Bronchitis

I have just been diagnosed with Bronchitis today and I am wondering if I need to clean my equipment with more than mild soap and warm water to clean my equipment?

Any ideas...

As long as you keep from vomiting into your mask and hose, mild soap should work fine...

Yeah, coughing into the mask due to a bad chest cold / bronchitis is gross. Been there, done that. Got the T-Shirt. Wore it out. Got several more.

Fortunately, I've found that as my therapy has progressed the less I tend to get those bad chest colds / bronchitis attacks.

Mild soap and water is all you really need. Remember there is nothing for the germs to consume in the mask environment. You just want it clean and less likely to re-infect you. Soap and water does a great job of cleaning away the germs:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_does_soap_kill_germs

I do NOT recommend using antibacterial soap. That's a great way for you to breed your very own superbug that no longer responds to antibacterial agents. It just takes one germ to survive and to then be reintroduced into your lungs. Yuck!

The idea is that a good soapy water rinse, with your rubbing all the plastic and silicone parts will loosen all the dirt and will rinse away the germs. From various studies, it's been shows that it takes about 30 seconds of rubbing to clear away the germs. I never use that much effort (an in fact only rarely clean my mask and hose) unless I do have a chest cold.

Happy washing!

I was just diagnosed with a sinus infection this morning.
The P.A. asked if I had sinus problems in the past; and I had to say not since before CPAP.

I disassemble and dishwash my mask, but I probably wouldn't dishwash the foam cushion in your zest mask.

Thank you for the replies... I use Johnson and Johnson baby wash soap to wash my mask etc...