daily tub cleaning?

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blakesq
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daily tub cleaning?

Post by blakesq » Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:14 am

HI All,

I just picked up my new AIRSense 11 machine. My doctor talked me into upgrading from my S9 Series H5i heated humidifier with climate control which seemed to work fine, but I have had it for about 6 years now. Anyhow, the tech told me I should empty my tub every day, and rinse it out with soapy water, air dry, and add distilled water every day. I am worried that removing the tub everyday will cause the fit between the tub and machine to wear out. She also said I should I weekly add a drop of dishwashing liguid to my filter and rinse it out.


My current cleaning regimen is:

daily: clean full face mask with soapy hot water;
weekly: clean with hot soapy water of the mask, cold soapy water for the head gear;
monthly: hot soapy water clean of the hose and tub.


I started this current cleaning regimen to make the gear last longer because my original regimen was to do a hot weekly clean, and the hose, mask, and/or head gear would wear out before the 6 months replacement gear authorized by insurance would come around.

My questions are:

1. is the daily tub cleaning necessary?
2. will adding soap and rinsing out the filter hurt my filter, or make it wear out prior to the 6 months?
3. Is my current cleaning regimen OK?

Thanks.

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Last edited by blakesq on Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:45 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Pugsy
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by Pugsy » Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:41 am

blakesq wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:14 am
1. is the daily tub cleaning necessary?
2. will adding soap and rinsing out the filter hurt my filter, or make it wear out prior to the 6 months?
3. Is my current cleaning regimen OK?
1. No
2. No.... unless you are using a hypoallergenic filter (hypo filters don't hold up well to wate).
3... More than just okay....it's more than I do. :lol: :lol:

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zonker
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by zonker » Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:46 am

blakesq wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:14 am

1. is the daily tub cleaning necessary?
2. will adding soap and rinsing out the filter hurt my filter, or make it wear out prior to the 6 months?
3. Is my current cleaning regimen OK?

Thanks.
1. nope. i only clean the tub when it gets scuzzy looking. i don't empty it, just fill it when necessary. btw, you've just broached a subject that we forum veterans LOVE to talk about. you are going to get opinions galore! :lol:

2. i have no idea. filters are cheap. i just replace them when they get to looking grungy. and i don't check them on any schedule. thanks for bringing it up. i'll check mine when i'm done here.

3. a bit of overkill from my point of view. though i'm slowly edging over to pugsy's point of view. that is, whatever cleaning an individual feels like doing is okay by me. i just like to point out that many people go very far overboard with it.
people say i'm self absorbed.
but that's enough about them.
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Okie bipap
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by Okie bipap » Wed Oct 06, 2021 5:05 pm

I finally cleaned our equipment on Monday. It has been over a month since I last cleaned it. I normally clean our equipment every two weeks. I never clean the hoses. We simply add enough distilled water to top off the water reservoirs before going to bed. They only get emptied when I clean them.

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SleepGeek
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by SleepGeek » Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:00 pm

blakesq wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:14 am
I started this current cleaning regimen to make the gear last longer because my original regimen was to do a hot weekly clean, and the hose, mask, and/or head gear would wear out before the 6 months replacement gear authorized by insurance would come around.
Exactly.

For the tub if you use water w/o any minerals in it ie. Distilled Water you won't have much of anything to clean there. The only thing I find in my water tub is any dust that gets by the filter. So the freq. is then up to you.

Hose - I only cleaned the hose when I was new.
You soon figure out the more you handle this equipment the more problems you can cause.
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Julie
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by Julie » Wed Oct 06, 2021 7:39 pm

Forget hoses - there are better things to do with your time!

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babydinosnoreless
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by babydinosnoreless » Wed Oct 06, 2021 11:58 pm

I have autoimmune issues. When I first started here I followed all the recommendations. 3 years into it I dump the water when it looks yucky and let the tank sit and dry during the day then fill it back up at night. Usually ever couple of weeks otherwise it just gets topped off. I never clean the hose and I wipe the face oils off of my mask with a little alcohol on a cotton round when I start losing seal. I tossed the head gear in the washer when it starts looking grungy. I only remember to check the filter when a post like this comes along and zonker comments that he is checking his. :lol: :lol: Been working 45-50 hours a week since jan. I am super tired, very cranky and fed up with the world. Turned in my notice last week. (Yes totally understand the great resignation ) Hopefully I will start feeling civil and human again someday. Right now I am seriously considering becoming a hermit.

