How often to wash everything???

[hjjsnell]

I have the Swift LT for her. How often should I wash my hose (the main 6 foot hose)? How often should I wash my pillows? My headgear? My fleece covers for my headgear? The hose that attaches to my mask? The other components of my mask? Just everything in general. Thanks!!

~Heather

[SaltLakeJan]

Heather:
I used to tell my kids, don't do as I do. Do what I tell you to do. Same with masks & equipment. When I first got my equipment in January, 2009, I spent half the morning cleaning the hose, then hanging it so it would hopefully drip dry.
Then I washed every portion of my pillows mask. I took every part, apart. Then hoped I could reassemble them when they were dry. I wiped off my headgear.

Then I read some posts by the CPAP Veterans, and they had a simpler way of cleaning. I have greatly simplified my cleaning routine. My hose gets washed about every two weeks. I do disconnect it and hang it vertically each morning.
I take my mask (a F&P nasal Zest) apart and wash it once a week. I have been following that, but I notice my cushion looks more fragile the more I wash it.

I use baby shampoo to clean both the tube and mask parts.

I imagine most of us soon decide on the cleaning system that works for us.

Good Luck and welcome to the forum.

Jan

[grandmma]

Ah Heather, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? "Diff'rent strokes for diff'rent folks" definitely applies here.

The answers will vary considerably depending on who you ask, and as Jan has pointed out, each eventually finds his/her own method.

Some here wash annually, whether it needs it or not, some daily - whether it needs it or not. It is true that you get a better seal if you wipe down the cushions daily, and always wash your face before bed - no lotions or moisturisers. But how often you disconnect and disassemble it all is up to you.

Good luck, whichever way you go. Me? I wipe down daily, try to disconnect & clean all weekly, but sometimes it's more like monthly!

[hjjsnell]

I've only had my mask about a week and a half to two weeks now and was wondering when I should take it apart and clean it so I thought I'd ask. As to cleaning the hose, I've cleaned it and let it drip dry twice since I first when on CPAP a little under a month ago. SOOOO every two weeks seems to be the chosen time frame for me so far but I was wondering what everyone else chooses to do to see if I'm doing too little or too much. I don't want to ruin my equipment by improper care. Thanks for the advice so far!!

[spitintheocean]

I've been using the equipment for about 100 days and haven't even considered washing my hose. The equipment sits on a bedside table slightly lower than the top of my mattress but the hose runs up over the headboard well above my head and then back down. When I wake up and remove my mask, I allow it drop down between the mattress and the bedside table where it hangs suspended above the floor but well below the equipment.

If anyone else were using my hose, I would consider washing it, but why bother? Excess moisture either returns to the humidifier or drips through the mask thanks to gravity. I haven't gotten sick yet ..... but I'll let you know if I do.

I wash my dissembled FFM, and the little sponge filter from the generator about every two or three weeks and aside from a twitchy eye, droopy lip and continual runny nose I'm doing fine. Just kidding.

I'm more worried about catching something from my wife than I am from the cpap equipment.

[Muse-Inc]

I have horrible nasal allergies, so I wash my nasal pillows & humidifier tub daily in 7th Generation soap after a 10-20 min soak; they air dry on a clean washcloth on my night stand. I wipe the outside of the unit daily.

I wash the mask connector hose every third day or so.

I hang the 6-ft hose up to air out/dry out daily ; I have two of these and one gets washed usually weekly (depends on allergies). When I wash the hose, I also wash the gaskets and flip-up cover on my humidifier.

The headgear? Well, I'm religious about washing my face immediately before I go to sleep so I wash the headgear at least every third week. I check the CPAP filter at the first of each month, tho I must admit I only change it when I notice dust or the filter is dirty -- my filter can't be washed.

If I'm having lots of allergy discharge, after washing I soak everything in a white vinegar-water solution; if my allergies aren't bad, I do the vinegar -water soak at least twice a week. If my pillows are NOT perfectly clear after washing, I soak them in 1/4 teaspoon bromelin powder dissolved in very warm water for 15-45 minutes (depends on how long I'm on my exercise bike pre-shower *grin*) to dissolve the protein gunk that even Dawn wouldn't budge.

When I first got my CPAP (Aug 07), I admit I washed pillows, mask hose connector, humidifier tub daily and the hose, gasket & cover, and headgear weekly. I tried several soaps but all left scent on my pillows that congested my nose. I got mold in the tub last summer (hot hot hot in Atlanta with high humidity), so I had to replace it and start the vinegar-water soak. I shake, shake, shake to get rid of as much water as possible to discourage 'bugs' from growing in any water left inside.

It's habit now but sometimes I find it a real chore.

