Dishwasher Safe Mask!

After having a REALLY bad cold for a couple of weeks, I cleaned out my Comfortgel Nasal mask.
I should say I tried to clean it out.
There was some nasty stuff "growing" in some of the nooks & crannys of the frame that I just couldn't get into.
I replaced that mask, and was about to throw it out, when the silly idea struck me to put it in the dishwasher and see if it would clean it.
I thought for sure it would be destroyed, but since I was throwing it out anyway, why not see what happens.

To my great surprise, it came out fine, and CLEAN!
All the "nasty" was gone from the vent and swivel, the silicone seal on the swivel was in good shape, as was the forehead pad. I was impressed!

Now, I wouldn't say to put your mask in the dishwasher every day, the harsh detergent would have to damage it eventually, but it's nice to know that one time through, can bring new life to an old mask!

Komodo wrote: There was some nasty stuff "growing" in some of the nooks & crannys
... put it in the dishwasher ...

My wife would kill me on the spot.

That's how I clean mine all the time. Disassembled, on the longest, hottest cycle with extra rinse. I wash it separately from the dishes.

The cushion eventually gets yucky, but they probably get yucky without dishwashing, too.

So Well wrote:

Komodo wrote: There was some nasty stuff "growing" in some of the nooks & crannys
... put it in the dishwasher ...

My wife would kill me on the spot.

My wife would kill me slowly and painfully.

I've never owned a "dishwasher". Those things at the ends of our arms have always worked just fine.


Den

I hadn't thought of cleaning my mask in the dishwasher, and it does seem like an awful waste of water for just a few small pieces. However - it does sound like a good idea as an occasional treatment, and instead of dishwashing soap you could use a good couple of glugs of vinegar.

Sometimes I run bleach or vinegar through an empty dishwasher to sanitize it - this would be a two-fer.

Cheers,
xena

Give me a break on the wasting water bit. This is your health we're talking about. Would you skip taking a shower when you need one because it uses water. Besides that, the average modern dishwasher uses less than 6 gallons per load. By the way, a dishwasher also uses less water and energy than most people do washing by hand. If you're that hung up on it, buy two masks and wash them together every other mask cleaning cycle. Or 3 masks.

My dishes are a lot cleaner coming from the dishwasher than I can get them with hand washing. Especially in terms of germs with my super hot "sanitizing" setting on the dishwasher.

Don't get too hung up on the vinegar vs. dishwashing powder, either. Vinegar is the product of microorganisms and comes from decaying organic matter. Don't be too sure there's not something nasty in it if you breathe it or put it on things that stay in contact with your skin. Or that there's not some sort of organic byproduct you can develop allergies or irritation from. Plus, vinegar is an acid.

Has anyone tried a clothes washing machine JK

I asked technician about cleaning today, and she said just soak all parts in sink, with vinegar, then wash with soapy water. She said, vinegar does really well, cleaning parts for smokers.

I clean my mask once a week. For some reason, leak rates decrease with less cleaning. Go figure. When, I cleaned my mask daily, my leak rates increase.

Spirit wrote:Has anyone tried a clothes washing machine JK

I asked technician about cleaning today, and she said just soak all parts in sink, with vinegar, then wash with soapy water. She said, vinegar does really well, cleaning parts for smokers.

I clean my mask once a week. For some reason, leak rates decrease with less cleaning. Go figure. When, I cleaned my mask daily, my leak rates increase.

Right! A number of ("clean freak") forum members finally learned that the hard way.
Every time I've washed my mask, it doesn't seal worth a darn for at least three nights.

"That which doesn't kill you, makes you stronger."


Den

archangle wrote:Give me a break on the wasting water bit. This is your health we're talking about. Would you skip taking a shower when you need one because it uses water. Besides that, the average modern dishwasher uses less than 6 gallons per load. By the way, a dishwasher also uses less water and energy than most people do washing by hand. If you're that hung up on it, buy two masks and wash them together every other mask cleaning cycle. Or 3 masks.

Please forgive me - I grew up in a country where water is a precious resource, and yes, there have been times where a shower was skipped because water was scarce. Even now that I live in the U.S. where water is apparently endless, I still conserve water whenever I can .... and for that reason I do own a dishwasher.

xena

Conserving water is a GOOD thing. Just be sure you're doing things that make sense, not simply doing "feel good" things to make a show of conserving water. Figure out what conservation measures really save significant water instead of simply doing "conservation theater" by making "sacrifices" like many people do.

I DO try and fill up the dishwasher before washing and using the water conserving cycles when there's no reason not to, but I don't shy away from running an extra cycle when there's a good reason to.

For instance, the moronic governments in a lot of cities ban giving restaurant patrons a glass of water unless it's asked for when there's a water shortage. We use an average of 100 gallons of water per day per person in the US. Cutting out a glass water per meal that's probably going to get drunk anyway is only going to give people a false sense that they did something to conserve water. The same city governments then refuse to budget enough money to fix the leaky water mains that are wasting a significant portion of the water supply.

WOW!
I got more replies, more serious replies, than I thought I would.

I thought for sure all you good folks would have a good laugh at my expense, I know I would've if it was someone else's post!

Spirit wrote:I asked technician about cleaning today, and she said just soak all parts in sink, with vinegar, then wash with soapy water. She said, vinegar does really well, cleaning parts for smokers.

From resmed ....

Daily
Wash the mask system with warm, soapy water.
Do not use soaps with added scents. We recommend plain Ivory® liquid soap or baby shampoo.
Rinse well and allow to air dry out of direct sunlight.

Weekly
Separate and hand wash the mask components and headgear in warm, soapy water. Do not use soaps with added scents.
Rinse the components well and allow them to air dry out of direct sunlight.

Cautions
•Do not use solutions containing vinegar, bleach, chlorine, alcohol, aromatics, moisturizers, antibacterial agents or scented oils to clean any part of the system or air tubing. These solutions may cause damage and reduce the life of the product
•Do not expose any part of the system or tubing to direct sunlight as it may deteriorate the product
•If any visible deterioration of a component is apparent (cracking, tears, etc.) the component should be discarded and replaced.

Note:
•your headgear may be washed without being taken apart.
•the dye used in the headgear may run during the first wash

http://www.resmed.com/us/service_and_su ... c=patients

Supposedly my humidifier tank is dishwasher safe, but our dishwasher is not doing a very good job these days. Our state has banned phosphate containing dish detergents and my dishes are so dingy and have a residue, so that I think I'm pretty much handwashing everything (but can't convince my family to do the same).

No way I'd be wanting to breath in what gets left on those dishes.

And I have the same issue with leaks after washing my FF mask! Reminds me of those old commercials--"I just washed my [mask] and can't do a thing with it"!

Janknitz, you might want to be sure to NOT use rinse agents (for instance, Jet-dry.) They tend to leave a film. I don't use them when washing my mask or humidifier.

You may also help on CPAP equipment if you skip the dry cycle and wipe the parts with a cloth instead of letting the water dry on the surface. Or rinse with distilled water. This should help avoid white spots or buildup from the minerals in the tap water.