How compliant are you with cleaning the machine?

RogerSC · Post by **RogerSC** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 12:46 am

Wash the tank, hose, and nasal pillows once a week. Wipe the nasal pillows and rinse out the tank every day. Doesn't take much time, and makes me feel better about the thing that I breathe through for about a third of my life *smile*.

jencat824 · Post by **jencat824** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:12 pm

Been on CPAP 12 yrs. In the beginning I cleaned regularly. Now...I clean if necessary & change filters frequently (monthly or more if necessary). Most of my masks have been 'customized' with superglue, so washing would be kind of hard, also might dislodge superglue solution. After reading the cleaning routine most of you use, it made me feel a little 'lax' in my cleaning routine.
Jen

lorraineg57 · Post by **lorraineg57** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 4:22 pm

Need I say more?

jencat824 · Post by **jencat824** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 8:05 pm

Yes Lorraine, you are right.
Jen

archangle · Post by **archangle** » Sun Nov 11, 2012 11:03 pm

jencat824 wrote: Most of my masks have been 'customized' with superglue, so washing would be kind of hard, also might dislodge superglue solution. After reading the cleaning routine most of you use, it made me feel a little 'lax' in my cleaning routine.
Jen

I've repaired a bunch of Respironics ComfortGel masks with two part epoxy, and they stood up fine to washing in the dishwasher. Luckily, the ComfortGel clip design changed and the clips don't break off they way they used to, so I don't have to glue them back together any more.

DavidCarolina · Post by **DavidCarolina** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 1:50 am

I pretty much use the common sense approach: warm water air dry. Every 2 or 3 days.

I'll try the baby wipes once aweek from now on. Ive heard vinegar can be effective as well, hopefully no damage to the silicone.

RogerSC · Post by **RogerSC** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 2:33 am

DavidCarolina wrote:I pretty much use the common sense approach: warm water air dry. Every 2 or 3 days.

I'll try the baby wipes once aweek from now on. Ive heard vinegar can be effective as well, hopefully no damage to the silicone.

Just as an example, ResMed recommends a 10:1 vinegar solution (10 parts water, 1 part vinegar *smile*) for cleaning when you see mineral deposits. A dilute vinegar solution shouldn't damage anything, but should help with mineral deposits.

By the way, the printed instructions from my DME said to use a 50% vinegar solution, which I'm pretty sure would degrade the material of the mask nasal pillows for one, and everything else as well. I guess that fits their agenda *smile*.

Feline · Post by **Feline** » Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:13 am

Every day, wash the mask in water and a little dishwashing liquid and air dry. Rinse the hose out, hang to dry. I also use Padacheeks mask liners and like a clean fresh one every day, so that gets washed, too, either by hand or thrown in the machine with other delicates. Also rinse out the water tank, air dry.

Once a week, soak the water tank in a water/vinegar bath for 30 minutes, air dry. Wash out the black filter, squeezesqueezesqueeze and air dry. Remove the seal from the mask and wash them both, air dry. Run just a little soap and water through the hose, rinse well and hang to dry. Wipe down the machine itself if it needs it.

This is a bit more complicated than a lot of folks, but I catch colds and flu really easily, so I tend to be a clean freak about anything that goes up my nose.

How compliant are you with cleaning the machine?

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