Cleaning this monstrosity

[chunkyfrog]

Some people are disabled by physical shortcomings, and others by that pesky Y-chromosome.

[exiii]

I'm trying to figure out why information not offered is anyone else's concern.

That's called minding your own damn business.

[BlackSpinner]

Some people are disabled by physical shortcomings, and others by that pesky Y-chromosome.

They are now saying that girls on the autistic syndrome are missed because their brains look like normal boys brains. Or boys are autistic girls?

[BlackSpinner]

I'm trying to figure out why information not offered is anyone else's concern.

That's called minding your own damn business.

Because the OP clearly doesn't want to do the cleaning.

[GuestStar]

Woah there. I have no issue with cleaning the machine. My problem is I feel clueless and lost doing it and I'm given very conflicting advice from each source I have. My BF is convinced the tube gets gunk in it. I've tried to tell him from cleaning the tank I've never seen any sort of gunk, but he is pretty convinced by what his doctor told him and the whole drawn out cleaning ritual we were shown when he was given the machine.

From what I understand of the machine, it would be impossible to get a bunch of gunk in it with a nose piece. But I've never used the machine.

I will try to tell him again today that after (attempting) to clean the tube I found no evidence of any sort of gunk and that I think I'm doing more harm than good. I've told him already if he wants everything cleaned more than I'm doing he will have to do it himself, which I think is fair.

I will start soaking the headstrap instead of hand-washing it, thanks.

[Julie]

Why not have him read this thread... see for himself that the room air he breathes all day goes through a filter, into the machine and out of the hose... one way... then out to the room again, and there's nothing to gunk it up in there. A little mist from the humidifier won't hurt anything.

[chunkyfrog]

Unless the boyfriend has compromised immunity, the horror show you were pointed to is total bull!
Use your own judgement--most of us do as little as necessary to keep it looking, working, and smelling decent.
Unless he is disabled, let him do anything you consider excessive.

[exiii]

Look, despite what some of the never-clean types will say here, you don't have to feel stupid about cleaning the machine to whatever standard you think is reasonable. It's your(his?) equipment.

But yeah, if he's asking for more effort than you want to put into it, and he CAN do it himself, he should!

[Sir NoddinOff]

In a nutshell:

Germophobe = clean it every day or more if you are very anxious.

Non-germaphobe = clean it maybe once a month or never depending on how you like to roll.

[Okie bipap]

If you want to clean the hose, the easiest way I have found is to use a one cup pyrex measuring cup with soapy water. Pour the water into one end of the tube, put your thumb over the ends and agitate the hose. Hold one end of the hose under the faucet and run water through it until it runs clear. The amount of cleaning you do is up to you. When I first started, I cleaned the mask, hose and water reservoir every week. Now, I clean the mask and water reservoir every two weeks if I think about it. I may clean the hose every month or so at the most. I cleaned it recently since I had it disconnected from the machine so I could pack it in the travel bag. I washed everything when we got back home before I put the machine back together for use.

[robysue]

I can assure you that if my father had been on cpap, my mother would have been cleaning his because "cleaning is woman's work" He now has a cleaner coming to do his one bedroom place, start the dishwasher and is looking for someone to clean his hearing aids.

Clean his hearing aids???

I wound up getting HAs about 2 1/2 months ago. Cleaning HAs is as simple as wiping them down when you take them out. At least that's all you need to do if you don't have excessively waxy ears.

[Stormynights]

I worry more about getting a bug or a spider in my hose than I do about germs. I think the only germs in there are mine anyway. I just use baby wipes on my mask and in the day time I keep my mask with the hose still attached under my pillow. Hubby won't even put water in his machine or change a filter. He isn't lazy and he does so much to help me so I just don't get why he can't take care of his own equipment. Silly man.

[Pugsy]

Is he using the heated hose (tube) or the non heated hose?
If it's the non heated hose..how about having multiple hoses and you soak one for a little while in something (water cleaning solution you feel will appease his concerns and rinse good and hang to dry (and yes it is likely to take few days but while it is drying (though it really doesn't have to be dry to be used...it's just going to get moisture in it as soon as you turn on the machine but if you have much water in it you are going to get a lot of ugly noise coming from it) use an alternate hose. Just rotate them.
Non heated hoses are cheap...heated hoses not so cheap.
If the hose is a non heated hose I have some you can just have to get them out of my house...they were in a donations box someone shipped to me. I can get you a hose for every day of the week. They need to find a new home.
Most of them appear to be the white performance hose from Respironics which are nice little hoses.