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BlueDragon
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by BlueDragon » Thu Oct 07, 2021 12:52 pm

My practice is similar to babydinosnoreless. I dump the water in my tank each day and refill with softened tap water. About once a week I'll feel enthusiastic and go so far as to dump the water in the morning and let the tank dry during the day. When I used to use reverse osmosis water I would just top off the water daily but found that softened tap water worked just as well and was easier to use. Each night I wipe the cushion and my face with a baby wipe. I'll wash the mask if it looks grungy -- once a month at most. As for the hose, I'd wash it if it looked grungy but I have a hose cover on it so I can't see what it looks like. :)

I have a calendar reminder set to remind me to check and change the filter once every three months. I have had to change filters earlier if there were air quality problems (like wildfire smoke).

I replace the F30 cushion after two or more months when the seal isn't working as well. With more aggressive cleaning I could extend the life, but insurance is providing one per month so I'm fine with just putting in a new cushion.

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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by tbeb » Thu Oct 07, 2021 1:00 pm

My Phillips is on recall so now I'm using a Resmed S9 Autoset with humidifier and heated hose. I wash everything (excluding machine and filter) with soap and warm water every 2 weeks. Occasionally I wipe down machine with a baby wipe. I use a mask liner and I wash that every week. Before the mask liner I cleaned the mask everyday with a baby wipe. "Distilled Water Only" is written on my Resmed water chamber and that's what I use.
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chunkyfrog
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by chunkyfrog » Thu Oct 07, 2021 1:21 pm

My tank gets topped off every evening until it looks or smells suspicious.
Then I wash it really good, and rinse with water and a dash of vodka. (not the good stuff)
This is done right before bed, so no drying is needed.
Hoses--never; headgear--when I have a bunch to put in a lingerie bag,
and throw it in the front-loader with my undies.
I change pillows and filters at the 3 week mark.
Even on chemo, my routine has not changed.
My sister-in-law, the nurse, might not agree--but it works for me.

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loggerhead12
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by loggerhead12 » Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:21 pm

zonker wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:46 am
i only clean the tub when it gets scuzzy looking.
That's why I never look in there. Why go looking for trouble?

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Deborah K.
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by Deborah K. » Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:33 pm

My tank has never gotten dirty, only crusted with hard water deposits because I use tap water. I put some citric acid powder in the tank with warm water, leave it for a while, then dump and rinse. It is perfectly clear and clean then. I'm still using the same tank that came with my machine over 1-1/2 years ago.

I never wash my hose, and now that I use Bleep, I have no mask to watch either. :)
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zonker
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by zonker » Thu Oct 07, 2021 9:56 pm

loggerhead12 wrote:
Thu Oct 07, 2021 6:21 pm
zonker wrote:
Wed Oct 06, 2021 10:46 am
i only clean the tub when it gets scuzzy looking.
That's why I never look in there. Why go looking for trouble?
sometimes, it looks like whatever is in there is going to come out after me!
:lol: :lol: :lol:
people say i'm self absorbed.
but that's enough about them.
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chunkyfrog
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by chunkyfrog » Sat Oct 09, 2021 1:22 pm

I prefer to distill my own water.
According to the Kill-a-Watt, it only uses 12 cents worth of electricity per gallon.
Compared to store DW prices, I figure the machine amortizes fairly quickly.
:mrgreen:

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Deborah K.
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Re: daily tub cleaning?

Post by Deborah K. » Sat Oct 09, 2021 2:35 pm

chunkyfrog wrote:
Sat Oct 09, 2021 1:22 pm
I prefer to distill my own water.
According to the Kill-a-Watt, it only uses 12 cents worth of electricity per gallon.
Compared to store DW prices, I figure the machine amortizes fairly quickly.
:mrgreen:
What kind of machine do you use to distill water?
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