cleaning or sanitizing humidifier

[jeffishere]

Hi all!
There are over 2,000 post on cleaning or sanitizing your humidifier. After about 20 mts. of trying to read the tiny type my eyes are crossed! I'm looking for the definitive post or thread on cleaning or sanitizing a humidifier, if anyone can suggest one or two, that would be great! I have been using distilled water for almost two years but have never cleaned the humidifier.

Thanks!
Jeff

[LSAT]

Probably vinegar and water after that amount of time or...pop for a new water chamber...$25???

[Robespierre]

Hi all!
There are over 2,000 post on cleaning or sanitizing your humidifier. After about 20 mts. of trying to read the tiny type my eyes are crossed! I'm looking for the definitive post or thread on cleaning or sanitizing a humidifier, if anyone can suggest one or two, that would be great! I have been using distilled water for almost two years but have never cleaned the humidifier.

Thanks!
Jeff

I suggest running it through a cycle in the dishwasher, top shelf. Comes out clean as a whistle.

[archangle]

Buy this. You need a spare tank anyway.

Disassemble and dishwash regularly.

Even better, get two cleanable tanks, dishwash once a week, and let the clean one dry for a week between cleanings.

If you have the non-dishwashable tank, and it's two years old, throw it away. You can afford a new $35 tank every two years. If you don't throw away the old tank open it up and clean it. It can actually be opened with some effort. Just to be safe, buy the replacement tank first.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=scg8Nc9LkRo

[DaveMunson]

We have the same tank. I put some vinegar in the tank, let it sit a while and rinse a few times. I purchased a tank that I can run through the dishwasher but have not used it because my tank stays clean. Do purchase a backup tank as humidifier tanks fail and leak without much notice.

The S9 Humidifier Tanks is considered disposable. The one that comes with the S9 machine can not be opened up or easily cleaned easily but ResMed does make a humidifier chamber that can be run through the dishwasher. (see below for link). It looks like the good tank has a fragile gasket.

https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... amber.html

The stories about cleaning humidifier chambers differ because of the poor water quality everywhere. I use to travel a lot and found that it is rare to find good water from the tap.

[archangle]

It's been reported that the S9 standard tanks have been redesigned and now can be easily opened for cleaning. I don't know how many old tanks are still in the supply chain, etc.

There is still an optional dishwashable tank.

[RandyJ]

Resmed recommends watching tank out daily w/mild soap and water and allowing to air dry until the next use.

I have found through reading posts here that a more common practice is to wash the tank weekly and just add distilled water daily, as needed. I tried doing this way and rinsing out the tank every other day, washing on weekends with soap and water and then soaking a bit in vinegar/water mix. This "weekly" washing method resulted in mold growth in my water chamber, so I don't recommend it.

I just bought the "cleanable" version of the water chamber, and removed the mold from my old "non-cleanable" one with a little bit of bleach and water, and will keep it for a spare.

I am going to begin washing and air drying daily again, as per manufacturer recommendations.

[RandyJ]

Hi all!
There are over 2,000 post on cleaning or sanitizing your humidifier. After about 20 mts. of trying to read the tiny type my eyes are crossed! I'm looking for the definitive post or thread on cleaning or sanitizing a humidifier, if anyone can suggest one or two, that would be great! I have been using distilled water for almost two years but have never cleaned the humidifier.

Thanks!
Jeff

This is Resmed's official disinfection guide for the H5i humidifier; while it is intended for professionals, it can be adapted for home use.

http://www.resmed.com/us/assets/documen ... lo_eng.pdf

[SS343]

My activity may be frowned upon by those demanding elevated sanitary clinical needs. I keep the humidity control of the H5i on automatic with a Climateline temperature of 74 degrees. Nice, cool air and no rainout. I fill up the reservoir each morning when I get up. The level generally is just below the bottom line of the yellow indicator. I estimate it takes probably 3/4 cup to fill it. About every two weeks, I pour out the remaining amount and squirt in a little dish washing soap. I use Palmolive. Fill it up with hot water; holding my fingers over the fill holes, I shake it for a 30 seconds or so, then rinse out the soap, flush it with a little distilled water to remove the tap water and minerals; fill it up with distilled water and put it back into service. No vinegar, no disassembly, no dishwasher, no sterilization. Takes about 3 minutes. No big deal. I have never observed any critters swimming around in there.

[RandyJ]

My activity may be frowned upon by those demanding elevated sanitary clinical needs. I keep the humidity control of the H5i on automatic with a Climateline temperature of 74 degrees. Nice, cool air and no rainout. I fill up the reservoir each morning when I get up. The level generally is just below the bottom line of the yellow indicator. I estimate it takes probably 3/4 cup to fill it. About every two weeks, I pour out the remaining amount and squirt in a little dish washing soap. I use Palmolive. Fill it up with hot water; holding my fingers over the fill holes, I shake it for a 30 seconds or so, then rinse out the soap, flush it with a little distilled water to remove the tap water and minerals; fill it up with distilled water and put it back into service. No vinegar, no disassembly, no dishwasher, no sterilization. Takes about 3 minutes. No big deal. I have never observed any critters swimming around in there.

I was doing as you were, only washing weekly, and got mold growth. My climate control temp was a bit higher, though.

[jamiswolf]

I was doing as you were, only washing weekly, and got mold growth. My climate control temp was a bit higher, though.

Like Randy experienced...mold can grow. And I've heard that soap can actually support mold growth. 1/3 vinegar solution is what my RT suggested and I've had no mold issues.
J

[cindjo717]

I think that the mold may have grown due to the rinsings with regular water in between dishwasher once a week. I just disassemble mine and put in dishwasher once per week on sani rinse. I also use distilled water only. I have had no problems at all. Looks brand new.

[Arizona-Willie]

I had my H5i humidifier for 2 years and had never used anything but distilled water.

This morning I looked up the video on taking it apart ( it's the kind you can't open but you actually can open ).

It was easy enough to take apart. Surprisingly.

But I was shocked at the film in the bottom of the unit. I wiped my finger across it and left a big trail!!
I tried to take a pic of it but didn't get a good shot.

I washed the whole thing in hot water with Dial anti-bacterial soap.

Then I got another surprise when I went to dry the pieces. When I held a piece up to the light I could see film all over it!

Ungood.

So I worked at it till I got it removed with the towel.

Thing is, it was transparent in normal conditions. Until I took it apart and began cleaning you couldn't see anything that looked dirty.
I would have sworn there was nothing in it to amount to anything.

But I was wrong

Looks like i'm going to be taking that thing apart on a pretty regular basis now.

[Uncle_Bob]

For sanitizing

YES : Control III disinfectant
NO : Dishwasher, nobody knows how sanitary their dish washer really is, most have old food trapped in all sorts of places if not properley cleaned they could have grease and stains like tomatoe build up (noticable in the white plastic interior tube types as the tub discolors) If the dishwasher has a sanitize setting it may mean that it just takes the hotest water in from your hot water heater, that may not be hot enough to effectively sanitize.

They are called dish washers NOT dish sanitizers. And if they did work the hospitals/sleep labs would just check everyones stuff in a dish washer and be done instead of following the medical sanitize and soak procedure.

Everyones standards of cleanliness are different, so i can understand why they made a dishwasher safe tank. But to expect it to come out completely sanitized, not me.

[RandyJ]

For sanitizing

YES : Control III disinfectant

I am definitely getting the Control III. I was using vinegar and still got mold.