[sleepycarol]

Well lets see.

My hose is my original one from August of 2007. Number of washings -- none. Not even a rinse. Still using it and plan on continuing until it won't stay on machine or mask which ever comes first.

My mask -- hummmm I have forgotten when I washed it down last. Probably over a month ago, maybe longer. Don't remember.

Humidifier tank. Number of washings -- none. I do (seldom) rinse it out, just top off the water when I use the humidifier. I use only distilled water. I have never taken it apart -- too much like asking for trouble since my tank is one of the problem original tanks. I typically only use pass over mode, and in the summer no humidity (have already stopped for the summer).

I do change my filters every few weeks cause of allergies. But that is about the extent of my cleaning.

[El Pap]

I wash my nasal pillows regularly in Johnson's baby shampoo, because I find they seal much better when the skin oils are removed. I never wash the hose or humidifier chamber, but I use distilled water exclusively. The only exception to this is when I return from a trip and find that hose has picked up an unpleasant odor from the hotel room. I'm relatively new to the use of fleece hose covers; but my snuggle-hose doesn't look durable enough to survive many washings. I plan to wash (or replace) it only when it becomes visibly dirty.

[ozij]

I wash my nasal pillows regularly in Johnson's baby shampoo, because I find they seal much better when the skin oils are removed.

Same here, except I started using Dr. Bronner, becuase the Johnson's contains conditioners which are supposed to be not so good for the silicone.

I never wash the hose or humidifier chamber, but I use distilled water exclusively.

Despite using distilled water exclusively, I find it necessary to use the humidifier chamber - when I don't it may become smelly.

[/quote]I'm relatively new to the use of fleece hose covers; but my snuggle-hose doesn't look durable enough to survive many washings. I plan to wash (or replace) it only when it becomes visibly dirty.[/quote]
Well, it sounds to me like you're describing the quality of my Snuggle Hose hose covers - they pill terribly, and I too have my doubts about their durability in frequent washing....

O.

[sleepie]

i guess people are all different---my advice to you would be to, wash your equipment as often as you vacuum your house,,this is probably the only outward task you could compare it too....i'm sure you know people who vac the house everyday,,and you know people who never do it,,,find where you are and you will be comfortable there......

[JoyD.]

Well, having been a microbiologist part of my working life, I cleaned everything "by the book" at first -- and shuttered when I read how lax some members were with their cleaning routine, bordering on "none".

Now, after 5 months, I've joined their ranks

Other than washing my nasal pillow daily (Ivory Liquid and warm water), and washing my humidifier chamber "maybe" every month, that's about it. I do change my fine filter monthly and wash the sponge filter at the same time.

If my fleece hose cover looks dirty after several months, I'll just wash it by hand and hang it up to dry so it won't pill badly. I never wash out the hose anymore. It stays hanging from the "ceiling hanger" in my hose setup. I don't have rainout in the hose anymore.

You'll settle into doing what YOU are comfortable with just as the rest of us have.

Joy

[Hawthorne]

Washing the mask pillows every day is a must for me or the seal is not good and I wash the rest of the mask every 2 weeks. I change the white filters on my machine and wash the foam filters every 2 weeks as well.

I'm not so fussy now about washing hoses but I do wash my humidifier water chamber once a month even though I use distilled water only. I don't take the water chamber apart to wash it because I think the seal lasts longer if it is not taken apart.

For everything, I use Ivory Classic Dishwashing liquid.

[hjjsnell]

Thanks so much everyone!! I think I'll pick up washing my nasal pillows every day because the seal doesn't seem to be as good as when it's first washed, that I've noticed. So I'll definitely be doing that. Other than that I think I'll stick with what works best for me, as suggested by the wonderful users on this site!!

~Heather

[El Pap]

Same here, except I started using Dr. Bronner, becuase the Johnson's contains conditioners which are supposed to be not so good for the silicone.

Thanks for the suggestion. The Johnson's seems to do a great job of cleaning off the oils, but I find its mild scent annoying. I have a few sets of pillows, and let them air out a couple of days after washing before returning them to action. If the Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap truly has no scent, it will be an improvement.

[sepool]

Same here, except I started using Dr. Bronner, becuase the Johnson's contains conditioners which are supposed to be not so good for the silicone.

Thanks for the suggestion. The Johnson's seems to do a great job of cleaning off the oils, but I find its mild scent annoying. I have a few sets of pillows, and let them air out a couple of days after washing before returning them to action. If the Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap truly has no scent, it will be an improvement.

I use the unscented soap - I didn't want any scent either, and I think the Johnsons was breaking down my nasal pillows. The Dr. Bronners unscented soap seems scentless to me.