Would you put your humdifier chamber in the dishwasher?

If you feel the need to clean I guess major factors are :

1) How clean or good your dishwasher is
2) The quality/hardness of your water for cleaning

We do not rinse our dishes as we were told not too as the dishwasher has a built in waste disposal

Our water is soft, we have a softener. I notice that soap is actually rinsed away well with soft water whereas hard water leaves soap residue behind.

I've never washed my chamber until recently when i noticed i was getting some congestion. I just suspected it may be due to the humidifier water after reading another thread. Up until recently i was using 1/3 to 1/2 a tank a night but now the humidity has tripled in Arizona I'm hardly using any which means the water sits in the tank for a much longer period of time.

I'm going to try switching to filling up to a 1/4 level each night and emptying and leaving to dry in the morning. And then maybe cleaning every 2-3 months with my control III.

But i still wonder why Resmed made a dishwasher version in the first place though

I can't believe I'm still monkeying around at 18 months into CPAP therapy

GumbyCT wrote:

lktnky wrote:Believe me, if it didn't smell so musty I wouldn't be going to all this trouble. I tried doing the 'rinse & go' thing for awhile but got that nasty pink gunk in a tank and ended up tossing it. It's just easier this way. Like 'they' say, "It's in the water!"

You are not far off - the 'pink' is definitely dangerous stuff but it doesn't come from distilled water. So me thinks it comes from (bacteria) washing with city or well water. Then maybe the room drying?

If you just can't avoid washing it then maybe using vinegar to kill the nasties after the wash and a "Final Rinse" with distilled will help. Even make a vinegar/distilled spray. But yea if you see pink you gotta do something.

Ahhh, the dreaded pink. I think my home was built on Indian burial ground or something, as this lovely pink crap decorates every surface in my home that's ever been wet, unless it was dishwasher'd and steamed dry. I had it cultured and it is serratia marcescens. I've seen it grow in a cup filled with sterile water, spring water, tap, bottled... I guess the lesson is, don't leave stagnant water in the tank and dry well.

I just wonder why Resmed even makes a humidifier chamber that will not open for cleaning. I mean think about it. Your breathing through a device for 7-8 hours a day that can not be cleaned like it should be.

If it hadn't been for the thread in this forum I never would have bothered. Didn't know the pink gunk was bad but like you, have it in my bathrooms and scrub those frequently. It even gets into my cloth shower curtains. YUK!
Why wouldn't I scrub my tank! Definitely don't want it in my lungs.
For awhile my insurance wouldn't pay for the upgrade. Now I don't care & just bought another. That was one feature I did like about my old Respironics ~ the tank came apart & was easy to clean. Before I ordered the second ResMed tank I was soaking/swishing it in soapy water then soaking/swishing with vinegar water. I use cold water as bacteria like that the least.

All the best,
LKTNKY

I've only had mine for 6 weeks now (7?). Never cleaned it. I use the "rested gal top-it-off" method. I've only had it empty when I disconnected it to take on a vacation and a business trip, and obviously on the travel days in which I returned home.

Distilled water. Haven't even used a gallon yet.

Roman Hokie wrote: I use the "rested gal top-it-off" method.

"The Rested Gal Top-it-off Method ©" love it!

blakepro wrote:

Roman Hokie wrote: I use the "rested gal top-it-off" method.

"The Rested Gal Top-it-off Method ©" love it!

It IS the preferred method.

I am one of those who has been casual about tank cleaning, but lately have had to take it more seriously. Too often I'm finding floaties and pink stuff, and the the chamber has a slippery film. So, my latest plan is to fill the tank, then when it's nearly empty, open and soak in vinegar water. Since I use it in passover, that's close to a week.

My doc has fussed at me about do a better job on cleaning. And I don't think it's cya, as there was mention of based on what they are seeing. Plus, even in my world of denial, it doesn't make sense for a woman with chronic respiratory issues and interstitial lung disease to keep saying the uncleaned equipment doesn't hurt me when who knows if maybe my lungs would do better by me preventing the pink stuff rather than cleaning it after the fact.

But, if a humidifier was manufactured to be dishwasher safe, I would do it per instructions. Otherwise, no. Some dishwasher detergent can be abrasive, and I would imagine could scratch the surface or damage the finish of plastic - a perfect place for holding bacteria.

