Weekly Mask Cleaning---OverKill ???

I've been on CPAP for one month exactly today (happy anniversary to me...). Initially, I cleaned my equipment (now have the activa mask) as recommended, then due to lazyness and other posts about cleaning dropped to once a week. THEN.... I went to a OSA awareness meeting and the doc spoke about cleaning the equipment. She put up slides of swab cultures of masks that were taken care of daily and those that were left uncleaned for a while (don't remember how long). The "dirty" masks had such gross growth that this here lazy-as-can-be individual is cleaning it daily (even if it is overkill). Also, I was just topping my humidifier off as needed before, but now I'm paranoid. I sigh sometimes and I'm afraid my breath goes the 6 feet into the humidifier. So everything gets cleaned daily now. can't say how long I can keep it up, but that's my imput sofar.
P.S. Where the heck did this summer go ??????????

I have a full face mask, and wouldn't consider NOT cleaning daily, but thats my 'personal
preference". Using the clorox wipes for the mask probably isn't the best option, as I'm certain
it could wear out the mask sooner than it's life expectancy, but I certainly believe in the
scheme of things, would rather replace mask liner sooner than take on a bacteria that I would
be inhaling. It's truly 'what you feel comfortable with' as an individual, but as someone in the
medical field, sterilization was driven into me.
PS..busbycook....happy anniverary!!!

> Bacteria and viruses are too large to be carried out of the humidifier with water vapor.

Some other reference please. That F&P webpage is misleading. Bacteria, viruses, molds, etc. don't have to _ride_ on water vapor. Some can get blown along with all the air that's blown into our lungs for 8 hrs per night. They don't have to call a taxi to get from point A to point B, fer crissakes!

> The air going into the machine is filtered and whatever might be on the mask is from our own bodies.

Nonsense. The air going through our furnace is filtered. I buy the highest quality, highest rated for filtering ability (and, yes, highest cost) filters available and change them regularly. And dust still manages to pass through all that. Same principle.

Same thing with xpap. I use the optional foam filter and wash it out weekly. I change the disposable filter regularly. But I have no expectation that the air that goes through it is without _any_ pollen/bacteria/viruses/mold.

It is, however, important to do the best that you can, especially when it is _so easy_ to do.

xyz wrote:> Bacteria and viruses are too large to be carried out of the humidifier with water vapor.

Some other reference please. That F&P webpage is misleading. Bacteria, viruses, molds, etc. don't have to _ride_ on water vapor. Some can get blown along with all the air that's blown into our lungs for 8 hrs per night. They don't have to call a taxi to get from point A to point B, fer crissakes!

> The air going into the machine is filtered and whatever might be on the mask is from our own bodies.

Nonsense. The air going through our furnace is filtered. I buy the highest quality, highest rated for filtering ability (and, yes, highest cost) filters available and change them regularly. And dust still manages to pass through all that. Same principle.

Same thing with xpap. I use the optional foam filter and wash it out weekly. I change the disposable filter regularly. But I have no expectation that the air that goes through it is without _any_ pollen/bacteria/viruses/mold.

It is, however, important to do the best that you can, especially when it is _so easy_ to do.

Got Google? Do some research.
There's bacteria EVERYWHERE......lots of it is GOOD, too. Fact is, you probably wouldn't be able to survive without "bacteria".

But, for some of your "nonsense".......if the "whatever" made it through your XPAP machine into your humidifier, that would mean that there COULD POSSIBLY be some still hiding inside your machine......waiting, growing......how ya gonna clean the inside of your machine???? And, if it came through your machine, that means it's in your house, too.......and you breathe THAT air.

Tell ya what........ You do whatever you feel is necessary to clean your equipment......and I'll do whatever I want with mine.


