Okay, so tell the truth...

[pandatx]

How often do you clean your equipment?

And while we're on the topic...What do you use to clean it?

[123.Shawn T.W.]

I clean my ffm every few weeks, unless I have a night of drool ...

Never cleaned my hose or humidifier container ... Air filter 6 months or so, if I remember ... !

ETA: I leave water in my humidifier ... Just top off every night ... I use distilled water ...

[MS Gray Man]

I clean mask daily but mostly because I've gone to FF masks and they just leak far worse when not clean and face cleaned shortly before bed...

Humidifier tank maybe once every two weeks but I pull it from the F&P machine daily and leave it to air dry so it isn't sitting warm and humid all day every day.

Hose, well OK truth I replace it every six months, I seem to remember washing some of them a few times... If I do that once or twice in the six months, that's about it. Mostly because I'm too lazy to strip the fuzzy cover off it and don't like getting it wet when I wash the hose.

Usually switch the filter when I switch the hose, but I check the filter monthly to see if it is dusty.

[Madalot]

I promise to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth....

My husband and I are both hoseheads (me the Trilogy ventilator and him PRS1 Bipap).

Masks get wiped down with a baby wipe every morning (to remove the previous nights facial grease).

Once a week, masks, seals hoses & filters get soaked in Johnson's Baby Shampoo (Lavender scented because we both like it). I rotate filters & hoses (I have two sets of both) so one set can dry for a week.

Masks & seals get partially dried with a paper towel and are allowed to air dry the rest of the way until bedtime.

Humidifier chambers? Uh, we don't clean them. We use distilled water so I never felt the need.

[khauser]

For me, rarely.

I do empty the humidifier once a week if it hasn't been emptying itself over night. I also rinse it.

I rinse my TapPap a lot ... but that's also just a rinse.

In the past I have replaced hoses rather than wash them. I am not sure that will be the case with the heated hose I now have, but I don't think the host is a big area of concern.

I replace the fine filter every now and then, and wash the foam much less often.

Here's the thing: Once past the filters if washing is needed then what about INSIDE the machine? It can't be washed. So if that's OK to not wash, then why is it that right past the outlet it would be different?

All of my washing is designed to combat mold. I don't worry about anything else.

[cosmo]

Mask daily. Hose weekly. Humidifier every few days. Headgear washed weekly.

[LSAT]

viewtopic/t84228/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=83 ... nt#p759552

[Pugsy]

Take your choice.

viewtopic.php?p=567264#p567264

There's as many different schedules and routines are there are people here.
Do what you feel that you need to do to make you comfortable with the regiment you want to use.

[Stanley56]

On this topic, what's the point of washing the head gear?

[cosmo]

On this topic, what's the point of washing the head gear?

Oils from your head/face.

[Pugsy]

On this topic, what's the point of washing the head gear?

When I was using the Swift FX I never washed the head gear. Never adjusted it after the initial fitting that made it perfect either.
I would occasionally wash the Padacheek side strap fleece covers when I thought about it but not the silicone headgear and not the back strap.
After about 6 to 8 months I would replace the back strap and maybe wash the silicone part at that time.

So again..it depends on what mask you use...lots of straps or minimal straps...and personal preference and maybe hair goop that a person might prefer to use that might get gunked up on the headgear.

[PreemieNrsTiffy]

On this topic, what's the point of washing the head gear?

When I was using the Swift FX I never washed the head gear. Never adjusted it after the initial fitting that made it perfect either.
I would occasionally wash the Padacheek side strap fleece covers when I thought about it but not the silicone headgear and not the back strap.
After about 6 to 8 months I would replace the back strap and maybe wash the silicone part at that time.

So again..it depends on what mask you use...lots of straps or minimal straps...and personal preference and maybe hair goop that a person might prefer to use that might get gunked up on the headgear.

I'm new to this whole thing but being I nurse I have this respect for cleaning medical equipment. I think I would consider not washing the headgear on my Swift FX anymore. I think I about did it in yesterday. I had decided I might wear it out sending it through the washer/dryer (in a lingerie bag) so I started handwashing it and setting it outside to dry, which it did quickly last week. As I mentioned elsewhere we are in the midst of some wet/humid weather and with the rain I had tried to just hang the stuff up to dry. At 10pm I realized this wasn't going to happen anytime soon so I wound up taking a iron to the neoprene headgear. Okay, not one of my most brilliant moves but I never claimed to be some domestic diva. I think the headgear will be just fine (in spite of a couple of singe marks) if I replace it in a few months but I think I am done washing, drying or God forbid ironing it anymore. Besides that fact that my husband was laughing at me trying to put the thing back together again, several times, over and over.

[cosmo]

At 10pm I realized this wasn't going to happen anytime soon so I wound up taking a iron to the neoprene headgear.

This is why its a good idea to have a spare on hand. I also have a few things that aids in drying.

I have a nasal pillow/mask dryer and separate hose blow dryer.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85677&p=779698
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=85647&p=779291

[pandatx]

Wow Cosmo...you are really creative!

[HoseCrusher]

I clean my mask daily and the rest, including the air filter, weekly.

I also clean after my grandchildren finish playing astronaut...

I use Dr. Bonners lavender soap for cleaning and something similar to RespiClean for sanitizing afterward.