I've been through 3 models of the M series tanks. With the 2nd model, I tried the Pur Sleep oils. Twice, the odor of the Pur Sleep turned up in the water and once, the pink junk appeared as well. I washed the tank a lot in those days, but always rinsed with distilled water due to the mineral content of the local water. I stayed ill with bronchitis and sinus infections. The 3rd model tank has given me no problems and is just topped off once a week because I don't use any heat with it. It's a puzzle to me as to how the Pur Sleep got into the water, and it is no longer used by me. I've never read that anyone else had that problem.

An easy fix is to dump the water daily and wash it every 2-3 days with white vinegar first and then distilled water. I find that the mild acid in the vinegar removes any slime or gunk.

dwsupt wrote:An easy fix is to dump the water daily and wash it every 2-3 days with white vinegar first and then distilled water. I find that the mild acid in the vinegar removes any slime or gunk.

Should any tank develop slime? I would think that a well designed unit would never build up dangerous matter.

Would you put your humdifier chamber in the dishwasher?

Only after I have warmed up chili in it.

I wash my 'stuff' every Saturday (or so). What do I wash?
My hose
My mask(s)
My humidifier tank

I also wipe down with a disinfectant wipe the exterior of the blower/humidifer and the inside of any air tubing that I can reach and then run a plain wet paper towel over them to ensure that there is no residue.

I wash the hose, mask, tank in an odor-free soap (there are several listed in other threads, but here's my short list from the forums:)

Clearly Natural Unscented Pure and Natural Glycerine Soap. Found in a pump bottle with other hand cleaners in the super market

Method Go Naked Dish Soap - TARGET
Seventh Generation Free & Clear Dish Soap - TARGET
Purex
Ivory unscented
Dr. Bronners (health food store) totally unscented
Ivory Classic Pure liquid Soap - no scent
7th Generation unscented (for handwashing dishes)
Dove Baby Unscented Shampoo - LOBLAWS
Ivory Liquid Hand Soap.
I have a pump by my sink, and a small squeeze 300ml bottle for my travel cleaning always packed

If you really want to kill things off you can drop some disinfectant or vinegar (that's what I use) into the initial plain water rinse out. Then wash again with soapy water to get rid of the vinegar/disinfectant odors. For my tubing I just put a bit of soap into the tubing direct; half fill it with very warm water and slosh it about for a few minutes. Same with the plastic mask materials that have "flaps". Get all the 'blech" out and make them smell nice and neutral again.

I spent three weeks; almost a month on life support this past summer as a result of bacterial pneumonia and so I am totally anal about getting rid of any potential bacteria in the blower system.... if I could disinfect the blower itself without killing electronics or the plastics I would do that too, but in reality the air that is blowing through at that point in the pathway is fresh air and there should be no contaminants. Where the bacteria can and will eventually form starts at the humidifier; we have a friend who is a microbiologist and runs a lab... I have often thought about taking some samples in the tank, hose and mask and seeing exactly what groes. Nontheless, I know that if I don't wash at least ocassionally things start to smell a bit, a sure sign of bacterial growth and generally invisible as I wash it out before it begins to grow green fuzz.

There is no need according to personal experience and reports on the forums, to wash daily as may be suggested in the manuals (thinkit is a CYA thing). I don't even think that washing weekly is really necessary unless your nose is running and you have "blech" deposits. But I do it as a matter of habit most weekend but am not concerned if I miss a weekend.

I also, for interst, have green wipes, and I wipe the mask, the humidifier tank and the exterior of the case daily when I remove the mask as a matter of habit and cleanliness to keep whatever is on my hands in terms of contaminents from culturing in and around these items. Also not a big necessity I think, excepting that it is nice to put on a nice clean mask at night without "blech" in and on it. And don't tell me that there is no "blech" as my day two or three it is starting to build up and by week's end I think it best to soak the mask for while to soften whatever this blech is composed of.

So, the bottom line? Don't be anal about cleanliness but DO give it a quick was in the sink and a thorough rinse every once in a while (in my case every week or two). There are some that have not cleaned ANYTHING in two years - I would love to get a swab of THOSE machines!

Wonder what they do to disinfect the blowers in the hospital. Have been meaning to ask and see if I can swipe a bottle of whatever they are using.

Down off soapbox....

My answer to your question? I would never put anything that I value in the dishwasher. Your tank will start 'crazing' before too long and will develop a haze from the dishwasher detergent as well. No need to autoclave the stuff. simle soap and water and an occasional dash of vinegar is good enough IMHO>

Comments?