cleaning cpap mask and hose, humidifier

[sunshineman68]

I am hew to a cpap, and I was wondering if there is an "easy" way to clean my equipment...........................Mike

[Suzjohnson]

I am hew to a cpap, and I was wondering if there is an "easy" way to clean my equipment...........................Mike

Hi Mike and welcome! Well, even at it's worst, it's easy. I wash the mask cushion each morning in my hands with some liquid dish soap in the kitchen sink while coffee is brewing. Rinse well and rinse again with distilled water and set aside to dry on a clean paper towel. Once a week I wash everything else in a sanitized basin in the kitchen sink. Headgear, disassembled mask parts, humidifier chamber go into the basin and soak for a little while then rubbed gently with my fingers, rinsed well, re-rinsed with distilled water. I suppose you could skip the distilled water bit but I don't like hard water spots.
I've tackled the hose twice which would, more or less, put it on a monthly washing schedule. Without a brush the best you can do is to let it soak in the basin, plug both ends with your fingers and give it a good shake. Again a good rinsing and hang in a clean area of your home and allow to air dry. If I wait too late in the day to do this and I see bedtime approaching, I will attach the hose to the machine minus the humidifier tank and let it run for a few minutes. One extra thing I feel compelled to mention. In the morning take your hose completely off the machine and hang it up. If there is any residual moisture in it from the night's use, this gives it an opportunity to dry. Germs love a moist environment.
See, that wasn't so bad. Once you get into the habit it's no different than brushing your teeth. It just gets done with very little thought.

Again, welcome!!
Suz

[LSAT]

If you read through the posts here you will find comments ranging from "I never clean my equipment"..to..".I clean everything daily."

Personally, I never clean my hose...I replace it yearly. I wipe my mask cushion with CPAP wipes nightly and clean it every 2-3 weeks. My humidifier is filled with distilled water so it stays clean...I rinse it out and dry it monthly and replace it yearly.

[Sheriff Buford]

I wipe my mask down every morning using Pampers Thick Wipes for Sensitive Skin. You can also use the generic brand. Be sure the baby wipes have no alcohol or aloe. Alcohol will damage the mask plastic and aloe will leave a film. I also wash my mask every weekend with a toothbrush and baby shampoo. I then soak the mask in a plastic tub or a few hours in baby shampoo and water solution. I then rinse the mask very well. If I don’t the baby scent will upset my tummy. Since I rarely use my humidifier, I swap my hose out about every 6 months.

Sheriff

[Pugsy]

Define "easy".... in your terms.
Decide how worried you would be about germs and stuff and if worried much decide what you want to do to eliminate the worry.
Easy to me is a very quick plain soap and water washing of nasal pillows every week or so and don't do much of anything else.
I use distilled water in humidifier..limits mineral build up (which looks ugly but that is about it) and top off daily.. I pretty much use all my water each night though.
Other people do a lot of soaking and cleaning and washing and wiping...that is what they feel like is best for them.

Masks...especially full face masks..probably should at least be wiped down daily to limit skin oil accumulation. This helps with leaks...and not so much from a germ killing goal.

Lots and lots of discussions about cleaning...who does what and what they think is best for them.

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[-tim]

I wipe off the mask in the morning and sometimes soak it in white vinegar and then in water with lots of dish soap. I then wash them with dish soap and rinse them and let them dry. I swap between two masks so one is always drying. I found that just rinsing the vinegar off doesn't work. It gets trapped in the folds and I don't like the smell of it when I'm trying to sleep.

I found these little containers with a strainer basket in it.
http://www.ekitchenworld.com/1370.html
They have clip on lids so I can give it a good shake.

I just run water through the hose about once a week but I have very clean tap water with very low mineral content.

[Bobby269]

Here's the manufactuer's guide. 1- http://www.resmed.com/us/assets/html/di ... c=patients.
2- http://www.resmed.com/assets/documents/ ... us_eng.pdf

[locust78]

I use a device made specifically for the cleaning of CPAP equipment called the SoClean. When I get up in the morning I put my mask (while still attached to my hose) into the unit, which sits next to my CPAP. It's set on a timer, so every day at around 10:00, it turns on and pumps activated oxygen through my mask, hose, and reservoir, which cleans and sanitizes my equipment. As someone who went the soap & water route for many years, I find this way much easier and more effective.

[Sheriff Buford]

Folks should go online and read the cleaning recommendations for your mask concerning vinegar. My manufacturer says not to use it at all, but I suspect that a little won't hurt.

Sheriff