cleaning

[sleepnasta]

how often do you clean your humidifier tank? how about the nasal pillows, how often and how do you clean those?
the tech who gave me the equipment wasn't very specific. she said about once a week with a gentle soap. what's considered gentle? and she said to look for dust on the filter on the back.not really sure what that means either. cpap pros, help me out please! thanks

[LSAT]

viewtopic/t84228/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=83 ... nt#p759552

[DavidCarolina]

You'll find that common sense goes a long way. It depends on how much you basically soil the mas/tank/hose/ etc.

We have to be careful of bacteria and not just dirt/saliva, etc.

Mild cleaning solution can be various things from soap and water/rinse, to vinegar stuff for others, to baby wipes, to a couple drops of bleach if you konw what youre doing.

I pretty much do things the lazy way, rinse my full face in warm water, pat dry , air dry all day.

The hose i'll take into the shower can let water run through and then drape it over the spigot handle all day, dry by bedtime. I guess it could use a soaking in
a tank with a few drops of bleach and then rinsed more often.

[RogerSC]

One resource for this is the owners manuals for the various equipment that you're using. They usually go into detail about maintenance and cleaning, products to use and schedules. You can download the manuals that you don't have. For example, ResMed says to use a 10:1 dilute vinegar solution, no stronger. And don't use a detergent like Dawn, that will damage your stuff over a period of time, use a very mild, preferably unscented soap. Again, ResMed suggests some brands of soaps to use, and not to use.

[Sheriff Buford]

I've been using baby shampoo for several years with no problems. I also use Pamper unscented thick wipes for sensitive skin to wipe my mask down every morning. I scrub the mask and soak in baby shampoo on Saturdays. Again, look at the manufacturer's website on cleaning. Beware of harsh chemicals that may ruin the mask silicone.

Sheriff

[TalonNYC]

I use a CPAP cleaning wipe daily on the mask, and allow the tank to dry completely.

Every week or so I soak all the gear in Control II CPAP cleaning solution and hot water, as per the directions on the label.

The daily wipes keep dirt and oil under control, and the regular disinfection keeps the bacteria at bay.

[sleepnasta]

I use a CPAP cleaning wipe daily on the mask, and allow the tank to dry completely.

Every week or so I soak all the gear in Control II CPAP cleaning solution and hot water, as per the directions on the label.

The daily wipes keep dirt and oil under control, and the regular disinfection keeps the bacteria at bay.

where can i find the cleaning solution?

[TalonNYC]

I get mine from Amazon, but medical supply co's should have it as well. I have not found it in any normal drug stores or supermarkets though.

It's mainly used to clean hoses/masks between patients, and my be overkill for a single-user at home, but it's not too expensive so I went for it.

[Pugsy]

where can i find the cleaning solution?

Here is one source
https://www.cpap.com/productpage/Contro ... eaner.html

I hear it is pretty stout and one person says the smell isn't very pleasant so lots of rinsing. Unless someone is ill or has a compromised immune system...I just don't see the need but if it gives someone peace of mind then by all means go for it.

I have never used it. I am content with hot soapy water.
Wash my nasal pillows maybe once a week. I have used baby cleanser or liquid soap that has aroma to it because I like the smell...hate vinegar smell so I don't use it.

Cleaning routine is pretty much whatever you are most comfortable with doing. When I first started cpap therapy I had a pretty rigid schedule but that got old real quick.

[archangle]

I wash everything but the hose and the headgear in the dishwasher once a week. I hook the hose up the the kitchen faucet and run hot water through it and rinse it.

Some masks have foam parts, and I wouldn't wash those parts in the dishwasher. I disassemble the mask for cleaning.

Your insurance will probably buy a new mask, hose, and water tank after a certain time. Get them as soon as you can and then wash one set and sit it aside to dry for a week while using the other set. I figure being dry for periods of times will help keep germ growth down.

The S9 has a dishwashable tank and a non-dishwashable tank. Get the dishwashable tank, even if you're hand washing.

[hopingitworks]

This is a little embarrassing given what others do to clean their equipment.

I have only been on cpap for a little over two months. Initially I had problems with congestion (quite nasty) and I had thought that I may have mold problems in the hoses. Cleaning wasn't achieving anything to resolve my congestion, or potential mold problems (I had too much humidity as it turns out). So I went on a schedule of cleaning the nasal pillows every night in a mild soapy solution. Then every second night, third night, etc. Now I clean the nasal pillows every ten-fourteen days. It seems to work for me.

[Pachyderm's Nose]

This is a little embarrassing given what others do to clean their equipment.

I have only been on cpap for a little over two months. Initially I had problems with congestion (quite nasty) and I had thought that I may have mold problems in the hoses. Cleaning wasn't achieving anything to resolve my congestion, or potential mold problems (I had too much humidity as it turns out). So I went on a schedule of cleaning the nasal pillows every night in a mild soapy solution. Then every second night, third night, etc. Now I clean the nasal pillows every ten-fourteen days. It seems to work for me.

That sounds about like me. I started out cleaning in hot soapy water weekly with a hot water rinse every 2-3 nights but now I wipe the pillows each morning, empty humidifier tank each morning, and maybe rinse mask and tubing with hot running water when I remember every couple weeks.