Consequences of Mask and Hose Negligence?

ColoZZZ · Post by **ColoZZZ** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 7:51 pm

Reading five pages of how different folks clean their equipment has gotten me thinking about this topic. I clean my mask, hose & humidifier every week or so but was wondering:

What happens in the long term if one does not clean their personal gear, say, other than to wipe off the mask nightly?

I'll play Devil's advocate here:

1) If you use the double filter (gray foam and white paper) on a Respironics machine, it filters particulates from the air pretty well.

2) If you use distilled water and only pass filtered air over it, there should be no mineral buildup and very few nutrients available to promote microbial growth.

3) If only one person uses the mask and hose, there's no chance to transmit germs to someone whose immune system has not been exposed to them.

4) With filtered air flowing in one direction through the hose, it seems unlikely that the user's germs would accumulate in it.

Does anyone have any horror stories to share about what happens if you're negligent cleaning your xPAP gear?

Thanks,

-Andy

Note: post revised after first reply.

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:29 pm

I keep the filters clean, use distilled water, no heat on the HH, just passover. I empty and rinse the HH and refill every 4 days, It stays pretty full, little water use, if so I add.

Hose get water rinse every two weeks, mask too and that's when I do the filters. As you say their our germs, that's why I take all those pills. Jim

S-Dubya · Post by **S-Dubya** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:11 pm

I am with you on the filtered air and single-direction air flow. I wash the interface part of my mask everyday. I used to wash the entire mask daily, but it was too hard on the headgear and the hard plastic part of the mask never touches anything. I change/clean my filters every couple weeks. I don't use distilled water and haven't for 3 out of the 3.5 years I have been on CPAP. The only downside I have found is some hard water deposits inside my HH chamber. Those are very easily removed with a vinegar soak every 2 weeks. I give my hoses a wash about once a month.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:27 pm

No horror stories here.

I clean the grey filter, change the fine filter every two weeks,

Never wash a tube, never wash most of the swift or headgear (only the pillow every couple of days rinse quickly with whatever soap (liquid stuff) that is sitting in my bathroom and only so it seals better as my germs are my germs.

Never clean the tank (every couple months I swish some watter around in it if I get around to it but not that concerned with it. I do use distilled water so scale doesn't build up in the tank.

And I have had about 1 quick cold in 10 months of cpap.

jrfoster · Post by **jrfoster** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:45 pm

I clean my mask and cushion every 3rd day in warm water with ivory liguid soap. I wash the hose about once a week the same way. My DME, said I should also soak them in a vinegar/water solution once a week also. Does anyone soak in vinegar water other than me?

Jeff in TN

onecoknower · Post by **onecoknower** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:47 pm

I have cleaned my mask (all the pieces) and hose once a week or so so far in a warm solution of liquid dish detergent and water then rinse well. I haven't done the vinegar treatment yet. My DME said to wash every day but I'm just too lazy.

dsm · Post by **dsm** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:25 pm

On the issue of leaving your mask on/in the bed & not cleaning it daily ...

Just over a year ago, a former regular whose id I have forgotten, said one day how on the previous night he came home late - hit the hay after slapping on his mask then before he was fully asleep the air stopped flowing - he pulled it off & found a cockroach stuck in the swivel joint.

That story sure shook a few of us & I suspect mask cleaning & hose cleaning improved somewhat.

DSM

jrfoster · Post by **jrfoster** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:04 pm

dsm wrote: Just over a year ago, a former regular whose id I have forgotten, said one day how on the previous night he came home late - hit the hay after slapping on his mask then before he was fully asleep the air stopped flowing - he pulled it off & found a cockroach stuck in the swivel joint.

Maybe the cockroach needs a sleep study?

Jeff in TN

ColoZZZ · Post by **ColoZZZ** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:07 pm

a cockroach stuck in the swivel joint

GGGRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

RedThunder94 · Post by **RedThunder94** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:17 pm

and it wasn't just any little cockroach, it was a full grown water roach, lol. blecch!

Wulfman · Post by **Wulfman** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 10:22 pm

dsm wrote:On the issue of leaving your mask on/in the bed & not cleaning it daily ...

Just over a year ago, a former regular whose id I have forgotten, said one day how on the previous night he came home late - hit the hay after slapping on his mask then before he was fully asleep the air stopped flowing - he pulled it off & found a cockroach stuck in the swivel joint.

That story sure shook a few of us & I suspect mask cleaning & hose cleaning improved somewhat.

DSM

I haven't forgetten the person's name. So here's the thread:

viewtopic.php?t=4223

Enjoy!

Den

Vader · Post by **Vader** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:35 pm

Looks like it's going to be tough getting to sleep tonight, after reading that cockroach story.

I have a brother who lives in Atlanta, GA , and on occassion when I've visited there...I've seen some of the biggest dang cockroaches I ever saw in my life.
He's told me "those ain't cockroaches", those are Palmetto Bugs"

I told him, I don't care what you call them things, those are GIANT cockroaches, and those devils can fly, too!

I'll betcha those critters could fit in a cpap hose real good.

Julie · Post by **Julie** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:42 am

What we need is a cover of some kind that fits over the whole mask and headgear and then fastens around the hose when we're not wearing them, but all I've ever seen is those flimsy plastic things that go over the cushions. Someone could probably make a small fortune if they could design such a thing, one that just maybe snaps closed (hinged on one side) and hangs from a little chain on the headboard or wall overnight.

snoregirl · Post by **snoregirl** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 5:16 am

Having lived in Baltimore in my distant past, I could see a cockroach crawling in a CLEAN damp hose haning up to dry. If you live somewhere like that I would think you would want to check any equipment clean or "dirty" before strpping it on.

Lyza · Post by **Lyza** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 1:44 pm

Thats why i hit the start button and let it run for a few mins while i'm adjusting bed covers, setting alarm clock, talking to the cat, etc before i gear up for the night.

Mask	Humidifier

Consequences of Mask and Hose Negligence?

Consequences of Mask and Hose Negligence?

Re: Consequences of Mask and Hose Negligence?