 2:28 am

been cleaning the mask, tubing & humidifier tub once per week

Overkill. I use tubing for years without cleaning. It doesn't get dirty. I wipe the mask each morning with an alcohol swab. (I don't use the humidifier.)

When I first started treatment, I used baby shampoo to clean my equipment with. After about a year of using the shampoo, I decided to just use dish soap and have been doing that for the last seven years.

Thank you all for the replies

I noticed today that the humidifier tub in my mother's machine has started to develop a pink looking mold, so I am going to take the advice of people here and switch to a white vinegar/water mix for weekly cleaning instead of the soap i was using.

Does anybody know if vinegar harms rubber? As the ResMed humidifier tub on the Lumis 150 VPAP ST has a rubber seal in the tub.

Also what is the best ratio of white vinegar / water?

I've seen people say 1:1, 2:3, 1:5, 1:9, 1:10 etc... and someone mentioned just straight white vinegar.

I gather that 30mins is enough soaking time?

Also, is the white vinegar method safe and effective for cleaning the tubing and mask etc also? As well as the heated tubing.

Thanks everyone for your advice

https://www.resmed.com/en-us/sleep-apne ... equipment/

Weekly cleaning tips:

Once a week, soak your humidifier tub in warm water using a mild dishwashing liquid OR in a solution with a ratio of 1 part vinegar and 9 parts water at room temperature.

Zaiforce wrote: ↑

Sat Apr 27, 2024 10:33 pm

I noticed today that the humidifier tub in my mother's machine has started to develop a pink looking mold, so I am going to take the advice of people here and switch to a white vinegar/water mix for weekly cleaning instead of the soap i was using.

Mold means throw the thing in the trash IMO. I believe that's mildew specifically. Proper hygiene lacking if you see anything like that.

Does anybody know if vinegar harms rubber? As the ResMed humidifier tub on the Lumis 150 VPAP ST has a rubber seal in the tub.
Also what is the best ratio of white vinegar / water?
I've seen people say 1:1, 2:3, 1:5, 1:9, 1:10 etc... and someone mentioned just straight white vinegar.

I use it straight... but I don't use it on the hose or mask.

I gather that 30mins is enough soaking time?

You can feel the tub metal surface get slick. Scrub with toothbrush after that, then rinse five times, shaking the tub full of water. Then leave it full of water... then dump it once more before bed.

Also, is the white vinegar method safe and effective for cleaning the tubing and mask etc also? As well as the heated tubing.

I don't use vinegar for that. Tubing I generally rinse with hot water, as hot as I can get it. Mask cushion I clean with hypoallergenic face soap and toothbrush for the exhaust. With vinegar you run the risk of the smell hanging around... the Climateline heated hose has sensors and electrical connectors that don't like acid.

You're cleaning for someone else, not yourself... this is a special situation, in that you don't get to try the results and see how they 'taste'. Using vinegar in the hose and mask could create a lingering smell... the tub is harder, less permeable plastic and metal and can be rinsed more thoroughly. Anything with a strong smell can mess with the CPAP experience.

I suspect that you got the mildew because you're using distilled and just top it off every night? Airborne stuff accumulates and eventually you get enough concentrated to grow a farm in there. I only vinegar the tub when it gets mineral deposits... otherwise I rinse twice and fill each night with tap water, have never had mold or mildew. If the tub runs dry with tap water you'll see deposits... vinegar time.

Thank you for the reply,

I'm not sure specifically what it is, but i noticed some darkish areas around the edges inside the humidifier tub and swabbed them with a cotton q-tip, some of them were black looking on the q-tip and some were pink... (I read somewhere that the pink looking stuff may be bacteria called Serratia marcescens).

There wasn't a lot of it but the fact there is any definitely means our cleaning method wasn't working sufficiently.

We use distilled water and my daily routine for the humidifer tub is:

1. Pour out the remaining water from the tub.
2. Pour a small amount of distilled water into the tub and swirl it around a little and pour that out of the tub.
3. Refill with distilled water and place the tub back in the machine.

Then, roughly once a week, we get a cake of Sunlight Pure Soap, pour some water in the sink and lather up the bar of soap to make the water in the sink soapy, then swish it around inside the humidifier tub, then rinse with regular tap water and then allow it to dry.

