how fastidous are you about cleaning??

[hannahF]

I clean my mask and empty the humidifier water every day...But there is so much left overdistilled water in the humidifier tank - can i leave it there and use it a second night?

Also - how frequently shoud one clean the mask? I wash mine every day, but am concerend the headgear will get worn out from the constant removal and re-adjustment....My insurance will only replace the headgear every year.....

[GumbyCT]

I clean my mask and empty the humidifier water every day...But there is so much left overdistilled water in the humidifier tank - can i leave it there and use it a second night?

While folks have different opinions on this, the fact is I do and YOU can too. As time goes on you can learn to put in enuff just for the nite also.

Also - how frequently shoud one clean the mask? I wash mine every day, but am concerend the headgear will get worn out from the constant removal and re-adjustment....My insurance will only replace the headgear every year.....

I think the more you clean things the more problems you can cause. In fact some soaps will degrade the silicone.

Not sure who your insurance is but I would double check with them about the headgear once a year altho that is separate from the mask. Do NOT suffer in silence if this mask isn't working, have your doc script another. I am willing to bet it will be covered

Good Luck

[LSAT]

I clean my headgear about every 6 months. Clean my humidifier cup about monthly...just top it off every night. Clean my mask weekly. (I wipe the silicone with a citrus wipe every day)

[DoriC]

Ditto what LSAT said.

[Slinky]

Eh, I"m a slouch. I just top off my humidifier tank as needed. About the only time I clean the tank is when I travel. Of course, I only use distilled water in my humidifier tank. Since I have to empty the tank when traveling w/my PAP that seems as good a time as any. I just use somewhat hot water and a PoliDent Denture Cleanser tablet, let it soak; vinegar and water rinse, maybe.

Since I shower and wash my hair every day, or at least almost every day, I don't bother to wash my headgear. My insurance replaces the headgear every six months and by that time it is usually stretched out enough I've had to make a couple of adjustments to the fit. My mask I never take apart. But I do wash the cushion and I use baby shampoo. I don't wash it every day altho I do always wipe the cushion w/a warm water wash cloth. I probably wash the cushion about once a week to every 10 days.

Hey! My momma told me I had to eat a bunch of dirt before I die and I believe her! My house is clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy. The clutter is actually organized chaos waiting to be filed.

[ChelseaChestnut]

I wash my mask every morning with mild dish soap and let it air dry. I am a drooler and can't even imagine putting my mask on the next night with leftover drool in it.

I rinse out my humidifier every morning and let it air dry. I always have leftover water, but I use so little to begin with and it is so cheap, I don't care. I have skipped a morning or two on cleaning, but only on mornings that I did not use my machine for most of the night. I just used the leftover water the next night.

I rinse out the hose about once a week with hot water. I also disconnect it from the machine every day so it can air out.

I would not worry about your headgear. Even if it wears out, from what I have seen, it is not expensive to replace it.

[mayondair]

Wipe the mask daily with citrus wipes,clean hose ,tank,mask twice a week with soap and a vinegar rinse. Top off the tank in-between. Wash headgear once a week, check filters once a week.

[jbenenson]

I wash my mask daily in a diluted hand soap solution. Since I use (cheap) distilled water I refill every day and empty the tank weekly. I air dry the hose daily. I don't worry about my headgear; I don't worry about my ball caps either.

[brazospearl]

I'm firmly in the once-in-a-blue-moon cleaning faction. I clean the mask every couple of weeks, unless it looks yucky sooner. The gel I use to wash my face works for the mask as well. I wash the headgear every month or six weeks, in a lingerie bag with the rest of my delicate stuff. The humidifier is only emptied when I travel, and I've washed the hose once in the 11 months I've been using the machine. While I understand others clean all their stuff much more frequently, this is what works best for me. Find what works best for YOU and do that.

[Jaylee]

I just add distilled water each night to the full line. Every other week I wash the humidifier tank, filter and dunk the entire mask, headgear and all. About once a month or so I wash the hose.

[jmcanzo]

I just keep refilling my humidifier tank. What is the difference if it sits in a plastic bottle on the shelf, or a plastic tank?
I don't empty the bottle it came in...
I clean the seals when it looks dirty. It is not like I share it with anyone.
I have never cleaned the hose yet... What could even be in there? Air?
I clean the filter when it lights up and says clean filter.....

[nobody]

I clean my mask and empty the humidifier water every day...But there is so much left overdistilled water in the humidifier tank - can i leave it there and use it a second night?

Also - how frequently shoud one clean the mask? I wash mine every day, but am concerend the headgear will get worn out from the constant removal and re-adjustment....My insurance will only replace the headgear every year.....

You know you can just remove the headgear from the mask without actually undoing the velcro straps. Also that headgear will last longer than a year.

[plr66]

I'm pretty much a clean-freak (well-----other than my basement ), but found early on from the advice of the elders here, that "fastidious" is not necessarily the healthiest regimen. What a concept! As others have noted, washing your hose is not necessary. In fact, it can usually be counter productive. The hose only collects water vapor from your breathing. So the vapor condensation will evaporate if you just hang up your hose for the day. Why enter your faucet water minerals and the likely soap residue from not being able to absolutely rinse it all--into the hose, when there are ridges inside the hose to hold those deposits which will probably collect bacteria???

I top off my humidifier tank when it needs it. Clean the tank with baby shampoo (no vinegar) once every 1-2 months whether it seems to need it or not (never have had any slime or coloration inside the tank).

I am one who was astounded to find that my FFM held a much better seal on my washed face every night if I did NOT wash the cushion every day as I had been doing. Some folks go for months without cleaning the cushion. I just can't do that, so I use Clorox non-bleach wipes every few days, and the seal is still better than using a full baby-shampoo wash on a regular basis.

Heed well, however, that you do need to keep a very clean filter on your cpap machine. No two ways about that. Write it on your calendar if necessary. The dust accumulates amazingly fast, even if the cleanest of homes. Wash that foam filter every week or two or three, and replace the fine white filter every 4-6 weeks, based upon when it appears gray when placed on a piece of paper.

[Willtry]

I wash my silicon seal each morning in the shower with hair shampoo as this does not effect the silicon
Tank water change each day only use filtered tap water as this is what the clinic said I could use
- Main mask weekly
- air tube same as mask

[GumbyCT]

...replace the fine white filter every 4-6 weeks, based upon when it appears gray when placed on a piece of paper.

I just compare the old along side the new