Quattro users - how do you clean your mask?

[teresamichele]

I'm having some pretty serious issues with leaks and I think part of it is me not cleaning the cushion on the mask correctly.

The DME told me not to use soap on it - just vinegar and water once a week and water the rest of the time, but it can't possibly be cleaning it enough. I don't have super-oily skin and I do wash my face before bed, but there's some oil on the mask when I take it off in the morning. Water isn't going to get that off and rubbing it just seems to move the gross stuff around.

How does everyone else keep the cushion part of their mask clean?

[Rustyolddude]

View the video on the Resmed Quattro page. Every morning I pop the seal and forehead cushion out of the mask. I remove the green frame from the seal. I put some Joy dish detergent in a plastic bowl with some warm water, I toss in the forehead cushion and the mask seal, I clean the seal gently like you would contact lenses, same with the forehead cushion, rinse well. I wash the mask frame in the suds. I position it all on a towel to dry. Tilted as neccessary. I make sure no parts of the mask seal are stuck together. I kinda tap everything on the towel to get the bulk of the water off. Takes all of 5 minutes. I wash & rinse the humidifier reservoir in a similar manner. A drop of dish soap, add a little water, hold my thumbs over the inlet/outlet shake, dump & rinse. Yeah, I know it's not neccessary to do it every day but I do.

[teresamichele]

I'll try it tonight!

The DME lady was very firm on not using anything but vinegar but I want a clean mask! I'll buy more cushions if it wears them out quickly!

[Roberta]

According to http://www.myresmed.com/MyResMed/page.d ... 0210acRCRD It is recommended that vinegar solutions not be used on the cushion. I use Ivory cake soap to wash my face and if I feel the cushion needs cleaning I put a little on a wash cloth and run it over the cushion then rinse with wash cloth. Weekly everything gets cleaned in bathroom sink full of water with baby shampoo then rinsed under hot running water and laid on a towel to dry.

[Rustyolddude]

I'll try it tonight!

The DME lady was very firm on not using anything but vinegar but I want a clean mask! I'll buy more cushions if it wears them out quickly!

See the fitting & cleaning video in the Bottom LH corner http://www.resmed.com/us/products/mirag ... s&sec=true

They say gentle soap. It's not neccessary to take your mask totally apart like they show.

[teresamichele]

I love this board! I shall have a sparkly clean mask tonight and hopefully my leak rate will go below 1.04 which is what it was last night! EEK!

[REK]

Hi,
I try to wash my mask daily in warm water and baby shampoo, rinse and let it dry. If I don't wash it I use the special CPAP citrus wipes to clean it.
I the video that came with my mask when I got my first one said to use a non-scented non-antibacterial soap to clean it. The video takes
you through the specific steps of how to take the mask apart, how to clean it, and how to put it back together again. On unusual occasions, (travel),
I never leave it go for longer than three or four days before washing it but I do use the CPAP wipes daily.

[rippersmom]

Hi,

I don't take my Quattro apart every day. Maybe once every couple of weeks, I separate the components and soak them in a mild solution of Dawn dish soap, rubbing the cushion a bit to be sure it's all clean. Rinse well and air dry.

Nite nite time: wash my face and wipe the cushion with the same soap/washcloth and rinse. Works for me.

Nancy in AZ

[Mtnviewer]

I use a Costco baby wipe on the mask & headgear support each night before bed, which I then use on my forehead & face where the mask will sit. I also shave every night.

Leak rate is low under normal pressures of 7-10 & even up to 12, if there is no pillow force on the mask. Otherwise if the pillow is pushing on the mask just right then at the higher pressures from APAP, I can get a leak waking me up.

Also check that your neoprene Quattro headgear is snug enough. It seems that mine had stretched after 8 months of use since I thought that the mask seal needed replacing but instead the headgear just needed to be snugged up top & bottom.

I wash everything once a month in cpap.com's Cleanse III solution.

[raggedykat]

It might be just my imagination but I feel that my mask does fit better when it is clean. I started out cleaning it just once a week but I think I am going to go to a daily cleaning. I use dove on my face and I will use it on my mask.

[Greybeard]

I guess that mask hygiene is a personal thing, but I don't get too worked up over it. I wash the mask parts with a liquid non-scented soap 2-3 times a week and have no problems. After all, anything on the mask came from me.....not someone with a communicable disease. Think about it.

[Wulfman]

Same as the UMFF I've been using for over 4 years. (Headgear didn't quite make it 4 yrs. but the seals are still fine)

WHEN I get around to washing it (every few months), I use Dawn dishwashing liquid (HOT water for wash, HOT water for rinse and then soak it in COLD water for a bit) and never (intentionally) disassemble it.

In the mean time, I just wash/rinse my face before bed and wipe down the seal with the palm of my hand.


Den

[BlueHairBob]

I find that my Quatro seems to get slick more often than my other masks. This is my first FF mask and maybe that makes a difference. I use the citrus wipes every night before bed, but sometimes after just a few hours the mask is so slick it won't seal. i wondered if the cushion material is different from other masks. i am going to try going back to washing with baby shampoo every night and see if it makes a difference.

[plr66]

WHEN I get around to washing it (every few months), I use Dawn dishwashing liquid (HOT water for wash, HOT water for rinse and then soak it in COLD water for a bit) and never (intentionally) disassemble it.

In the mean time, I just wash/rinse my face before bed and wipe down the seal with the palm of my hand.
Den

GAWD, Isn't that just like a man??!! We're not gonna ask you about how you clean your bathroom

[Wulfman]

WHEN I get around to washing it (every few months), I use Dawn dishwashing liquid (HOT water for wash, HOT water for rinse and then soak it in COLD water for a bit) and never (intentionally) disassemble it.

In the mean time, I just wash/rinse my face before bed and wipe down the seal with the palm of my hand.
Den

GAWD, Isn't that just like a man??!! We're not gonna ask you about how you clean your bathroom

My wife (normally) cleans the bathroom.....it IS "clean". BUT.....none of my CPAP equipment would ever go in or be cleaned in the bathroom.


Den