I think from now on, our daily routine will be:

1. Pour out the remaining water from the humidifier tub in the morning, then dry it with a towel.
2. Leave the tub out of the machine all day dry.
3. Refill with distilled water at night just before she goes to bed.

That way there isn't water sitting inside it 24/7.

For the weekly clean, we will go for the white vinegar soak from now on for the tub and maybe switch to a dishwashing liquid for the hoses & mask.

My daily routine for the mask is wiping the mask cushion inside & outside with mask wipes.

I currently do nothing with the tubing on a daily basis, it just gets the weekly soapy water swish & rinse.

Is it really advisable to chuck the humidifier tub away at this point and get a new one? The machine is approx. 2 months old.

Serratia marcescens is floating in the room air but needs minerals to feed on. The minerals come from using or even rinsing with tap water. It is not necessary to wipe or otherwise dry the *water* tub or hose both will get wet again with use.

I never dry mine.

Take a look at the overflow hole in the sinks you have in the house. Also look at where the water enters the toilet when you flush. What do you see there? You have two things - tap water and room air.

Your call.

SleepGeek wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2024 9:08 am

Serratia marcescens is floating in the room air but needs minerals to feed on. The minerals come from using or even rinsing with tap water. It is not necessary to wipe or otherwise dry the *water* tub or hose both will get wet again with use.

I never dry mine.

Take a look at the overflow hole in the sinks you have in the house. Also look at where the water enters the toilet when you flush. What do you see there? You have two things - tap water and room air.

Your call.

Thank you, that's interesting that it's in the air, I didn't know that.

When you say "your call", do you mean about what type of water we rinse with? Should we only ever use distilled water even for rinsing?

Zaiforce wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2024 10:31 am

that's interesting that it's in the air,

Which is why I never recommend air drying. You never know what is in someone's air or if they just had a brush fire or toxic train derailment. Plus the things people are drying only get wet when used.

Zaiforce wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2024 10:31 am

Should we only ever use distilled water even for rinsing?

That is what I do. Your call.

But I norm just top off the water too. Keep in mind the water will trap what gets by the filter, as you've noticed, so when needed I dump that and add more.

Keep in mind that tap water is different in each community thruout the country/world. If you ever traveled or moved you will know that.

One tap does not fit ALL.

I think I mentioned before that we often cause more problems or break things when cleaning things.

Your call.

Zaiforce wrote: ↑

Sun Apr 28, 2024 8:37 am

Thank you for the reply,

I'm not sure specifically what it is, but i noticed some darkish areas around the edges inside the humidifier tub and swabbed them with a cotton q-tip, some of them were black looking on the q-tip and some were pink... (I read somewhere that the pink looking stuff may be bacteria called Serratia marcescens).

The black is much worse, potentially. Not mildew... mold... black mold.

Then, roughly once a week, we get a cake of Sunlight Pure Soap, pour some water in the sink and lather up the bar of soap to make the water in the sink soapy, then swish it around inside the humidifier tub, then rinse with regular tap water and then allow it to dry.

I found this online:

What are the benefits of using pure soap?
Pure Glycerine soap 150g and value packs - AFSA
Pure Soap is glycerine soap in its purest form. It is colour, fragrance and preservative free. Furthermore, it contains no un-reacted caustic soda, only ****un-reacted fats****.

This is what your mold was eating. Pure soap is like food. Mild detergent is recommended... dilute Dawn dishwashing detergent is the go-to.... I prefer white kitchen vinegar. Pure Soap is fine for the mask... as I've said I use Dove Hypoallergenic Beauty Bar, which is probably from a chemical refinery.

Is it really advisable to chuck the humidifier tub away at this point and get a new one? The machine is approx. 2 months old.

I would... but then, I'm the one actually taking a tub apart and repairing it! More on that later. If I find mold growing in a biologically important place like the tub I'd use bleach on it... and chlorine is a lot nastier than vinegar... so your call. This is the one time I'd be tempted to put the thing in the dishwasher and set it to Sterilize... after a complete Q-tipping that is.