How often do you clean your hose?

Every time I take a shower!

Juliebove wrote:I was told to do it weekly and I think that's what my manual says. I bought a special brush for cleaning it but haven't used it and probably never will because it says it can damage the hose! I was running hot water and unscented dish soap down it weekly but then it looked perfectly clean.

My brother says he has never cleaned his and he has had the machine for many years. He says he doesn't have to since he doesn't use a humidifier. He has a very old machine with no card in it.

My dad does clean his hose but says he never cleans his mask. I was told to wash the mask daily with the same unscented dish soap. This is a royal pain! Instead I wash it weekly and use the citrus wipes daily.

i bought one of those fleece things to put over the hose and it took a while to put on. I don't want to have to take it off and put it back on every week to clean it. Do I really have to do this?

i was wahsing my hose about every week, then it tapered off, now its been about 6 weeks.

To help put that fleece cover on 9wish I knew this the first time) wrap the rubber end in saran wrap and the cover will slip right on.

Well since i'm still new to this i kinda follow the "rules" ,I wash my pillows every morning ,I wash every thing else down once a week,and after reading some of the posts from more experienced cpap users i may alter that a little bit.

Juliebove wrote:I was told to do it weekly and I think that's what my manual says.

i bought one of those fleece things to put over the hose and it took a while to put on. I don't want to have to take it off and put it back on every week to clean it. Do I really have to do this?

The information provided on this site is not intended nor recommended as a substitute for professional medical advice.
Perhaps you should discuss this with your doctor - some people - a small minority - do feel better when they clean their hoses as instructed.

O.

I wash my hose about every week or every other week. I started out washing it weekly and not missing a week. I was completely taking my mask apart daily and washing that too, but not any longer. I usually take my mask completely apart every week or every other week. I do try to take the cushion off and clean that daily. The cushions on the Quattro don't appear to last as long as other cushions and keeping them clean helps.

I guess I am just like the others start off religiously following the DME's directions for daily cleaning then slack off after a while.

I wash my hose every two or three weeks. If I don't, it starts to smell funny. Same with the tank and masks.

11+ years-
Washed it occasionally at first.


Have not washed it n over 6 years.

Why is the question not IF cleaning is needed than how to clean it?

I know most of these answers are from 2009 so here goes in 2021.

Do the recommendations and suggestions still apply in 2021?
Some are saying not to use Dawn and use Johnson and Johnson baby shampoo instead. Is this true or false?

Wash hose? Don't wash hose?
(I am the caregiver for my wife and I have not been doing anything with the hose except it gets replaced every three months via Medicare.)

I clean the nasal cushions daily with Dawn or a wipe unless the good people on this forum tell me otherwise.

The water chamber is filled daily with fresh distilled water. I was leaving the remainder from the previous night in the chamber.
Can I do that or should I continue to remove the old water and replace it with fresh water?

I desire to keep things as simple as I can and keep her safe since she is not the one taking care of the CPAP items.

Thanks as always to all the great folks on cpaptalk.com!

In 2021 I pour a little rubbing alcohol onto a cotton round and wipe down my mask every few days. I never wash my hose. As someone else mentioned its a pain to get the hose cover off and on. I empty and let dry out, the water chamber once or twice a month. (I use distilled) I occasionally run my headgear and hose cover through the laundry. I used to do everything weekly then I started slacking.

Usually no need to dump unused water nightly either - just top it up.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

Wash hose? Don't wash hose?

washed my hose exactly once in 6 years and that was before i found this forum and was convinced it's a waste of time. it's the same air you breath during the day so i see no need.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

(I am the caretaker for my wife and I have not been doing anything with the hose except it gets replaced every three months via Medicare.)

a minor quibble. i take care of my wife as well, but it's care GIVER. a careTAKER works in the funeral industry.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

I clean the nasal cushions daily with Dawn or a wipe unless the good people on this forum tell me otherwise.

i use a baby wipe each morning for my nasal pillows. then wash them 1 or 2 times per year. this is to keep oily buildup off of them. i believe this why i can get a number of years' use out of them.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

The water chamber is filled daily with fresh distilled water. I was leaving the remainder from the previous night in the chamber.

this part right here will likely cause a bunch of replies as we can't seem to agree on this amongst ourselves.

i use distilled. i don't empty it, but keep adding it in until i see some floaters in the tank. i have a spare tank so i pop that in and clean out the "scuzzy" one with vinegar.

now, let's see what others have to say.

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:42 am

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

Wash hose? Don't wash hose?

washed my hose exactly once in 6 years and that was before i found this forum and was convinced it's a waste of time. it's the same air you breath during the day so i see no need.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

(I am the caretaker for my wife and I have not been doing anything with the hose except it gets replaced every three months via Medicare.)

a minor quibble. i take care of my wife as well, but it's care GIVER. a careTAKER works in the funeral industry.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

I clean the nasal cushions daily with Dawn or a wipe unless the good people on this forum tell me otherwise.

i use a baby wipe each morning for my nasal pillows. then wash them 1 or 2 times per year. this is to keep oily buildup off of them. i believe this why i can get a number of years' use out of them.

Jeffj318 wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 10:13 am

The water chamber is filled daily with fresh distilled water. I was leaving the remainder from the previous night in the chamber.

this part right here will likely cause a bunch of replies as we can't seem to agree on this amongst ourselves.

i use distilled. i don't empty it, but keep adding it in until i see some floaters in the tank. i have a spare tank so i pop that in and clean out the "scuzzy" one with vinegar.

now, let's see what others have to say.

I edited the caregiver. I am sure I meant to say that so thanks for pointing that out. Quibbles are great!
Thanks for all the other answers, too. It certainly helps me a lot especially since I am not the one using CPAP.
I did so much "research" before we ordered the CPAP machine, etc. She has cancer and was not in any mental or physical shape to worry about that.

Julie wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:20 am

Usually no need to dump unused water nightly either - just top it up.

It starts getting icky after a few weeks though so you can just dump in the morning and let it dry. Then fill it up again that night if you do that a couple of times a month it won't get slimy.

zonker wrote: ↑

Tue Sep 07, 2021 11:42 am

a careTAKER works in the funeral industry

All of mine work on my estate.

Halloween is coming.
Let's all jump on this zombie and ride it to the graveyard/abandoned factory/asylum.
Hardly ever washing is quite common--we are NOT pigs--we just don't want to be OCD.