Do you wash your mask/hose EVERY day?

[Sleepopotamus]

I have been using CPAP for about five weeks and I wash my components every other day with a tiny amount of dish soap in warm water. Is that OK?

[Dave Hargett]

I use Ivory Dish Detergent in hot water in the bathroom sink. I put the stuff in and let my gear soak while I shower. Then drain and rinse after I'm out of the shower (the gear, that is - I do my rinse in the shower!)

I try to do the mask and headgear every day. Occasionally I'll skip a day but I probably hit 28 days out of each month. Tubing and the humidifier chamber I do once a week.

Pretty simple and it helps keep me healthy too, with the clean equipment.

Dave

[Cricket]

I have heard of people that wash them after each use even if it is a little nap.....Some people need to get a new hobby


I can't see why it can't be done less frequently. As long as the tubes are dry and there isn't anything growing in them.

We have two machines in the house. The tubes get washed one to two times a week.

Maybe I'm right maybe I'm wrong. All I know is that this has been the practice for the last several years and as of now there have been no serious illnesses. May this trend continue!

[Sleepopotamus]

I have not washed the straps with velcro that attach to the mask yet. Is that what you mean by "head gear" and do you wash that every day?

[Dave Hargett]

I have not washed the straps with velcro that attach to the mask yet. Is that what you mean by "head gear" and do you wash that every day?

Yes, I wash the straps, the shell and the mask cushion. In other words I dunk the whole thing in the water! I squeeze out the excess water from the straps before I let it air dry.

My hair is on the oily side, so I find this helps keep the headgear straps from becoming discolored and smelly.

The mask cushion that touches your face is THE KEY thing to wash daily.

Dave

[tomjax]

I have seen no good reason to wash and clean the mask very often.
Do you boil your nose every day?

I try to give mine a good cleaning every 2 to 3 MONTHS. I will rinse the pillows of the Breeze every couple of weeks unless things start crawling out of it.

The bugs are always around us and we have learned to get along with them thru our evolution.

This is occasionally discussed over on sleepnet and many say they rarely clean it.
Some people are germaphobic. I am not one of them.

I do try to bathe every Saturday though.

[Mikesus]

I went the baby wipe route. Daily after use I wipe it down. Weekly I wash the seal.

[derek]

I take the whole kit and kaboodle, machine and all, into the bath when I bathe every third Saturday, I plug the machine in, then get into the bath and turn it on so that the blower gets a thorough workout underwater. It really cleans things out. I then use the hose and mask as a shower head to rinse off my hair. I get a really strong tingling sensation all over my body while I cleaning the machine this way - I don't understand it.

On an entirely separate issue - I've been having a lot of warranty issues with my machine. Seems like they only work for a few weeks and then have to replaced. Does anybody else have this problem?

derek

[Mikesus]

I take the whole kit and kaboodle, machine and all, into the bath when I bathe every third Saturday, I plug the machine in, then get into the bath and turn it on so that the blower works gets a thorough workout underwater. It really cleans things out. I then use the hose and mask to rinse off my hair. I get a really strong tingling sensation all over my body while I cleaning the machine this way - I don't understand it.

On an entirely separate issue - I've been having a lot of warranty issues with my machine. Seems like they only work for a few weeks and then have to replaced. Does anybody else have this problem?

derek

This post should be labeled with the McDonalds Coffee is Hot warning,


DONT TRY THIS AT HOME!!!


(Try it at Derek's )

[rested gal]

I'm with Cricket and tomjax on cleaning the equipment only when something seems to need it. Wiping overnight skin oils off the surface of the mask cushion so it will seal well is the main thing. Check the machine filter from time to time.

Daily washing of hose, mask, humidifier water chamber? I'm just not going to go through a complicated routine. Distilled water in the humidifier added as needed keeps the chamber sparkling. It's simply filtered air and clean distilled water vapor coming up through that big air hose, anyway. If a bug or two hitches a ride on a molecule, I'm not worried about it. We're probably exposed to more problematic things just breathing the air in our homes and out in public....or eating in a restaurant.

I'm definitely not going to take any mask apart when I do occasionally slosh it around in mild soapy water. If a mask is sealing well, I'm not going to take it apart, lest the cushion not fit back together as snugly and airtight as it did from the manufacturer.

[melody]

I got my machine and mask back in 1999. I change the filter on the machine whenever. I have washed the mask a few times. If I feel a compeling need to clean the humidifier (room temp--no heater), I use isopropal alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and let it blow out before I put the mask on. I am still using my first mask.

In the bedroom, I use a HEPA filter machine. I urge the cats not to sleep on my head. Usually they will settle for my elbow, feet, or my husband's side of the bed--BUT SOMETIMES there they are on my head. Go figure.

[melody]

I got my machine and mask back in 1999. I change the filter on the machine whenever. I have washed the mask a few times. If I feel a compeling need to clean the humidifier (room temp--no heater), I use isopropal alcohol (rubbing alcohol) and let it blow out before I put the mask on. I am still using my first mask.

In the bedroom, I use a HEPA filter machine. I urge the cats not to sleep on my head. Usually they will settle for my elbow, feet, or my husband's side of the bed--BUT SOMETIMES there they are on my head. Go figure.

[53now]

1. Five years on Bipap
2. Wash mask everyday w/Ivory bar soap
3. Clean hoses & water chamber about once every 6 weeks
4. Headgear hummmmmmm "sometimes"

No problems with sinus infections etc.

[gailzee]

What does the mftr suggest? do you still have the manual that came with all your gear?

I use the swift nasal pillow. I wash it daily. I wash the main hose, and head gear wkly. I wipe out the inside of the humidifier daily when I get up. The hose connection pc of tubing from the humidifier itself to my hose connection, I'll do that several times a wk. I have the PB GK 420E, and the small (if cheesy, flimsy) small white filter on back, I do daily. It's so small and flimsy, it's has the potential to rip, so I'm careful with that. I let the nasal pillow, frame, tubing, filter dry on a cotton face cloth. I wipe both machines daily, with a dry cloth.
The soap I use is unscented, and therefore, no noxious fumes from stinky perfume or fillers on the silicone itself.

Hope this helps

I have been using CPAP for about five weeks and I wash my components every other day with a tiny amount of dish soap in warm water. Is that OK?

[dankazoo]

Chalk up another one for using Ivory dish soap. No dishpan face either!

BTW-The Respironics rep at the A.W.A.K.E. meeting said it was ok to put the water resevoir, both the plastic and metal base in the top rack of the dishwasher to clean it.

Dan