Mirage Quattro FX Cushion Life

[cgmichigan89]

For those of you who have this mask...How often do you replace the cushions? I have had mine for about 4 weeks now and the past 3 nights the top seal keeps seperating from the frame?

[LSAT]

.I just received an e-mail from our host...cpap.com, indicating that silicone cushions should be replaced by 6 months. I replace mine at 3-4 months. Shouldn't need replacement at 4 weeks.

viewtopic/t75749/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74 ... il#p685240

[retrodave15]

my insurance allows me one cushion every 2 months, life span depends on the following

how often you clean them
how oily your skin is

Personally I wipe mine down every night with mask wipes
Wash them once or twice a week (before I started this a seal would last about a month for me)
Boil the seal in water with baking soda and water about every three weeks

After about 3 months they are pretty much shot for me.

I have really oily skin so your mileage may vary.

[chunkyfrog]

The DME's here recommend washing the cushions and pillows EVERY night.
Of course, they KNOW it shortens the life span!

[MaxDarkside]

My insurance pays for 1 every 3 months.
I wash mine daily in hand soap or clear shampoo
My last one got cloudy-looking after 3 months, still worked OK, but I got a new one anyway so I have a spare in case I tear one.

[cgmichigan89]

Thank you for the responses.... I have been cleaning my cushion every night as directed by DME... I do not have oily skin.. plus I wash my face each night right before I put the mask on... My Insurance will pay for Cushions each month..but I thought they would last longer than that...like 3 months.

So you are saying that I might be washing it a tad to much and it has worn out early?

[dormirjespere]

I guess mine isn't the same, it's just called Mirage Quattro, and doesn't look like the photo on the post. But my mask's seal only lasts about 2 mos., but insur. only will pay for it every 3 mos. It costs me a fortune for each new one even with the insurance. I clean mine each morning after use. It starts getting cloudy after 3 weeks.

dormirjespere

[LSAT]

The cloudy comes from the soap. It doesn't affect the seal. The cushion should last longer than 2 months. Try boiling it...
viewtopic/t75749/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74 ... il#p685240

[retrodave15]

I miss stated my cleaning regimen:
Wipes every night
Wash every three to four days
boil in water and baking soda and water every three weeks

I find that the mask starts to loose it's sealing ability when it turns milky white - the boil trick described elsewhere in this forum returns the seal to a clear state and seals much better again.

BEFORE


AFTER


I boil them in 2 QTs of water with 2 TBS of Baking soda for two minutes then rinse with cool water and dry. Try it on an old seal first, but it might help those of you that are on a high deductable plan stretch their dollars a little further.

Try at your own risk, your results may vary

[dormirjespere]

Thanks for the tip about boiling with baking soda. The instructions specifically said to avoid hot water, so I never would have thought to try that. But I will try it on an old mask. I have oily skin, and if I don't wash the seal daily, it leaks like a sieve

[MaxDarkside]

I just tried it with my old spare. Then I put it on the mask and did a pressure test. Worked well. The spots you see on the "After" are just water. It was just tamped dry with a towel and shook with some dribblets still on it.

[greatunclebill]

we just started a new dme. my wife ordered a resmed quattro fx full face. it came with 2 extra cushions. i know insurance didn't pay for them and we weren't charged. maybe they think that's 3 months worth. i don't want to ask them and find out it was a mistake.

[b360155]

I haven't changed my cushion yet since starting to use this mask about 4 months ago. I have alternated a few nights here and there with a couple of different masks but this has been my preferred mask so I'd guess I've used this one cushion for close to 3 months worth and it's still going strong. I wash my face before going to sleep every night. I wash the entire mask, including the cushion each morning in hot water with a couple squirts of Ivory liquid soap and rinse well. I did try the boil technique 2 or 3 weeks ago and it does work amazingly well as far as removing the cloudiness and restoring some of the tackiness. One thing that I don't see being mentioned yet is using a Padacheek liner. It's made of a high quality microfiber material and I think makes the mask more comfortable to wear because sometimes the silicone would stick to and irritate my skin. I get slightly higher leak scores with the Padacheek. Without, I can usually get close to 0.0 leak most of the night. With the Padacheek liner, my 95% leak rate is usually 2.4 to 3.6, but I don't feel any leak because of the liner and I find this leak quite acceptable since it's well below the 24.0 l/min leak line. The liner makes the mask more comfortable to wear for me so I have more nights where I sleep through the night and I figure it has to prolong the life of the cushion since the cushion is never coming into direct contact with your face oils whatsoever. Might want to give it a shot.

[hosehead512b]

Wow, thank you all for experimenting and posting about boiling your Quattro FX liners! I love my Quattro FX, but I wash my mask and cushion every night as well and find that the seal diminishes after 3 weeks. I'll be boiling my current cushion tonight!

[giseleharney]

I wash the cushion every day with soap and water and replace every 4 months. Seems to work OK