How do you make mask cushion last longest?

[Pugsy]

Although a number of people on here say they use the same mask for extended periods, I don't recall anyone saying they have used either of the two I had issues with for months and months, so I figured the length of time is mask specific.

Which two did you try and have a problem with?

I have used nothing but nasal pillows of some sort since I started cpap 10 plus years ago....I always got months and months and months of use from whatever pillow I was using.
Started with Swift LT, then Swift FX, then TapPap, then P10 before I ended up with the Bleep.
Now I did briefly try some of the others but didn't like them well enough to use them long enough to see if they would get tired sooner or not.

[palerider]

, I was an obedient little frog,

Does... not... compute.

[sephiro499]

I use a Resmed F30 mask. The cushion consistently wears out for me in about 3 weeks. Insurance covers one a month. I wondered what things help a mask cushion to last longest, and/or what contributes to it wearing out more quickly. Any tips or information would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

My advice is don't wash it and keep it out of direct sunlight. I know the FFM quattro somewhere in the manuals says that, hence it comes in an opaque blue bag. Use acne-type facial wash with triclosan to reduce oil. Keep baby wipes near the bed to wipe off any oil during the night. That is what I did.

[EK3377]

I use a Resmed F30 mask. The cushion consistently wears out for me in about 3 weeks. Insurance covers one a month. I wondered what things help a mask cushion to last longest, and/or what contributes to it wearing out more quickly. Any tips or information would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

My advice is don't wash it and keep it out of direct sunlight. I know the FFM quattro somewhere in the manuals says that, hence it comes in an opaque blue bag. Use acne-type facial wash with triclosan to reduce oil. Keep baby wipes near the bed to wipe off any oil during the night. That is what I did.

Thanks for the advice, very much appreciated.

[EK3377]

The boiling and baking soda method can work.
Explained here
viewtopic/t75749/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74 ... il#p685240
Don't attempt it unless the cushion was going in the trash can anyway just in case you mess up.

Some comments about when I tried it.
I used tap water for boiling and rinsing....left the cushions more cloudy than when I started...looked awful and felt awful.
Then I used distilled water for boiling and rinsing...cushions came out clear as new and felt like new.
So if you have hard water like I do...might use distilled.

Thanks, Pugsy, for the information, as well as providing the link to the previous thread on boiling. That was very helpful.

Just one question after reading that boiling thread. My F30 mask cushion has both silicone and hard plastic on it. I was definitely clear from the thread that boiling the silicone should be fine and should achieve the desired result. However I am not clear whether all the folks who expressed success with dropping in the boiling water, had cushions that also contained hard plastic, or just silicone. Is there anyone still boiling that does so with a cushion that includes both silicone and hard plastic?

[Dog Slobber]

The boiling and baking soda method can work.
Explained here
viewtopic/t75749/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74 ... il#p685240
Don't attempt it unless the cushion was going in the trash can anyway just in case you mess up.

Some comments about when I tried it.
I used tap water for boiling and rinsing....left the cushions more cloudy than when I started...looked awful and felt awful.
Then I used distilled water for boiling and rinsing...cushions came out clear as new and felt like new.
So if you have hard water like I do...might use distilled.

Thanks, Pugsy, for the information, as well as providing the link to the previous thread on boiling. That was very helpful.

Just one question after reading that boiling thread. My F30 mask cushion has both silicone and hard plastic on it. I was definitely clear from the thread that boiling the silicone should be fine and should achieve the desired result. However I am not clear whether all the folks who expressed success with dropping in the boiling water, had cushions that also contained hard plastic, or just silicone. Is there anyone still boiling that does so with a cushion that includes both silicone and hard plastic?

Thus the precautionary, "Don't attempt it unless the cushion was going in the trash can anyway just in case you mess up."

A lot of masks are hybrids of silicone and plastic.

[Pugsy]

I don't know if the hard plastic would survive well or not. I don't know of anyone who has done the boiling trick with something that had hard plastic somewhere on it.
Definitely try it with just one cushion and one that was headed for the trash can anyway ......just in case.
I know someone who tried it with a nasal pillow that had a bit of plastic in it and the plastic melted from touching the bottom of the pan more than the hot water. Just be careful and don't ever try it on a big batch as the first experiment. One cushion only as the first time.

The nasal pillows that I used...had no hard plastic of anywhere on them. They were just soft silicone.
So I don't know what might happen to the hard plastic.

Even if someone else said they didn't have a problem with the hard plastic I would still try it myself with just one. Different mask models have different hard plastic parts.

[chunkyfrog]

At the very least, try the old wives trick of putting a dish towel in the bottom of the pot,
so nothing touches the pot right above the burner, like canning jars or baby bottles.

