PROPER CLEANING, Equipment Life Span

I change my filter once a month. I have never washed my hose. I do change and wash the hose cover monthly with my headgear. I wash my nasal pillows once a week is regular ivory hand soup. My head gear and hose covers I throw in a delicates bag and in the wash they go with the white laundry. I let them air dry.

I am still on my original headgear and climate line hose.

I also use Neutrogena liquid face soap daily on my mask, and every week or two for the headgear.

My humidity/water chamber is the cleanable type, so it is opened every day, and dried out. The stainless chamber also does not specifically call for distilled water, so I use tap, and have not had any problem with mineral buildup.

I have a replacement mask and can compare my 7month old mask with the new one, and they feel identical, and look very close. Should get a year from the mask... and for comparison, 10 years ago, I used a single mask for about 4 years. - I never used bleach, and would use the rule of thumb, can I put it on my face and leave it for a while? If no, I don't use it.

And my machine has a little air filter on the back. I have replaced that 3 times in 6 months.

When in doubt, consult the instructions the come with the specific equipment.

I have used a variety of methods to clean my stuff. I started out using vinegar for everything, with no issues. I read that vinegar was bad for everything but the water chamber. About 6 months of being on the hose, I noticed that there was a slight film in the corners of my water chamber. When wiped with a Q-tip, it turned the Q-tip red. The vinegar would not touch it but putting the water chamber in the dish washer took care of that. Now after cleaning everything I rise the water chamber with Peroxide. My directions in my latest mask forbid the use of vinegar, I have been using dawn with good results. I have used system 3, seems to work fine. The only issue I have with any of these products is they leave an afer smell. All except Peroxide which seems work best at disinfecting things and it is the only product I have found that leaves no smell.

I disassemble the mask (comfortgel) and wash it in the dishwasher. I try to do it about once a week. I use the superhot "sanitize" dishwasher cycle. Normal dishwashing powder. I do the same thing with the humidifier tank. (Respironics Remstar legacy or Remstar M). I use an "extra rinse" cycle. Sometimes I'll rinse in the sink afterwards. The CPAP equipment is the only thing in the dishwasher when I do this.

If you're concerned about how your particular equipment will handle the dishwasher, wait until it's about time to replace it anyway, get a spare, and wash the old stuff several times in the dishwasher.

The hose doesn't work as well in the dishwasher, since water will collect in it and sit, unless you do some tricks. I just rinse it in the sink, and then slip the end over the faucet on the sink and run the hottest water I have through the hose.

I keep at least two of everything. (Mask, hose, humidifier tank.) I swap a clean one for the used one, wash the dirty one, dry thoroughly, then let the clean one sit unused and dry for a week. I assume that being dry helps keep microorganism growth down. Having a spare of everything is a good idea anyway, in case you break something like the clips on a mask and can't use it.

Maybe I'd get a longer lifetime on the parts if I hand washed, but being really clean is worth the (possible) shorter lifetime to me. They seem to last the usual time period. I've had a few problems with masks, but I'm not convinced the problems are related to using the dishwasher.

Just because it works for the parts I use doesn't mean it will work for what you use, so be prepared to replace the parts if you try it. It's possible that some other manufacturer's masks will melt in the dishwasher.

My dishwasher has a "NSF sanitize" setting that heats the water, so I think it's doing an extra good job of germ killing. And it's giving them an extra "rough" treatment in terms of the possibility of doing damage to the mask.

For those of you who use a comfortgel and hand wash, does the cushion and flap eventually get "yucky" after 6 months to a year or so?

I've had my equipment less than a week so haven't been through cleaning it. My friend offline cleans all of hers everyday. My DME said to clean everything in baby shampoo once a week and to clean mask/pillows daily. I was thinking of getting the Control III because I tend to pick up everything going around and stay sick a lot (mostly from my niece who gets germs from school.) Sounds like there is a lot of variation in people's cleaning procedures and maybe it doesn't matter much for those that have strong immune systems. I'm curious if I should be more diligent in washing because I don't have a strong immune system. And also if anyone on these forums actually uses Control III.

archangle wrote: For those of you who use a comfortgel and hand wash, does the cushion and flap eventually get "yucky" after 6 months to a year or so?

