Drying the hose?

[tomjax]

I have long suspected I knew the identity of Rooster.]
Now I am more certain that in a former life a story was written about Rooster.
CHICKEN LITTLE is the identity and now we have the proof.
To list the possible contaminants of tap water and somehow make the leap that these will be entering lungs is totally in keeping with the the conclusion that the sky is fallling.

The air passing the few droplets remaining in the tube is exactly the same as the air passing over the HH.
No bugs or contaminants can get to the lungs. Matybe some of the volatile ones- maybe.

Unless a person turns the hose up and shakes the droplets out and allowing them to fall into the lungs, there is no problem.
There is no problem anyway except in the inventive minds of chicken littles.

[Wulfman]

I've never washed my hose, I live in an area of very low humidity and don't use heated humidity, so I have had no "need" to dry it......and wouldn't even if the other conditions applied. The only time I disconnect my hose from the humidifier tank is to add water. I've always used distilled water and dump the remainder of the tank every few months, when the water level is low and I get in the mood to do so. If people think that they could have a problem with "stuff" getting to their humidifier tank, they need to think about the air they breathe the rest of the day. Now THAT'S scary.


Den

[sleeplessinaz]

Hey--I am with outasync----I can't figure out why people are washing their hoses!!!! What exactly is making them dirty? I hardly ever wash it and it's clean as new. LOL! You guys are ging thru way too much work every morning if you are washing the hose and mask every day. Put away the vinegar and the Listerine-----:) Enjoy Life!!
Carrie

[newname]

I thought I read a post a while back about someone who had a long brush and cleaned inside the hose. I think it was in a post about cleaning equipment.
It does make sense about washing and rinsing the hose with tap water being full of contaminants and chemicals. Thanks for bringing that to my attention. Maybe we are supposed to wash everything in distilled water?
My DME is coming over today to bring me supplies and I'm going to question her about this hose washing thing.
I hate washing the hose!!! I do it so infrequently that I feel I have to use vinegar to sterilize it. Do the sleep labs clean inside the hoses?
I'm basically lazy and if I can get away with not cleaning anything, that's fine with me(except when I have moments of guilt about infecting myself!!!

[wasColette]

I'm new to all this, only 17 nights so far, but the reason I have washed out my hose every morning since I got it is because the DME instructor told me to.

Ugh.

I'm so glad to have read about this because I was really wondering why I need to do this everyday.

I don't have a humidifier, but she also told the people with them that they need to wash those out everyday also.

BTW, to the original poster, after letting the hose hang to dry all day, I hook it up to the cpap machine and let air blow through it around 5 minutes or so just to get the little bit that is not dry from hanging all day.

But, I'm not going to be doing that anymore. I think once a week is good enough.

[imsleepynomore]

I found if I hang my hose over a hook it will not dry for several days but if I hang it so it is straight instead of bent in a U shape it is dry in a few hours. I do have to admit I'm leaning to the do nothing my hose starts out clean and nothing goes through it but distilled water then why am I washing it in the first place. I'm just putting a lot of wear and year on my humidifier connection. I can find more time for fun things.

[kopoloff]

I wash my hose once a week. I figure that although the water residues are just distilled water, the air that's charging down the hose is full of nasty critters. And on the exhale, I'm pushing out air with bugs that have been in my nose (I use a nasal pillow mask) If they get the chance to settle in a nice warm pool in the crook of the hose, then they'll grow and multiply until the're an invading army ready to do a Genghis Khan.

That's why I wash weekly, but dry daily, so there's nowhere for them to grow. Mind you, its summer here right now and very hot, so drying is easy. I'm planning a little contraption to make it easy for winter.

Cheers

K

[alexcue]

I was washing it once a week, till i just said what the heck. I'm using the Aussie hose now so i never even touch it anymore. I figure the Autoset II is running cool air for about an hour after my treatment it probably helps dry it.

the only thing i wash religiously every day is my nasal pillow and that's just for my own personal hygience reasons. Mask once a week wash and everyday gets wiped down with the Citrus II cleaning cloths.