Den

Well, if anyone can believe this, I too have gotten LAZY about cleaning my mask, and humidifier.
I have the aussie heated hose and can't clean it because of the wires and built in cover so that never gets washed, ewww weeee It would just take tooooooo long to dry and I would have to use a regular hose and have to deal with all that rainout crap...
I used to wash everthing everyday and I was obsessed with it I must admit, but I am just tired of it so I just wash them now about once a week or every week and a half, sometimes every two weeks,

SNM

Hi to all, I'm the newbie cpap user/nurse who was very concerned about some cpap users extreme slackness in cleaning their equipment. I've been so busy, haven't been back to the group and wow, got to read all the replies to my post, ha ha. Today, I spoke with my resp. therapist again about issues with my machine which many of you recommended I try to ditch, etc. (I need to have a visit with a pulmonologist, they can't just switch it) We got talking about the cleaning issue again and here is some more info some of which I already know as an RN and some of it is new to me:

Several of her patients have reoccurring pink eye from not cleaning their equip. One of her patients is losing vision in one eye from an infection blamed on the leaking of "dirty" air from her mask. She also has patients who have been hospitalized because of cpap related infections including FUNGAL infections. Fungus loves moist, warm hosts and is definitely a risk of cpap. Why push it.

Your nose/nasal hairs hold many assorted germs, with cpap, they no longer just sit in your nose but can be forced into your airway/lungs. You are breathing back into your hoses, and our noses are not the cleanest of places.

Our bodies have organisms on us all the time, at times they can over-flourish and cause problems (yeast infections are an example). If you are not cleaning your equip. often enough, they can flourish on your equip.

My RT said that they have done cultures from the inner tubes of cpap hoses from people who didn't clean theirs well and the results were bad- many bugs in them including pseudomonas.

What if your immune system is down for one reason or another- unclean equip can give you an infection.
I know it is a bit of a pain in the neck to have to clean our equipment. But, most days, I just take my stuff in the shower with me and quickly rinse it out, frequently using Dr, Bronner's almost soap and once a week using vinegar/water in my humidifier (only use distilled water for humidifying, so far, no slime) and weekly cleaning of foam. Oh, I am sometimes leaving the distilled water in for 2 days and then dumping it. I've missed cleaning my equipment once or twice so far, I know there will be other days when I will not clean it. But it really isn't that time consuming, less than five minutes. I know there are many ways to clean from reading the posts and it is up to each one of us to come to a decision on how often/how you will clean but I really hope for your health that some of you will clean more frequently than once a month,year,etc.

npap wrote:As a new Cpap user and an RN, I am shocked at how long some people go without cleaning their supplies! Before I got my cpap, I knew of two people who had to be hospitalized for infections stemming from their cpaps! Also, the respiratory therapist told me that because there are more and more problems with people getting respiratory infections from cpap, that they are now providing new hoses, etc. every six months! Some of you guys are very lucky you haven't gotten a really nasty bug yet. I guess it's like not wearing seat belts or smoking, you might not have a problem for a long time but chances are one day, you will. Right now, I am cleaning my Swift nasal pillows, hoses every day with water and a squirt of Dr. Bronner's Almond Soap and my humidifer almost every day with the same but have left some distilled h20 in it twice now for only 2 days because I hate throwing it out. I know I won't always wash them everyday and might go to weekly at some point but I think cleaning less than that is giving microbes a lovely place to reside!

"Fungus loves moist, warm hosts and is definitely a risk of cpap."
Really?

So do you go about your day wearing your clean CPAP mask so you don't get respiratory infections or d you just dry out your respiratory system during the day?

I have not washed my hose in over two years. I have cleaned out my humidifier reservoir (a 30-senond rinse with tap water) only 4 times since I started over tow years ago. I replace my air filters every 3 or 4 months. .... and I have not had a respiratory infection since starting xPAP ... not a single one. Before xPAP, I normally got respiratory infections 2 or 3 times a year. My own observation therefore suggests that NOT using CPAP (cleaned or not) cause more respiratory infections than using it.

Microbes are everywhere and you are more likely to get bitten by a bug by typing on your keyboard to post on this forum than using your CPAP equipment ... we have nothing to fear but fear itself!

Why does this topic evoke so much emotion? I do regularly clean my equipment but am fairly fanatical because I take a drug that impacts my immune system. I've already had pneumonia once since I've been on it and no thank you I don't want to go through that again! It was a difficult to diagnose form of it since my lungs sounded clear and I had no cough. I also don't take long plane trips for the same reason.

If I didn't have that issue I don't really know what I would do - probably still more than some and less than others I suspect. I am generally a believer in the benefits of exposure to stuff but not on these meds! And I gather that as we get older our immune systems are typically not as good as when we were younger.

So from that standpoint, imho, it makes sense for those of us whose immune systems are not in great shape to take more care with cleaning.

