I've been on CPAP nearly 3 months now and at first had a Breeze mask but switched several weeks ago to a Swift which is oh so comfy!
For daily cleaning, I've been simply sliding off the plastic clip and removing the barrel with the nasal pillows in it and washing that barrel out. Once a week, I clean out the small hose. Well, yesterday I finally got around to viewing the video that comes with the mask and for daily cleaning they take the end clips off and take it all apart but leave the plastic clip and the barrel attached to each other. To me this seems like it is an invitation to the creation of potential new leaks plus it is really much easier to do it the way I do. But now I am worrying that removing the sliding plastic clip off the barrel every day might cause excessive wear on the barrel and pillows.
How do other people take apart their Swift for daily cleaning?
thanks for everyone's help on this forum.
I don't know what I would have done without all the information I found on this forum the past few months.
Maryb
Swift daily cleaning question
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Snoozin' Bluezzz
- Posts: 596
- Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:12 pm
- Location: Northeast Illinois
When at home, which is most of the time, I use the advice someone else offered and spritz the pillows and barrel interior with 1 part vinegar 2 parts water solution, wipe the pillows, rinse and let dry. I only completely disassemble once a week at the most and that seems like it could be too much. It is working fine for me.
David
David
Only go straight, don't know.
Be forwarned here that I (and a few others) am probably considered the forum slob. So take this advice with several grains of salt:
My opinion is that some hoseheads go overboard on cleaning equipment. Such as daily rinsing out their humidifiers ... Mine gets rinsed about once a month.
I take my nasal pillows and run really hot tap water through it every day or so (usually the or so). About once a week or so (usually the or so), I wash it with baby shampoo.
Slob that I am, I never do anything with the heated hose.
My equipment can't be any dirtier than my tooth brush. How often do the forum "clean freaks" sterilize their tooth brushes? And do they just leave their brushes out in the open air to collect germs during the day? Oh My.
All of this is said in jest, and not meant to offend anyone. But I do think some of us, on both sides of the cleanliness spectrum, go overboard.
My opinion is that some hoseheads go overboard on cleaning equipment. Such as daily rinsing out their humidifiers ... Mine gets rinsed about once a month.
I take my nasal pillows and run really hot tap water through it every day or so (usually the or so). About once a week or so (usually the or so), I wash it with baby shampoo.
Slob that I am, I never do anything with the heated hose.
My equipment can't be any dirtier than my tooth brush. How often do the forum "clean freaks" sterilize their tooth brushes? And do they just leave their brushes out in the open air to collect germs during the day? Oh My.
All of this is said in jest, and not meant to offend anyone. But I do think some of us, on both sides of the cleanliness spectrum, go overboard.
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| Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine |
| Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier |
| Additional Comments: Compliant since April 2003. (De-cap-itated Aura). |
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Snoozin' Bluezzz
- Posts: 596
- Joined: Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:12 pm
- Location: Northeast Illinois
In my mind, the important parts to clean daily are the parts that touch the outside or inside of the nose. At home we call those parts of the Swift pillows "nipples" (I have seen that engineers use this term for some parts of mechanical devices, so hopefully I can use it here without offending anyone). Daily cleansing of the nipples is more to prevent irritation of the nose than for fear of bacterial or viral contamination.
That said, daily I snap the barrel out of the headgear and wash the entire barrel and endcap in warm soapy (Ivory liquid gel) water. I do not remove the slide-on clip when I wash the barrel. I empty the heated humidifier reservoir, reattach everything and run the machine for a few minutes to dry the reservoir and the mask parts.
Like Maryb, I am concerned that snapping the barrel out of the headgear daily can cause wear and lead to leaks. After five months there are no problems, but I will get a backup mask just in case something breaks.
I rarely clean the small hose or the 6-foot hose.
rooster
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, hose, swift, clean
That said, daily I snap the barrel out of the headgear and wash the entire barrel and endcap in warm soapy (Ivory liquid gel) water. I do not remove the slide-on clip when I wash the barrel. I empty the heated humidifier reservoir, reattach everything and run the machine for a few minutes to dry the reservoir and the mask parts.
Like Maryb, I am concerned that snapping the barrel out of the headgear daily can cause wear and lead to leaks. After five months there are no problems, but I will get a backup mask just in case something breaks.
I rarely clean the small hose or the 6-foot hose.
rooster
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): humidifier, hose, swift, clean
Last edited by roster on Tue Jun 06, 2006 2:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Daily: Apply small fingertip amount of baby shampoo to pillows, apply larger fingertip full of shampoo inside rim of small hose. Rinse with warm water, rub soap around on pillows while rinsing. Apply large fingertip of shampoo inside an end of the main hose, fill with water, slosh around, rinse a few times.
