wrenn wrote:
I have two brothers in law who have been on cpap for years and neither of them ever wash anything.
Are they still alive ?
wrenn wrote:
I have two brothers in law who have been on cpap for years and neither of them ever wash anything.
Mask: Mirage™ FX Nasal CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
Maybe it's the ads for tooth brush sanitizers. I believe there is a limited time that bacteria can live on a dry surface. Viruses I don't know. But my shower curtain liner regularly gets spots of mildew that need to be bleached and it doesn't have anything organic to grow on. And my cat's water bowl will get slimy if it's not washed every day. My mouth usually tastes pretty yucchy in the morniong even though I brush at night and I don't know what organisms cause that. I think I feel better washing the mask parts and humidifier at least every other day.Wulfman wrote:It always amuses me that people think they can "infect" themselves with their own germs.
Mask: FlexiFit HC431 Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
I now soak in a Dawn solution for several hrs before maskup, then rinse well. I spray with white vinegar if the least bit of slickness remains, then let air dry on my night stand.Physician wrote:...regularly clean our mask/pillows and tubing, preferably with baby shampoo and water rinses...
I need the silicon and my skin to be very clean to get a good seal.Physician wrote:...is there evidence that this does any actual good other than esthetics and a warm fuzzy feeling of cleanliness...
I've been told to use Ivory dish soap or Neutrogena (sp?) face soap. My insurance only pays for new soft parts every three months. I wonder if soaking that long does anything to deteriorate the silicone. Those mass produced parts are so ridiculously expensive.Muse-Inc wrote: I now soak in a Dawn solution for several hrs before maskup, then rinse well. I spray with white vinegar if the least bit of slickness remains, then let air dry on my night stand.
Mask: FlexiFit HC431 Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
None since I started doing this last January or so. My nasal discharge (gotta love allergies) is really sticky (probably a lot of proteins) and tough to remove...Dawn is the only thing that works well. Used to have allergic reactions to the Dawn residues, gone now thank goodness, as I was having to re-wash with an eco-friendly soap to get rid of the Dawn residues.Sillyme wrote:...I've been told to use Ivory dish soap or Neutrogena (sp?) face soap...wonder if soaking that long does anything to deteriorate the silicone...
Come to think of it - Isn't Dawn the detergent that worked so well on the oil covered birds?Muse-Inc wrote:Dawn is the only thing that works well. Used to have allergic reactions to the Dawn residues, gone now thank goodness, as I was having to re-wash with an eco-friendly soap to get rid of the Dawn residues.
Mask: FlexiFit HC431 Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
Yup, great for dispersing grease...used to use it on grease stains on clothes, then read that shampoo works better...tried it, yup, shampoo is best for getting grease spots out of clothes. I am not willing to risk my expensive silicon mask parts to try shampoo as a cleanerSillyme wrote:...Come to think of it - Isn't Dawn the detergent that worked so well on the oil covered birds?
Why not? I used baby shampoo daily on a single set of nasal pillows for nearly a year and never needed replacement pillows...Muse-Inc wrote: I am not willing to risk my expensive silicon mask parts to try shampoo as a cleaner
One thing I definitely clean/wash on a regular basis is the (foam) intake air filter (once or twice a month). Depending on the machine model, most of them are washable.erika wrote:My husband has had his CPAP machine for 10 years. I've never seen him clean anything- mask, tubing, filter.
I've had mine for a month and have been cleaning the nasal pillows daily. I haven't cleaned anything else though.
The fact he doesn't clean his grosses me out. He does get a sinus infection about once a year. I wonder if it is related.
Maybe some people build up a resistance to the things that multiply on unwashed masks. Soap and water aren't really going to disinfect anything - just slow down the growth. I like the smell (or lack of smell) of a clean mask. I think it's more of an aesthetic thing.SleepyT wrote:This is one topic that is heavily debated here...to clean or not to clean! You realize there is only one way to put this one to bed, right? Someone needs to swab the various cpap parts...hoses, masks, etc. and see what grows in a petri dish. That should solve once and for all whether we need to regularly clean our cpap equipment.
Is there a scientist among us?
Mask: FlexiFit HC431 Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Humidifier: S9™ Series H5i™ Heated Humidifier with Climate Control |
Mask: Mirage Quattro™ Full Face CPAP Mask with Headgear |
Additional Comments: Pressure 18/13. |
True..and I agree...I like the smell of clean cpap equipment. I use soap and water to clean with...and then I use the Control III disinfectant (from cpap.com). It kills everything!Sillyme wrote:Maybe some people build up a resistance to the things that multiply on unwashed masks. Soap and water aren't really going to disinfect anything - just slow down the growth. I like the smell (or lack of smell) of a clean mask. I think it's more of an aesthetic thing.SleepyT wrote:This is one topic that is heavily debated here...to clean or not to clean! You realize there is only one way to put this one to bed, right? Someone needs to swab the various cpap parts...hoses, masks, etc. and see what grows in a petri dish. That should solve once and for all whether we need to regularly clean our cpap equipment.
Is there a scientist among us?