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Hi, I am a long time CPAP user. I have tried many things to clean my mask but I only use simple step mask cleaner disinfectant. After a long day all I have to do is spray and wipe. It smells fresh and clean. I dont recommend using bleach it is very dangerous to use on this plastic and silicone.....stephanie.

dsm wrote:I have taken to using Listerine mouthwash mixed with water to clean my tubes. This way it doesn't feel funny if any ends up in my mouth.

Not as nice a drink as whisky but much better than vinegar

Cheers

DSM

Hmmmm.....Clean your stuff in whiskey. Now thats not a bad idea!!!!haha

I use baby shampoo to clean the hose along with a brush that goes inside it, but only as necessary not on a regular basis. For my mask I use dove dishsoap without perfumes. I rinse my humidifier out daily and let it sit to try. If it needs cleaning I use white vinegar in water about 3 parts water to one part vinegar and it cleans it fine. That will get hard water problems and iron out too.
As far as bleach, bleach isn't really a cleaning agent it is for whitening. If you do get something growing in your humidifier wash it out good and soak it in a solution of water and vinegar. Don't bleach it, you won't kill what is growing in there you will only bleach it.

Gerry

way I look at it if you are gonna use vinegar and lemon use the acid(lemon) 1st then useing the base(vinegar) will neutralize the acidity of the lemon. Good to go.

cavedude60 wrote:way I look at it if you are gonna use vinegar and lemon use the acid(lemon) 1st then useing the base(vinegar) will neutralize the acidity of the lemon. Good to go.

Vinegar is acid (acetic) and lemon juice is acid (citric) so there's no neutralising going on. A little lemon juice in a final rinse will have your gear smelling like mum's washing!

K

Guest wrote: I dont recommend using bleach it is very dangerous to use on this plastic and silicone.....stephanie.

Not to mention LUNGS!

What on earth are you people doing with your hoses that requires such drastic (and apparently frequent) cleaning??

I cleaned my humidifier and mask with vinegar and water yesterday and now my mask makes a sound that air is leaking out. Did the vinegar eat away at the little rubber flap in my mask?

stubbs1963 wrote:I cleaned my humidifier and mask with vinegar and water yesterday and now my mask makes a sound that air is leaking out. Did the vinegar eat away at the little rubber flap in my mask?

Doubtful. Did you take the mask apart for cleaning? If so, I suspect minor reassembly problem. Something is not fitting properly for some reason. I would check all assembly junctions for leaks.

As tempting as the lovely scent of lemon sounds, lemon contains more sugar than most suspect.
Even a trace of sugar in the tank gives food to bacteria and yeast.
I get that enough without feeding them!

antibacterial soap is a bad idea since it could worsen asthma?

sickwithapnea17 wrote:antibacterial soap is a bad idea since it could worsen asthma?

How in the world would cleaning with antibacterial soap worsen asthma?

Brenda

there's a connection between antibiotics and asthma- maybe hydrogen peroxide is bad also since I read that it can irritate cells and cause pneumonia

You aren't supposed to be ingesting the antibacterial soap! You wash the mask(or anything else) with it and then rinse it off. Rinse well so there is no soapy film left on the mask(or whatever else).
I have to say this just one more time...you need to STOP reading all this stuff because you can't seem to figure out what to do with the information. Once you start using the xpap everytime you sleep, for the entire time you sleep-and start getting your leaks and AHI under control-and the fog clears-THEN you can start researching all you want and commenting all you want, because at that point(with any luck at all) you will be starting to understand what you read and what to do with the info you get.

Brenda

I clean my mask with ivory bar soap and rinse really well...seems ok.

I washed the hoses once (in 5 years).... *gulp*.

I was told to rinse my equipment every 2-3 days w/dawn dishwashing liquid soap. I also read that rinsing w/a bit of mouthwash gives a pleasant taste. So far so good. Am changing my distilled water in humidifier daily - and don't see if there is still plenty of water ... why I can't re use it again the next night? I clean the hose in the am and shake it out and hang it over a hanger to fully dry. Also - if there is a bit of water still in it - I let the air blow thru it ... Good luck! I too am struggling with this lifesaving mess!