Mindy

EMOTIONAL!!!! WTF!! Who the hell is getting all emotional?



Hopefully you realize I'm just being sarcastic, if not, sorry it got you all wound up

To each their own. Yes some have perfectly logical reasons for the frequency of their cleaning schedule. I guess I'm just touched by those who try to "scare" others into illogical cleaning schedules like cleaning everything every day when the risk is soooo much higher just walking out the door of your home or using the mouse on your computer. Do these daily cleaners wash their mouse and keyboard everyday? their auto steering wheels, the door knobs, their AC vents, and oh yea, the toilet seat ?

Everyone should determine what they are comfortable with and not be scared into "overkill" ... that's all

mindy wrote:it makes sense for those of us whose immune systems are not in great shape to take more care with cleaning.Mindy

I agree.

DreamStalker wrote:EMOTIONAL!!!! WTF!! Who the hell is getting all emotional?



Hopefully you realize I'm just being sarcastic, if not, sorry it got you all wound up

To each their own. Yes some have perfectly logical reasons for the frequency of their cleaning schedule. I guess I'm just touched by those who try to "scare" others into illogical cleaning schedules like cleaning everything every day when the risk is soooo much higher just walking out the door of your home or using the mouse on your computer. Do these daily cleaners wash their mouse and keyboard everyday? their auto steering wheels, the door knobs, their AC vents, and oh yea, the toilet seat ?

Everyone should determine what they are comfortable with and not be scared into "overkill" ... that's all

Dreamkstalker,

I hope I've been around here long enough to realize you were just being sarcastic

I absolutely agree with your comments!

Mindy

What do you think about using a denture cleaner to clean cpap equipment? I figure it's not a chemical that would harm us because dentures go in your mouth anyway. Efferdent sure gets my nightguard clean!

I wash mine weekly, but I wont go without my nightly moisturizer, so I figure my mask gets gunky. I am now in charge of washing my Dad's mask and hose and I will do his weekly too.

AnnD wrote:What do you think about using a denture cleaner to clean cpap equipment? I figure it's not a chemical that would harm us because dentures go in your mouth anyway. Efferdent sure gets my nightguard clean!

I don't think it's a good idea, because dentures and mask seals are made of two very different materials. I didn't know what was in denture cleaner, so I did a search.

allexperts.com, in part, wrote:The following is from a dental site discussing the use of cleaners on dentures. The interesting part is the ingredients!

that dental site wrote:Denture cleaners sold over the counter, clean so fast that they should be classified as “Stain Removers” instead of “Denture Cleaner”. Many denture cleaners sold in drug stores contain Perborate (Borax) as the active ingredient. Others contain bleach (Hypochlorite), and Persulfate (Sulfur) as active ingredients. Only one uses Buffered Alkali as the active ingredient. Alkali is the active ingredient in many of your household cleaners such as dishwasher liquid, shampoo, bar soap, clothes washing detergent, etc.

Three chemicals stand out: Hypochlorite, Persulfate and “alkali”. The borax is not harmful in mild solutions.

Hypochlorite is a bleaching agent. Think of chlorine bleach. Think of chlorine in a swimming pool. Certainly the concentration of this bleach in the cleaner is stronger than chlorine in a swimming pool and possibly as strong as a bleach solution you might use to take stains off a porcelain bowl, for instance.

Persulfate is a chemical used in very, very small quantities by bakers to treat flour for bread. In concentrated form, this chemical is used to “etch” copper! It is strong enough to eat into the copper metal.

Alkali is simply a term for many chemicals with the same sort of actions. A good example is lye. Another is oven cleaner. Another is dish detergent. You see, the strength determines the dangerous nature of the chemical. Lye will burn you, oven cleaner will sometime burn and certainly irritate the skin. Dish detergent is not dangerous and does a good job on dishes.

A thorough cleaning of your xPAP equipment with warm water and a mild soap, followed by a good rinse and air-drying, should work just fine.

One of the big issues nowadays is filter cleaning and changing. Since most of the 'paps are more compact, the size of the filter has gotten way smaller than they used to be. My intellipap has a tiny filter, that is barely bigger than an SD memory card. Both the foam and pollen filter demand more frequent cleaning. I find that I wash the foam one once a week, and replace the while pollen filter monthly (when they start to look grey). The old ones lasted much longer between cleanings and changes.