I use the Respironics ComfortGel Nasal mask & only hand wash mine.
My BC/BS private insurance follows the Medicare guidelines & will replace the blue cushion & clear flap TWICE a month.
I don't change mine that often, but I also do not go 6 months or 1 year before I change only the blue cushion & clear flap.
So, mine never get "yucky".
But, they do tend to not seal as well the older they get.

Do you actually put the blue cushion and clear flap in the dishwasher as well?
If you do & are getting 6 months to a year out of them, I may try that since I change mine more often.
My only concern would be that it would tend to make them not seal as well more quickly.

I just changed my blue cushion & clear flap a couple of days ago & still have the old set.
I may experiment with putting the old ones in the dishwasher in the "sanitize" mode to see whether or not they melt.

StevenXXXX wrote:
I use the Respironics ComfortGel Nasal mask & only hand wash mine.
My BC/BS private insurance follows the Medicare guidelines & will replace the blue cushion & clear flap TWICE a month.
I don't change mine that often, but I also do not go 6 months or 1 year before I change only the blue cushion & clear flap.
So, mine never get "yucky".
But, they do tend to not seal as well the older they get.

Do you actually put the blue cushion and clear flap in the dishwasher as well?
If you do & are getting 6 months to a year out of them, I may try that since I change mine more often.
My only concern would be that it would tend to make them not seal as well more quickly.

I just changed my blue cushion & clear flap a couple of days ago & still have the old set.
I may experiment with putting the old ones in the dishwasher in the "sanitize" mode to see whether or not they melt.

Wow, twice a month? 24 a year!!!??

Yes, in the dishwasher, super hot cycle, roughly every two weeks if I'm being diligent. (Since I rotate between two masks.)

I do usually turn off the heated dry part of the cycle. They never seem to get really dry anyway. I just shake them off or wipe them off and leave them on the rack with the door open.

I also do NOT use any rinse aid or Jet-Dry, because I'm afraid they might leave some sort of coating on the parts. They do keep water from beading up, so there must be some sort of material left on the dishes.

Looking at my collection of old masks, I've probably got around 14 "dead" masks over the past 7 years, so that sounds like about 6 months each. I've got 1 with a torn flap, 1 or two with gummy cushions, 5 or 6 with "yucky" cushions or flaps. I've got 5 or 6 with cracked plastic on the flap frame, but I'm not convinced that is from dishwashing.

Almost all my old style clip socket masks are cracked, but I fixed most of them with epoxy and could still use them. Respironics changed the clip design a time or two to fix it, then redesigned the mask frame, so I don't think the dishwasher can be blamed for that. I broke at least one of them before I used the dishwasher. I know some other people have had similar problems and some haven't. Maybe I'm fat fingered, especially when I'm groggy while attaching or removing the mask.

I have two of the new frame design and have never had any cracking problems.

Note that the ComfortGel is no longer available and the cushion on the ComfortGel Blue is a little different. If anything, the new one looks like it would be a little more hot water resistant. It has the new, better clip sockets.

archangle wrote:
Note that the ComfortGel is no longer available and the cushion on the ComfortGel Blue is a little different. If anything, the new one looks like it would be a little more hot water resistant. It has the new, better clip sockets.

How is the blue cushion on the ConfortGel Blue different?
Since I just bought some new cushions in December, I may already have the newer cushion.
How do I tell?

StevenXXXX wrote: How is the blue cushion on the ConfortGel Blue different?
Since I just bought some new cushions in December, I may already have the newer cushion.
How do I tell?

They're visibly very different, especially that the new ones look lighter and have a little clear band next to the flange.

Comfort Gel cushion
Darker Blue
Maybe a little thicker and gooier. (Maybe)
Has a little ridge or flap on the inside of the cushion where it touches your skin.
Has a thin hard plastic ring molded where it attaches to the mask frame.

Comfort Gel Blue cushion
No hard plastic ring, but the flange that attaches to the mask frame is a flexible rubbery plastic.
The clear plastic extends 1/4 inch or so out from the frame.
No internal flap

Both apparently have some sort of gel inside a flexible plastic skin.
Cpapxchange says the ComfortGel blue cushions and flaps are compatible with the ComfortGel masks. The part number on the flaps seems to be the same.

The mask has a different headpad and exhaust port design.