[Jas_williams]

An upside down saucer also works well in the bottom of the pot depending on the pot size

[babydinosnoreless]

The boiling and baking soda method can work.
Explained here
viewtopic/t75749/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74 ... il#p685240
Don't attempt it unless the cushion was going in the trash can anyway just in case you mess up.

Some comments about when I tried it.
I used tap water for boiling and rinsing....left the cushions more cloudy than when I started...looked awful and felt awful.
Then I used distilled water for boiling and rinsing...cushions came out clear as new and felt like new.
So if you have hard water like I do...might use distilled.

Yes we have horrible water. I use filtered water when I do it.

I don't remember if I tried it with the f30. I did for sure with the dreamwear and now the N20 I use.

[almostadoctor]

HOLY SMOKES!

Most of you are way, way overwashing. The manufacturer recommendation about "wash every day in soap and water" is an idiotic CYA recommendation and just insures more income on consumables. 99% of disinfecting is done with simple water and mechanical action. Oils like citrus in wipes will only degrade the surface; you want to get oils OFF of it.

BOILING IS THE WORST.

Every 2-4 weeks I wash my tubes and mask in VERY MILD diluted dish soap in a clean sink insert used only for this purpose.

Every day or so I wipe my nasal pillows with a non-citrus, non-scented, plain CPAP wipe. Every other day I throw my mask assembly in a cosmetology (read: cheap) UV chamber for disinfecting. The UV hasn't affected the silicone.

My nasal pillows stay sealed for months and months. I used an F&P nasal pillow for nearly 6 months this way.

[Pugsy]

BOILING IS THE WORST.

The boiling trick is strictly a last ditch effort to get more life out of the cushions that were otherwise slated for the trash can.
Did you even go to the thread I linked to and see the before and after along with the testimonials?
Some people simply don't have the money needed to just buy a new cushion.

Boiling routinely never has been recommended as anything to do as part of daily or weekly normal care.

[droo_d]

Another thought I had of what possibly could be another factor, is that I am right in between using a size small and a size medium, according to the size chart that comes with the mask. I have used both sizes, and I thought the small was better (and what I have been using a few months now), but perhaps I should revisit this aspect as well? Any thoughts on whether mask size could have an impact on this? I guess I should just order a medium cushion on amazon and see if the same thing happens. I swapped to a small though because I had some large leak and air blowing on my face when straps were snug, and that’s why I thought that size was too big, but maybe that wasn’t the issue, and the cushion was just worn out.

So glad you brought this up. I just ordered a size M last week for the first time as the sizing guide suggested that. I’m noticing leaks here and there in the nasal area when I wake up randomly. Were you also having that issue with the M? Everything seals when I first put it on however, I usually wake up from subtle body movements leading to nasal leaks.

As for cleaning, I’ve been using baby wipes and it seems to do the trick and also keeps the longevity of the mask!

[Dog Slobber]

BOILING IS THE WORST.

Did you even read the context surrounding the suggestions of when masks could and should be boiled? Or the linked topics where many discussed their success?

Don't attempt it unless the cushion was going in the trash can anyway just in case you mess up.

Thus the precautionary, "Don't attempt it unless the cushion was going in the trash can anyway just in case you mess up."

Definitely try it with just one cushion and one that was headed for the trash can anyway ......just in case.

It was stated three separate times, and re-quoted many more times.

You could not have missed it.

Silicone has an operating temperature of approximately -100 to 300 degrees C. Boiling will not harm it, and can restore its clarity, firmness, tackiness and shape. The potential problem is when the mask cushion is a hybrid of silicone and other substances that don't have the heat resilience of silicone. Also stated multiple times.

[booksfan]

Although a number of people on here say they use the same mask for extended periods, I don't recall anyone saying they have used either of the two I had issues with for months and months, so I figured the length of time is mask specific.

Which two did you try and have a problem with?

I have used nothing but nasal pillows of some sort since I started cpap 10 plus years ago....I always got months and months and months of use from whatever pillow I was using.
Started with Swift LT, then Swift FX, then TapPap, then P10 before I ended up with the Bleep.
Now I did briefly try some of the others but didn't like them well enough to use them long enough to see if they would get tired sooner or not.

The two I was able to tolerate best (or were least objectionable, take your pick, I really had a lot of trouble finding a mask!) were the Nuance Pro and the Pilairo Q. The Pilairo Q would start to leak after about 2 weeks and the Nuance Pro at about 2.5.

Now I use the Bleep. But maybe it's me. Because I started having a problem with my interface at about 10 months (leaking, at the connection, I don't know why) and had to replace it. But the Bleep is great!