Weekly: Disassemble pillows, barrel, end caps, small hose, soak in warm water with shampoo for ten minutes. Flush and dry. Same for main hose and humidifier chamber.
Monthly: Everything goes in a vinegar bath, 1 part vinegar 2 parts water for thirty minutes or so.
No problems on this schedule, though the pillows get a bit stiff and stop sealing so well around six weeks. When that happens I replace them.
Weekly: Disassemble pillows, barrel, end caps, small hose, soak in warm water with shampoo for ten minutes. Flush and dry. Same for main hose and humidifier chamber.
Monthly: Everything goes in a vinegar bath, 1 part vinegar 2 parts water for thirty minutes or so.
No problems on this schedule, though the pillows get a bit stiff and stop sealing so well around six weeks. When that happens I replace them.
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MandoJohnny
- Posts: 305
- Joined: Sun Apr 23, 2006 11:23 am
- Location: St Louis, Missouri
I follow the instructions
I am not a big follower of authority on most subjects, but on this one, I follow the CD that came with the Swift pretty closely. As I understand it, cleaning is always done in warm, soapy water with "pure soap," that is, soap with no additives like "anti-bacterial" or "skin conditioning" or fragrance. Then I rinse out in clean, cool water and allow to air dry.
Once a week, I do the whole mask, taken completely apart. I even do the harness. I also do the long hose and the water resivoir, gasket and cover on the humidifier. Every day, I just do the pillow assembly, not taken apart, as well as the disconnected short hose and plug. The only time I slack off is two days a week when I have to catch a plane. I am rushed in the morning and also I have to pack my CPAP up without being able to air dry anything. On those days, I just take a Q-tip and moisten one end. I wipe the outside and inside of the "nipples" with the wet end and then dry inside and out with the dry end.
Once a week, I do the whole mask, taken completely apart. I even do the harness. I also do the long hose and the water resivoir, gasket and cover on the humidifier. Every day, I just do the pillow assembly, not taken apart, as well as the disconnected short hose and plug. The only time I slack off is two days a week when I have to catch a plane. I am rushed in the morning and also I have to pack my CPAP up without being able to air dry anything. On those days, I just take a Q-tip and moisten one end. I wipe the outside and inside of the "nipples" with the wet end and then dry inside and out with the dry end.
One more comment since I can't resist then I will shut up and be my slobby self on my own.
Snoozin I can understand the cleaning for seal especially if you have oily skin. Good point.
But Rooster. Who am I going to contaminate. Myself? Same germs on that "nipple" that barely goes into my nose as the germs that live in my nose constantly. The pillow is dried during the day (if it ever got wet), I don't have a cold (If I did I would be more vigilant in the cleaning to get rid of those new germs) so I figure whatever germs I put on the pillow the last night have buddies that are still there in my nose in the morning. They just get to get reaquainted that next night.
Snoozin I can understand the cleaning for seal especially if you have oily skin. Good point.
But Rooster. Who am I going to contaminate. Myself? Same germs on that "nipple" that barely goes into my nose as the germs that live in my nose constantly. The pillow is dried during the day (if it ever got wet), I don't have a cold (If I did I would be more vigilant in the cleaning to get rid of those new germs) so I figure whatever germs I put on the pillow the last night have buddies that are still there in my nose in the morning. They just get to get reaquainted that next night.
[quote="snoregirl"]
But Rooster. Who am I going to contaminate. Myself? Same germs on that "nipple" that barely goes into my nose as the germs that live in my nose constantly. The pillow is dried during the day (if it ever got wet), I don't have a cold (If I did I would be more vigilant in the cleaning to get rid of those new germs) so I figure whatever germs I put on the pillow the last night have buddies that are still there in my nose in the morning. They just get to get reaquainted that next night.
But Rooster. Who am I going to contaminate. Myself? Same germs on that "nipple" that barely goes into my nose as the germs that live in my nose constantly. The pillow is dried during the day (if it ever got wet), I don't have a cold (If I did I would be more vigilant in the cleaning to get rid of those new germs) so I figure whatever germs I put on the pillow the last night have buddies that are still there in my nose in the morning. They just get to get reaquainted that next night.
I wasn't going to comment again but ...
I still fail to see how daily cleansing of the nipples will prevent irritation in the nose. I fail to see how anything on the nipple that is also already in my nose will cause irritation.
I do agree if someone has sores in their nose they would want to keep as much bacteria as possible out of those sores. But I was referring to myself, a person with no open sores inside her nose.
So I don't think we are in agreement at all.
