make up sponges to clean your mask

I tried to use those white inexpensive makeup sponges that are either triangle or pad like to gently wash my mask and equipment. I think this works well. They are very soft and don't leave any residue. The are not traumatic on my mask cushion.
I bought a second mask for back up. & wash my mask and hoses @ night when I can give more time to washing them. I have a plastic basin I use only for washing and soaking my equipment. I let every thing soak in warm soapy water, then rinse them under the faucet. The humidifier basin does it's own soak, then gets rinsed. The hose, after I take a funnel and run the soapy water through, gets transported to the bathtub in the basin, then I empty the basin & place one end of the hose to the bathtub spout and let the rinse water run through. Then the hose gets hung looped over the shower head. This may sound like a long time but the system goes fast when you get used to it. Mask parts dry on a kitchen cloth with a paper towel over the cloth, and dry all day. My biggest problem is water left in the hose that never drains completely out even if I hand the hose on the shower head. I have started to run some air through my machine with the hose hooked up so that I can get rid of a bit of extra moisture. I have only done this for less than 5 seconds wiggling the tube. I am concerned about placing strain on the machine (neurotic I guess).
I traveled for 1 week with my mask. You can buy distilled water almost any wear. a small plastic bottle of Ivory hand soap is great to carry along. Again the makeup Sponges come in handy. I use the Humidifier container to pour the soapy water through the hose. Bathtub faucet does the rinsing. When I get home I do my vinegar solution rinse.

Sounds like a good regimen. Maybe a bit of overkill, but if it makes you feel better, go for it!

Running your machine more than 5 mins to dry the hose won't hurt the machine or the hose. However, it might mess up the data (the machine interpreting it as a very short night!)

Sounds like an elegant solution to a non problem.

I think the last time I cleaned anything was about 6-8 months ago.
I do rinse my pillows and wash them every couple of months though..

How often to you boil your nose?
Toothbrush?

I used these to cleanup the face cushion and mask after a night...

http://preview.tinyurl.com/le29a2

...then after a week or so (usually "or so" ) I will give the mask a good wash with soap and warm water.

I guess because I am a nurse i do get into over kill; however, a warm moist environment is a great place for bacteria to grow & I guess I just feel safer doing it that way.

I have a nurse friend on CPAP-- and she never cleans her equipment (I'd rather have you as my nurse if I were in the hospital--- Don't get me wrong, she's a good friend, but I'd rather have you as my nurse). Fortunately for her, she also has a puppy- and he chews through her masks before they get too old.

All of this to say, "You go, girl-- Good for you." We all seem to balance the lazy in us and the way we think things should be. What you are doing will not hurt any of the equipment (ie- boiling a maske every night would definately kill the germs, but hurt the equipment)-- and I am sure that for you, your routine helps you sleep better.

For me- I am half-way in-between. With some advice I received here I am improving my maintenance (which wasn't bad to begin with).

And I am serious-- You are the kind of nurse I would want if I were in the hospital--
letchworth

This is for letchworth, Thanks for the complement. So much of the basics of that regime was given to me by my provider, Lincare. My note was originally just to offer my method for following up on their routine. I still think I will follow what I am doing. I wonder if others have gotten the same info from their provider. I just assumed everyone was doing the same thing up till now.

Hey Piggy, great tip! Particularly for the newbies who may be struggling with mask cleaning issues and haven't settled on a routine.

I second this - I'd rather have YOU as my nurse, with your fear of germs!!!

One of the reasons I love the Nasal Aire II ,mask so much is it doesn't REQUIRE daily cleaning to get a decent seal. I can go weeks without washing it. Not terribly HYGENIC, but easy for my lazy bones. But if you're using just about any other mask, you're stuck with daily cleaning to get any kind of decent seal. Blech.

Cheers,
B.