[TheDreamer]

Now that I think of it, I'm pretty sure the sheet from the DME said to wash out the hose weekly. I only did mine the first week.....had to use it still wet. Haven't done it since.

Even though I do use the auto-on, so I'm suppose I should clean it along with everything else before the doctor gives me the all clear to use CPAP again (especially since I'm thinking of not waiting until he gives it).....

The Dreamer.

[nanuke]

OK, the non-washers have me convinced! It is a 10 foot hose after all.

SLEEP WELL

[greenvelvetdragon]

I wish i could get away with not drying the hose! my DME told me to do it once a week...like we all have time for that.....i did for about the first month, then stopped with no worries...until the WET SEASON, whole new ball game. averages 75-100% humidity and mold grows like you wouldnt believe. i only have to clean the hose (and everything else) once a month or so using vinager and water, if i ever leave the humidity you wont find me drying the bloody hose!

[gasparama]

You guys are bringing up something that has bothered me. Twice, my tank has begun to smell like the Pursleep aroma that I like (I've quit using it because of this.) Putting on a newly washed mask (washed in distilled water only) and smelling the aroma without using it is quite annoying. When this has happened, I've opened the tank only to find that the odor has found it's way into the water.

I'm using one of Respironics swivel joints and wonder if that has anything to do with it. Because there's never been any noticeable leak, it's been left in use. The humidifier is always used in passover mode. Anyone have an idea what could cause the Pursleep to get into the water? Is this normal? Afterall, the purpose of the aroma is for the particles to get through the filters to the nose, and that means passing over the water.

[Guest 2009]

You use Pur-Sleep because you like the aroma.
You have quit using Pur-Sleep because you don't like the aroma.

I think sleep apnea has damaged your brain.

[MalFet]

I wash my hose once a week. I figure that although the water residues are just distilled water, the air that's charging down the hose is full of nasty critters. And on the exhale, I'm pushing out air with bugs that have been in my nose (I use a nasal pillow mask) If they get the chance to settle in a nice warm pool in the crook of the hose, then they'll grow and multiply until the're an invading army ready to do a Genghis Khan.

That's why I wash weekly, but dry daily, so there's nowhere for them to grow. Mind you, its summer here right now and very hot, so drying is easy. I'm planning a little contraption to make it easy for winter.

Cheers

K

I think this is the point of occasionally sanitizing and frequently drying the hose: to eliminate the warm, moist, dark environment so welcoming to many microorganisms. It's just another step along with HEPA-filters and thorough hand-washing.

I used to not be so ...ahem... meticulous (read: "fussy") about cleaning, but after two serious bouts of pneumonia, I stay as far from potential infections as I can. Kids come home with the sniffles? "I luv ya, babe, but I'll be up in my room. Feel free to open a can of Spaghettio's if you get hungry. No need to kiss me goodnight." Seriously. An upper respiratory infection can knock me out for weeks if it moves to my bronchial tubes. Long, cramped car ride planned? I'm not ashamed to wear a mask.

As for the contaminants in the city water supply... meh... you gotta die of something. I drink, cook, and bathe with tap water, so those chemicals are entering my system one way or another. I do use distilled water for my humidifier, but that's more a hard water scale-cleaning concern. I don't have the money or patience for bottled drinking water. I could be spending that money on Pepsi.

hmmmm... Pepsi in the humidifier... cpap-licious!

Thanks and Hello, everybody! This is my first post. I'm very annoyed with the OSA diagnosis, but really appreciate lurking here. I think you've got a great community and have already discovered ordering from cpap.com is going to save me tons over the DME provider who doesn't seem to understand the high deductible on my insurance is coming out of my own HSA pocket, not the insurance company. I guess that's a separate post.

-malfet

[OutaSync]

Welcome to the board, Malfet! We need all the humor we can get, so you'll fit right in.

Bev