Cleaning Tips!

[sjohnson315]

So I'm getting my CPAP this week and I'm curious what others think about the "cleaning machines". I'm kind of a germaphobe, so I like the idea of being able to clean my machine, but don't want all the hassle if it's really not necessary! Thoughts? How often do you clean your machine and how do you do it! Thanks in advance!

[Julie]

Hi, you don't 'clean' the machine itself, just dust-wipe occasionally, so don't worry about it and whatever you do stay away from 'So-Clean', touted as a magical cleaner for Cpaps which is in fact useless, and close to a scam... ignore it! Secondly, you don't have to do anything with the hoses as the only thing they do is let already filtered room air come thru the machine and out to you and the CO2 vent holes... nothing goes back into them and lots of us have not touched them in years. Even if a little humidifier condensation gets in it will dry on its own. You can use an alcohol free baby wipe on the mask itself daily and wash it in mild soapy warm water weekly. And that's it!

If you use the humidifier, the tank can have a very little bit of vinegar in water swished around once in a while and well rinsed. But distilled water (not just 'bottled') is recommended for Cpap use with the tank or plain tap water if yours if relatively free of harsh chemicals, etc, then you might occasionally see a bit of pinkish sludge in the cracks so a Q-tip and after-rinse usually takes care of that.

[Wulfman...]

So I'm getting my CPAP this week and I'm curious what others think about the "cleaning machines". I'm kind of a germaphobe, so I like the idea of being able to clean my machine, but don't want all the hassle if it's really not necessary! Thoughts? How often do you clean your machine and how do you do it! Thanks in advance!

What "germs"? Yours or those in your dwelling that you lived with long before you started therapy. (I realize you haven't started yet)

Browse through this link or just go up to the Search line and put in "cleaning" and see how much discussion there has been over the years.

viewtopic.php?p=567264#p567264

And, as Julie mentioned, you can't clean the inside of the machine.


Den

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[sjohnson315]

Hi, you don't 'clean' the machine itself, just dust-wipe occasionally, so don't worry about it and whatever you do stay away from 'So-Clean', touted as a magical cleaner for Cpaps which is in fact useless, and close to a scam... ignore it! Secondly, you don't have to do anything with the hoses as the only thing they do is let already filtered room air come thru the machine and out to you and the CO2 vent holes... nothing goes back into them and lots of us have not touched them in years. Even if a little humidifier condensation gets in it will dry on its own. You can use an alcohol free baby wipe on the mask itself daily and wash it in mild soapy warm water weekly. And that's it!

If you use the humidifier, the tank can have a very little bit of vinegar in water swished around once in a while and well rinsed. But distilled water (not just 'bottled') is recommended for Cpap use with the tank or plain tap water if yours if relatively free of harsh chemicals, etc, then you might occasionally see a bit of pinkish sludge in the cracks so a Q-tip and after-rinse usually takes care of that.

Thank you! That's what info I needed! I was concerned about the humidifier and how to clean the tank and if there's condensation in the hose that makes a reservoir for bacteria, so I wasn't sure the best way to keep it clean! Thank you!