I am not talking about anything like impetigo. I am talking about a normal person with no open wounds in their nose. Totally different situation.
As to the toothbrush and strep infections. Of course one should discard or sterilize one's toothbrush when one has a strep infection. In fact I would do that twice. One time 24 - 48 hours after beginning antibiotics and again the minute I finished the prescription. Strep is one of those things that you can catch again and again. Normal nose germs are not the same thing at all. There are germs in your body all the time and not all of them harm you or cause problems.
Of course E. coli can get in a mask. It CAN get anywhere. But if one washes their hands and generally practices good hygine, I think it is a rather slim possibility. In fact taking you mask into a bathroom and cleaning it may actually pose a greater risk of acquiring E. coli than leaving it on your nightstand farther away from a major source of that particular type of bacteria. On that same note I would keep my mask away from my shoes which I would bet have their share of E. coli from just walking around, as well as out of my laundry basket where my dirty clothes live and other such risky places.
I still fail to see how daily cleansing of the nipples will prevent irritation in the nose. I fail to see how anything on the nipple that is also already in my nose will cause irritation.
I do agree if someone has sores in their nose they would want to keep as much bacteria as possible out of those sores. But I was referring to myself, a person with no open sores inside her nose.
So I don't think we are in agreement at all.
I am not talking about anything like impetigo. I am talking about a normal person with no open wounds in their nose. Totally different situation.
As to the toothbrush and strep infections. Of course one should discard or sterilize one's toothbrush when one has a strep infection. In fact I would do that twice. One time 24 - 48 hours after beginning antibiotics and again the minute I finished the prescription. Strep is one of those things that you can catch again and again. Normal nose germs are not the same thing at all. There are germs in your body all the time and not all of them harm you or cause problems.
Of course E. coli can get in a mask. It CAN get anywhere. But if one washes their hands and generally practices good hygine, I think it is a rather slim possibility. In fact taking you mask into a bathroom and cleaning it may actually pose a greater risk of acquiring E. coli than leaving it on your nightstand farther away from a major source of that particular type of bacteria. On that same note I would keep my mask away from my shoes which I would bet have their share of E. coli from just walking around, as well as out of my laundry basket where my dirty clothes live and other such risky places.
Maybe I'm just weird, some of you may call me sloppy, careless, lazy, or whatever. In my 20 + years of treatment, I have never cleaned a mask, just wiped off the outside if it ever became oily. I have never flushed out any hoses. I dump and rinse my humidifier maybe once or twice every two months. I do on rare occasions, wash the head gear when it gets looking dirty. I have been using a Swift for several months now and have yet to do ANY cleaning to it. The filters on the CPAP may get changed every two months or so. I have yet to suffer any medical problems because of my lack of cleaning. I can't remember when I had my last cold or a sinus infection, irritation, or whatever. Since I started humidified CPAP, I just don't have those issues anymore. I really don't see what all the fuss is about all this constant daily cleaning. I've never been a slave to my CPAP, and I won't be starting anytime soon.....
Dan
P.S. No, I don't live in a sterile environment, I do use RO water in the humidifier though.
Dan
P.S. No, I don't live in a sterile environment, I do use RO water in the humidifier though.
Over 20 years in treatment...
Humidified REMstar Plus at 18 cm
Mirage Swift Nasal Pillow System....A Winner!
Humidified REMstar Plus at 18 cm
Mirage Swift Nasal Pillow System....A Winner!
A slob after my own heart.
Did I ever ask where you are in Oregon (my home state)? We are coming up in August to Brookings, Lincoln City, Salem, and Portland. We love to "visit" the Pacific NW.
Did I ever ask where you are in Oregon (my home state)? We are coming up in August to Brookings, Lincoln City, Salem, and Portland. We love to "visit" the Pacific NW.
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| Machine: DreamStation Auto CPAP Machine |
| Humidifier: DreamStation Heated Humidifier |
| Additional Comments: Compliant since April 2003. (De-cap-itated Aura). |
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sarnadle_vector
- Posts: 25
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 9:11 am
- Contact:
Daily - soak in whole assembled barrel in hot water
Every-other-day-or so- add some pure Ivory soap to that water
Once a week'ish - disassemble the barrel and follow the same soak
My primary motivation is to ease irritation on my nose...I find that a "cleaner" swift pillow is a "more comfy" swift pillow.
-sV
http://www.hearmesnore.com
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): swift
Every-other-day-or so- add some pure Ivory soap to that water
Once a week'ish - disassemble the barrel and follow the same soak
My primary motivation is to ease irritation on my nose...I find that a "cleaner" swift pillow is a "more comfy" swift pillow.
-sV
http://www.hearmesnore.com
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CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): swift