CPAPtalk.com

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:39 pm

I’m having a hard time with the idea of not cleaning the tubing and probably not the humidifier. I need more convincing.

I use have used distilled water in my humidifier for over 2 years with only an occasional rinsing.

I am sure my NOT cleaning my hose is better that the instruction from Lincare to wash it daily and let it dry in the most germ-laden room of the house - the bathroom!

As you may have guessed, our experiences give is a low regard for educated people like my former DME.

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:39 pm

I’m having a hard time with the idea of not cleaning the tubing and probably not the humidifier. I need more convincing.

Time is the convincer.

I have been using cpap since 2010.
It took me less than 5 months to realize that "recommended" cleaning frequency.
wears out parts, wastes water and cleaners, and is a time consuming NUISANCE.
Ignore the scare-marketing--it is ALL LIES.

ChicagoGranny wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:17 pm

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:39 pm

I’m having a hard time with the idea of not cleaning the tubing and probably not the humidifier. I need more convincing.

Time is the convincer.

oOoOoooOOOO~~~nice !!!

I LIKE it.

If that is not a song (lyric) it should be!
Where's ...jnk?

Make us a song, Mr Music Man
...or maybe Guitarist is a musician?

prodigyplace wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 5:54 pm

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 4:39 pm

I’m having a hard time with the idea of not cleaning the tubing and probably not the humidifier. I need more convincing.

I use have used distilled water in my humidifier for over 2 years with only an occasional rinsing.

I am sure my NOT cleaning my hose is better that the instruction from Lincare to wash it daily and let it dry in the most germ-laden room of the house - the bathroom!

As you may have guessed, our experiences give is a low regard for educated people like my former DME.

Thanks for that. I find all this “no need to clean” talk odd but okay, you all have 1st hand experience.

So as a RT
the Respiratory world is all disgusting and full of mucus, green , brown Sputum, infections like MRSA etc etc
The 1st 5 years I was sick all the time until I built up immunity’s.
Forgive me for not grasping that concept

I quess being at home and not in a facility plays into it all . Home being a cleaner environment.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:19 pm

I have been using cpap since 2010.
It took me less than 5 months to realize that "recommended" cleaning frequency.
wears out parts, wastes water and cleaners, and is a time consuming NUISANCE.
Ignore the scare-marketing--it is ALL LIES.

Thanks

So what was the recommended cleaning frequency ?

When I taught use guys it was:
1 time a month throw everything in a bowl with some Dawn and soak it for 20-30 minutes and then dry all the stuff - basically.
Clean the mask PRN

And...

The Home care company I just got my equipment from said do that 1 time a week.

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:31 pm

I quess being at home and not in a facility plays into it all . Home being a cleaner environment.

That is a huge difference, yes. The vast majority of any germs in your cpap are *your* germs, the ones that you carry around with you in and on your body... They're not exotic things, ... as far as I know, nobody has discovered ebola spontaneously erupting on their cpap... so far.

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:44 pm

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:19 pm

I have been using cpap since 2010.
It took me less than 5 months to realize that "recommended" cleaning frequency.
wears out parts, wastes water and cleaners, and is a time consuming NUISANCE.
Ignore the scare-marketing--it is ALL LIES.

Thanks

So what was the recommended cleaning frequency ?

When I taught use guys it was:
1 time a month throw everything in a bowl with some Dawn and soak it for 20-30 minutes and then dry all the stuff - basically.
Clean the mask PRN

And...

The Home care company I just got my equipment from said do that 1 time a week.

What most people get told is to do that *DAILY*.

Weekly (or as needed) is completely reasonable.

Soaking is a bad idea with hard water.
It leaves a nasty white film on silicone.
Wash quickly like a water bottle--hot water and dish detergent, then rinse.
As clean as if you intended to drink out of it.
Washing hoses is not necessary, but can be done when the user feels like it.

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:53 pm

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:44 pm

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:19 pm

I have been using cpap since 2010.
It took me less than 5 months to realize that "recommended" cleaning frequency.
wears out parts, wastes water and cleaners, and is a time consuming NUISANCE.
Ignore the scare-marketing--it is ALL LIES.

Thanks

So what was the recommended cleaning frequency ?

When I taught use guys it was:
1 time a month throw everything in a bowl with some Dawn and soak it for 20-30 minutes and then dry all the stuff - basically.
Clean the mask PRN

And...

The Home care company I just got my equipment from said do that 1 time a week.

What most people get told is to do that *DAILY*.

Weekly (or as needed) is completely reasonable.

Okay cool

and yeah wow Daily would be a bit to much. That’s crazy

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:56 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:53 pm

What most people get told is to do that *DAILY*.

Weekly (or as needed) is completely reasonable.

Okay cool

and yeah wow Daily would be a bit to much. That’s crazy

Most (not all) of us have come to agree that daily cleaning is crazy.

Some people still want to do that, and that's perfectly fine if they want to... just so long as they're not still buying the DME lies that they HAVE to do it daily...

Just like the lie that you HAVE to use distilled water... Resmed manuals in Europe don't even specify distilled water, that seems to be a north america thing. (haven't seen any Australia manuals)

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:56 pm

Soaking is a bad idea with hard water.
It leaves a nasty white film on silicone.
Wash quickly like a water bottle--hot water and dish detergent, then rinse.
As clean as if you intended to drink out of it.
Washing hoses is not necessary, but can be done when the user feels like it.

Thanks

Makes sense about the no soaking

So NO need to clean the hose even if you use a heated humidifier ?

Forgive me all for asking this over and over ... lol


Blows my mind.

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:02 pm

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:56 pm

palerider wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:53 pm

What most people get told is to do that *DAILY*.

Weekly (or as needed) is completely reasonable.

Okay cool

and yeah wow Daily would be a bit to much. That’s crazy

Most (not all) of us have come to agree that daily cleaning is crazy.

Some people still want to do that, and that's perfectly fine if they want to... just so long as they're not still buying the DME lies that they HAVE to do it daily...

Just like the lie that you HAVE to use distilled water... Resmed manuals in Europe don't even specify distilled water, that seems to be a north america thing. (haven't seen any Australia manuals)

Okay and thanks for that.
So that year I did home care we would occasionally get returns on machines that where all hard crusted from guys that used hard water. I guess they had some really bad water

If it bugs you....clean it.
If it doesn't bug you...don't clean it.
It's entirely up to what you are most comfortable doing or not doing.

I have/had a S9 heated hose that went through 3 different S9 machines with well over 10K hours of use...and I never washed it.
And I use a high humidity setting to boot. That hose got retired when I got the AirSense 10 machine because S9 hoses won't work with AirSense machines or else I would probably still be using it.
It is what I am comfortable with...and I am the only person that I have to please and I really don't give a rat's behind what someone else does or doesn't do.

Been on cpap a little over 10 years now...
When I first started cpap I did the weekly cleaning of EVERYTHING...that got old real fast. After 6 months my cleaning routine consisted of washing the nasal pillows when I happened to think about it. And I didn't think about it very often. Back when I first started therapy we didn't even have heated hoses.

One thing I would never do is use a stiff brush on the inside of a heated hose. I would be afraid that the brush would damage the hose or heater coils.

Bottom line...you get to decide what you are most comfortable doing or not doing.
You are the only person that you have to make happy.

Guitarist wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 7:14 pm

So that year I did home care we would occasionally get returns on machines that where all hard crusted from guys that used hard water. I guess they had some really bad water

Well, anything besides very soft water will leave mineral deposits after a bit... I line the tank with paper towel, then put a little vinegar in there, and the towel wicks it up the side, ... leave that to soak for a while and the tank will be clean as new.