Is my cleaning routine good enough?

I'm always wondering if I'm cleaning my mask and equipment properly or well enough. I take my mask and hos apart and let the mask pieces soak in hot but not too hot, soapy water for a few minutes. While the parts are soaking, I pour some soapy water in my hose, connect the ends with a coupler, and swish the water through the hose a bunch of times before emptying and rinsing very well. I then take the short hose out of the hot, soapy water and swish more through it. I then rise the short hose and hang it up along with the long hose. I then agitate the rest of the mask parts in the soapy water and then rinse and put on a towel to dry. I do the same with the humidifier chamber. I do the same for the black foam filter every couple weeks.

I replace the nasal pillows on my mask every 3 weeks or so. I replace the mouth cushion monthly. The entire mask gets replaced every 3 months.

Sounds like you're cleaning better than many cpap users... we all have different ways of doing it. My mask gets a daily wipe-down with Citrus II cpap wipes, and it soaks in soapy water about once a week. Occasionally I do a baking soda "boil" on the cushion. Humidifier gets emptied and rinsed daily, soapy water once a week. Hose gets a bath once every few months. Filter is washed weekly. I have several filters in rotation on the cleaning. I'm not quite as diligent and regimented about the hose as when I started cpap in Feb. I haven't had a cold yet since I started, I'm sure I will probably be more diligent while I do have a cold.

I forgot to mention that I clean once per week.

Courtesy of "rested gal"........

Everything you wanted to know about this therapy but were afraid to ask:

viewtopic.php?t=17435

Cleaning in particular for this thread:

viewtopic.php?p=567264#p567264


Den

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Its all personal preference. I'm in the group that thinks cleaning the hose is more likely to introduce bad stuff (such as by hanging it in the bathroom to dry) and is not really necessary since its just moist air, plus the S9 Autoset dries the hose in the morning. If I did wash my hose, I'd probably use the machine to dry the inside (or wash it right before bed). I think swapping the hose out every so often is prudent though (I haven't got to 6 months yet but then seems like a good time).

So that just leaves the mask & humidifier chamber. I use mask wipes daily on my mask & mask cushion, wash the cushion in gentle soap weekly (change the cushion as needed, about every 6-8 weeks), and wash the mask & headgear as needed, maybe monthly. I don't see a reason to replace the mask unless a plastic part breaks or the headgear is worn. The humidifier chamber gets dumped & wiped every 2-3 days and washed every 1-2 weeks (distilled water used). Best wishes.

Before even reading the description of your regime, my answer is "probably."

Obviously there is no right answer at all. Just go with what seems comfortable to you....

Your routine is more than "good enough". Beats my lack of much routine hands down. People have their own routine and usually do what makes them happy and that's just fine. Me...it makes me happy not to do much.
Den gave you the link I was going to give you that shows that there is a wide variation in cleaning preferences and routines.

You seem to be going way above what's needed - it's just (filtered) room air after all, and a lot of us never clean the hose (or maybe once a year at most). And I can't believe you replace your 'pillows' and cushion so often... some of us also have used the same mask for ages (sometimes years). Just because your insce. allows it, doesn't mean you have to use them... thinking about the environment and all.