Disinfecting tank and hose

[rhodesengr]

Hi all. Probably been other threads in this but wanted to ask myself. What are the options for cleaning and disinfecting my humidifier tank and hose? I am particularly interested in the disinfecting part.

My Resmed manual says to just use soapy water.

I did some Google searching and in here too and found some things about using diluted vinegar.

Anything else worth considering? Diluted hydrogen peroxide? Diluted bleach? Any specific products worth considering?

[Wulfman...]

Hi all. Probably been other threads in this but wanted to ask myself. What are the options for cleaning and disinfecting my humidifier tank and hose? I am particularly interested in the disinfecting part.

My Resmed manual says to just use soapy water.

I did some Google searching and in here too and found some things about using diluted vinegar.

Anything else worth considering? Diluted hydrogen peroxide? Diluted bleach? Any specific products worth considering?

Remember the "K.I.S.S." principle.

A link to previous discussions:

viewtopic.php?p=567264#p567264

If you use distilled water, hardly any cleaning is necessary.
Some of us have NEVER cleaned a hose and cleaning a tank is measured in months to years.
Vinegar solutions would only be necessary if distilled water is NOT used and there are buildups of deposits remaining in the tank.


Den

.

[rcobourn]

I use CleanSmart. It's terrific. You don't need the specific CPAP product, all of their versions seem to be the same. I usually get the variety labeled for Nursery use because that's what they had in stock and I just keep reordering it. The travel size bottles are great if you are taking your device on the road. You can find CleanSmart on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/page/2672 ... 7C10A2FB89

[palerider]

Hi all. Probably been other threads in this but wanted to ask myself. What are the options for cleaning and disinfecting my humidifier tank and hose? I am particularly interested in the disinfecting part.

You shouldn't be.

My Resmed manual says to just use soapy water.

Ever wonder why? because that's ALL THAT IS NEEDED.

I did some Google searching and in here too and found some things about using diluted vinegar.

Is that *RECOMMENDED*? No.

Anything else worth considering? Diluted hydrogen peroxide? Diluted bleach? Any specific products worth considering?

No, none at all.

[chunkyfrog]

Dawn and hot water--but only when I suspect nature has happened.
Then I follow the rinse with another swish of rinse water with a capful of cheap vodka.
Only a capful--that stuff gets better with age.
(One for the tank/one for the thirsty frog.)

[Cardsfan]

Dawn soap and hot water for the tank about once a month. About 2 X a week I squirt a little alcohol hand sanitizer in it and wipe it out with a baby wipe.
The long hose- just leave it alone. What do you think is in the air going through it?

[TropicalDiver]

My morning routine (daily): Mask wipe. Then I pull the humidifier tank and dump it out. I then let it air dry.

My monthly(ish) routine: I bought a small tub to use. Soap and warm water. Tank. Mask parts. Hose. Swish around. Let set for about 10 minutes. Swish around. Quick rinse. Then long soak in warm water (no soap). Then into my hurricane dryer. If there are any mineral deposits in the tank, I would do a soak in white vinegar.

If you are truly needing to disinfect, I would suggest using something like Control III (with great caution). The stuff is a super nasty but a super effective hospital grade cleaner.

When would I want to truly disinfect? After I had noro (that stuff is super nasty and the bug is very hardy) or I was very severely immuno compromised (i.e., shortly after an organ transplant). Otherwise it really just isn't called for....there is a reason the manufacturers recommend what they do (soap and water)!

[rhodesengr]

well just for the sake of discussion, I had never cleaned my tank. Had this machine for at least a year. Never cleaned the one before either. The last few days I felt like i was having sinus headaches which are unusual for me. So I took a closer look at the tank, swished some water around in it and saw some sort of pale residue floating around. I have always used deionized water. I have a filter system at home that generates it. I did a cleaning with hot water and I did use some diluted peroxide. No sinus headache today. So I figured I better look into it and see how one is supposed to do it. I posted what I found in the opening post.

Sometimes, common practice deviates from what is said in the manual so I thought i would check in here.

Thanks for the replies.

[Julie]

Diluted vinegar (and sometimes a Q-tip for corners) also works.

[Okie bipap]

When I first started treatment, I was told I could disinfect the items by soaking them in a warm vinegar solution for 20 minutes. The solution was one part vinegar to three parts water. After soaking, rinse everything well. The only time I have bothered to disinfect my equipment was after having bronchitis, or the flu.

[chunkyfrog]

Vinegar tends to leave a scent.
To combat the smell, eat something pickled before bed--
or drink a shot of pickle juice--it's good for you.