Cleaning the tubing

[Elsh]

I know you're supposed to clean the tubing weekly, but I've been nervous about that (I have been on CPAP just over a week). I read that it has to fully dry out before use again. I am nervous about disassembling things. I don't know if I'd get them back together right. Also, am I right that you can't remove and clean part of the tubing (the part directly connected to the mask)? Anyway, how do you clean the tubing, and how do you make sure it's completely dry by bedtime?

[Vader]

I know you're supposed to clean the tubing weekly, but I've been nervous about that (I have been on CPAP just over a week). I read that it has to fully dry out before use again. I am nervous about disassembling things. I don't know if I'd get them back together right. Also, am I right that you can't remove and clean part of the tubing (the part directly connected to the mask)? Anyway, how do you clean the tubing, and how do you make sure it's completely dry by bedtime?

I hate cleaning "the tubing" more than any other part.
I usually just submerge the hose in a basin/pail of soapy water, and try to let most of the dang air escape, then I let it soak a while, then let water run through it to rinse.( man, what a messy job!)
To dry, I just let it hang over the shower head rod, and let water drain out. But "completely dry"? ...what's the point of that?
it's just going to be filled with humidified air.

[drubin007]

like the person above me, I also submerge in soapy water (baby shampoo and water)... something I picked up on here many moons ago...
I then rinse clean and submerge in a white vinegar/water cocktail... disinfects everything... I do it on a Sunday morning every week, and let
air dry all day over the shower doors or on a towel rack. It does not get completely dry, but have not had anything new or unusual growing in my
nose either. Think I replace the hose about once a year? not sure, only replaced it once so far, probably been on this thing for a year and a half, give or take.

[tst29m]

drubin007, what ratio of water to vinegar do you use? Thanks!

[msradar65]

I only wash mine once a month. I wash covers, pillow cozy and head gear once a month. I just use a few drops of hand soup and rinse well. My cloth covers go in a delicates bag and in the washer on gentle and then in the dryer. The other stuff I sit on the stop of the dryer so its all drying at one time.

[digitaleagle]

I used to clean the hose but not anymore.

I never clean the inside of my hoses now and have never had problems. I don't use a humidifier in the summer and only use it passively in the winter. (If you use a lot of humidification where the inside of the hose is getting moist - or you are sick, you might need to clean it. )

If it stay's dry - I don't see why it would need to be cleaned at all. I do clean the hose ends, the mask, the filters, the humidifier water holder, on a regular basis but don't bother with cleaning the inside of the hose. I have never once gotten sick since on CPAP and it works for me. My CPAP machine is blowing filtered air through it which, IMO is cleaner than the air I breath on a regular basis both inside and outside of my home. Are there any germs inside the hose? probably - but they are my germs and I'm sure my body is used to them. I'm not sharing my hose with anyone else.

Just my two cents worth.

[plr66]

I'm one of many here who firmly believe there is no reason to clean your tubing. You only have clean air blowing through it (assuming you use the standard filter for your machine). And even if you use a humidifier, you will only have water vapor condensing on the inside of the hose, if anything at all.

The hose has ridges inside, so when you use any kind of soap or vinegar, you will need to work very hard to be sure you have rinsed the hose thoroughly--and even then will likely leave residue which will provide spots for bacteria to grow. So all that trouble, just to create a problem that didn't exist if you'd left it alone! I hang my hose over a door hook all day, and it's just fine without any other care. Easy.

[BrianinTN]

I take it in the shower with me. This makes it pretty easy, and you don't have to worry about water getting everywhere.

[taberge]

This is a common topic that pops up when new users sign up.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=42373&p=373304#p373304



_

[Lizistired]

I don't remember when I cleaned it last,
but I mix some soapy water in an empty soda bottle and pour it in the hose.
Slosh it back and forth a few times.
Then put one end of the hose over the bathroom faucet and the other end over the tub and run hot water through it.
(Good way to find leaks around the cuffs.)
Hang to dry... or til bedtime. The little moisture in it doesn't bother me.

[robysue]

I own two hoses and two small hoses for the Swift FX mask. I swap them around once a week.

Each Sunday, the "dirty" hoses come off the machine and the dry, clean hoses go ONTO the machine.

The hoses coming OFF the machine goes into the sink for a good long soak in a hot vinegar-water bath. Ratio is about 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. Or a bit stronger on the vinegar if I don't measure carefully. I use a clean plate to weigh the hoses down after pouring vinegar-water into it using a small measuring cup.

After soaking, I rinse the hoses well using hot water. When I have the chance, I swing each of the hoses around my head like a lasso for a couple of minutes to get as much of the water out as possible. Hubby calls it my Annie Oakley routine.

And then the clean hoses are hung to dry in the bedroom for the next week. Yes, this may be overkill, but I absolutely hate going to bed with a hose that's already got visible moisture clinging to its sides AND my hoses don't seem to dry out soon enough to wash in the morning and use them at night. All in all, it was easier to just buy second hoses out of pocket.

And finally, I don't worry about it too much if I miss up to a week on a cleaning cycle. But I'm not really willing to push using the same hose for more than a couple of weeks for a few reasons:

• The hose in use is in a hose cozy that I do NOT take off each day. Hence the weekly cleaning is also "hose inspection" time. I look for leaks and it's the only time the inside of the hose is visible. So far no crud. But I want to keep it that way.
• I'm not proud of my housecleaning. The bedroom is usually dusty and even with the filters (which are changed at the same time I do the hose cleaning), I do worry about dust and cat hair making its way into the system.
• Although it doesn't have a reputation for being humid, Buffalo's climate is remarkably humid all year long. We have mold and mildew problems off and on in the basement. We've had problems with mildew in the baths. And so I know there's mold and mildew spores floating around in the air. I really don't want to give them an unlimited opportunity to set up housekeeping in a hose that's covered in the hose cozy and I find it way too much trouble to take the hose cozy off on a daily basis. So when the hose cozy comes off, I figure I might as well give the hose a bath anyway.

[Uncle_Bob]

I know you're supposed to clean the tubing weekly, but I've been nervous about that (I have been on CPAP just over a week). I read that it has to fully dry out before use again. I am nervous about disassembling things. I don't know if I'd get them back together right. Also, am I right that you can't remove and clean part of the tubing (the part directly connected to the mask)? Anyway, how do you clean the tubing, and how do you make sure it's completely dry by bedtime?

I clean mine every couple of months with Control III disinfectant.
To dry I spin the tube gently, a la Mick Dundee in Crocodile Dundee II when he was making his aboriginal "phone call" using a bullroarer. That way, the centripetal force pulls the water to the outside of the tube. Then i just set it down and the low humidity in Arizona means its gets dry in few hours.

[archangle]

If you want to dry the inside of the hose, hook it up to a CPAP machine without any water in the humidifier and let it run for a while. Once you get it dry, if you have two hoses, hang the clean one up and use the other hose for a week or so.

[pap4life]

ELSH...the air that goes through the hose is cleaner then the air that goes through your nose..once you take your CPAP off. The hose air is filtered once (probably) twice, so there is nothing to get dirty. If you DO decide to swish it around in some lightly soapy water (and rinsed) weekly (and you are uncomfortable) about it being wet, just like other posters say.. hang out to dry, swing over your head a few times, or put it back on the CPAP and turn it on. It will dry in a New York minute.

[nanwilson]

I did that "swing thing" with my hose when I was a newby...left a nice gouge in my livingroom wall
Now I keep it plugged into the machine and I put a plastic bag over the open end...ain't nuttin getting into my hose. I have a spare hose and I switch them out every couple of months and wash the used one.