boiling stuff

okay i use the mirage liberty hybrid type mask. i got some replacement silicone about a month ago. i notice the older stuff not sealing as well. i read back on boiling the nasal pillows to revive them. i plan to do that. my question is about the mouthpiece silicone. could that be boiled too? would it help?

Though I do not know, I am pretty certain that boiling the silicone of the mask would cause it to loose flexibility. It seems that it would essentially accelerate what happens when it is exposed to air and our faces over time.

But I have not tried this before, so do not know. But to let you know, I even checked the user guide for my mask and did not see any mention of how it would behave when exposed to high heat.

However, if you are thinking of sterilizing your mask, there are better ways to clean it than to boil (and possibly ruin) it. Simple soap, water and rinse will do a much better job without causing possible damage.

I would only try the boiling thing if I had suitable replacements for whatever I am boiling... just in case boiling was a disaster.
I know several members have had good luck boiling nasal pillows. I am not so sure about the cushion in the mouthpiece though BUT if you have a replacement on hand and you have already deemed it unusable in current condition then there is nothing to lose because it likely would end up in the trash can anyway.

--And please let us know your results.

I just don't think boiling your mask would be good even for the pillows. More likely they would melt I'd think. How long have you had the mask. You should be eligible for a new one if its in that rough a shape. If you are paying out of pocket, it might still be worth paying for a new one than trying to make an old one work.

drdrew wrote:okay i use the mirage liberty hybrid type mask. i got some replacement silicone about a month ago. i notice the older stuff not sealing as well. i read back on boiling the nasal pillows to revive them. i plan to do that. my question is about the mouthpiece silicone. could that be boiled too? would it help?

If you're ready to throw them away anyway, and have a spare, why not?

I'd boil the water, turn off the heat, let it sit for a minute or so and then drop the parts in. Or make something to hold the parts up from the bottom of the pot if you want to actually boil the parts.

I cant imagine boiling the cushion or pillows. I just wash while I am in the shower every moring with a pure soap and warm water then rinse.I think my cushions last longer than average.

I've boiled my older Swift FX pillows with no problem to them, in fact I've been using them again. Seems to give them new life.

squid13 wrote:I've boiled my older Swift FX pillows with no problem to them, in fact I've been using them again. Seems to give them new life.

Well,there you go!

Hi, the best thing to do is to get the water to boiling, then turn it off for a minute and then put in nasal pillows and leave in there for an hour or so, then shake to get all the remaining water out in the bathtub, and then dry out. Be sure it is COMPLETELY dry before using again. A blow dryer may be used. Don't boil, but do the next best thing. The tubing does change a bit, but is still usable - that's up to you, but the nasal pillows are fine. I do this when I start to get a nasal drip problem which happens periodically. I have found that the nasal drip goes away if I do this in conjunction with turning on the humidifier to 3 with less than an inch of water inside. I have a supply of nasal pillows and switch to a clean on each day.

My kids were both bottle babies--(back before breastfeeding was considered 'primitive')
Anyhow, I started out boiling their bottles and nipples (they were latex, then)
I stopped when I accidentally boiled the pot dry (probably had apnea then)
Do people sterilize baby stuff now?--the nipples are silicone--like our interface parts.
I might consider using the steamer, but it didn't work that well on edamame.

chunkyfrog wrote:My kids were both bottle babies--(back before breastfeeding was considered 'primitive')
Anyhow, I started out boiling their bottles and nipples (they were latex, then)
I stopped when I accidentally boiled the pot dry (probably had apnea then)
Do people sterilize baby stuff now?--the nipples are silicone--like our interface parts.
I might consider using the steamer, but it didn't work that well on edamame.

Rather than boiling you probably could get by with a microwaveable baby bottle sterilizer. Basically they are a covered dish that you put water at the bottom to steam everything. But yeah people still sterilize baby bottles.

Another option with baby bottles is to buy an insert (to hold the parts) and then just put them in the dishwasher (w/ or without other dishes) and make sure to turn on the "steam sanitize" setting. Most modern dishwashers have this feature.

As long as the silicone parts aren't resting on the bottom of the pot, you won't damage them with boiling water. Boiling water (100°C) should not be hot enough to damage the silicone, which is typically cured at 120°C to 165°C. It might be a little soft until it dries completely, as silicone is permeable to water vapor.

In the world of organic chemistry, lots of things start to happen at about 40 °C (104 °F). Some of those things may help or hurt the flexibility. Other things happen at boiling.

If your going to do this, start out with keeping the mask in 40°C water for a while and see if that helps. Then try again at just under boiling and then try boiling. It maybe be warm but not too hot is the right mix.

archangle wrote:

I'd boil the water, turn off the heat, let it sit for a minute or so and then drop the parts in. Or make something to hold the parts up from the bottom of the pot if you want to actually boil the parts.

srodeman8 wrote:Hi, the best thing to do is to get the water to boiling, then turn it off for a minute and then put in nasal pillows and leave in there for an hour or so, then shake to get all the remaining water out in the bathtub, and then dry out. Be sure it is COMPLETELY dry before using again. A blow dryer may be used. Don't boil, but do the next best thing.

chunkyfrog wrote: I might consider using the steamer,

Robespierre wrote:As long as the silicone parts aren't resting on the bottom of the pot, you won't damage them with boiling water. Boiling water (100°C) should not be hot enough to damage the silicone, which is typically cured at 120°C to 165°C.

I just have to ask, has anyone tried battering and deep frying?