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I am lazy!!! I go long periods without cleaning mask hose anything. Am I making my allergies worse?

I clean my machine, mask and tubing once a week.

I need to do better at cleaning my items more often.

Do you use the "special" cleaner? When I do get around to cleaning I fill the sink and use Dawn. I am back to using only distilled water. The first water tank had crust in the bottom from using tap water. And we have Very good water here

KenH wrote:I am lazy!!! I go long periods without cleaning mask hose anything. Am I making my allergies worse?

If you get mildew growing in your hose, you have a very good chance of making your allergies worse. Since you live in the humid Southern U.S. like I do, mildew grows very easily on damp surfaces here because once they get damp, they tend to stay damp. Once mildew gets established, it becomes tough to fight and grows back quickly. Therefore, keeping your hose sanitized makes sense.

As for keeping your mask clean, that is just good hygiene. I wash my nasal pillows with warm water and mild soap every night. I'll admit that I'm a bit of a neatnik, but the idea of breathing through a funky mask turns my stomach.

We're supposed to clean this stuff??
I use distilled water. If the tank is empty I rinse it. Otherwise it just gets topped off. It still looks brand new.
I normally just use it in passover mode so I don't worry about humidity in the hose. I run hot water through it once a month at best. I think it gets more moisture in it from doing that than regular use. Takes forever to dry.
Pillows and mask straps I clean randomly. Probably once a week or so. I wear this face everyday so I don't think I'm allergic to it.
I have started rinsing the filters between changes. Thanks for reminding me, I need to order those.
I understand the cleaning instructions which have to apply to everyone and protect the manufacturer from all things possible....

I hook the hose up to the faucet and run the hottest water I can get through it once a week. Then air dry it on an old CPAP machine. I have two of everything and let one set sit dry for a week after cleaning.

The mask and water tanks get disassembled and washed in the dishwasher, except for the headgear.

I do what the manual says, once a week wash the tub, nasal pillows and tubing in warm soapy water, and rinse thoroughly with warm water. I don't use tap water in the tub, "purified" water (which the label says is either distilled or purified via reverse osmosis) although I have the kind of tub that I can take apart that's much easier to wash, and air dries a lot quicker. Also, I wash out the tub daily, and wipe off the nasal pillows with a soft cloth and warm water. Everything air dries. No hot water. For soap I use one of the ones recommended in the manual (Palmolive Original because it's easy to get). The Palmolive also has a strong enough smell that I can tell if I've rinsed things thoroughly enough.

Anyways, everything seems to be doing just fine.

Mask wiped down daily with baby wipe. Everything (hose, filters, mask) soaked once a week in Dawn Direct Foam (although I am trying baby shampoo since many say Dawn is too harsh on the silicone seal).

Like another poster said - I have two of everything (except the mask) and rotate, letting them air dry for a week. I let my filters dry on a plate lined with paper towel until they are really dry (usually 36-48 hours) then put them into a plastic ziplock until I need them the next Sunday.

In my situation, a Respiratory Therapist comes to my home every two months to check me & my equipment. Every one of them has said that I have the cleanest equipment, especially filters, they've ever seen.

I have a friend who has been on CPAP for 15 years. I called her about cleaning the stuff, as I was nervous about doing it wrong or not enough, etc. This friend knows a lot about germs. We both have the same CPAP machines. This is what she told me:
Ours have the heated humidity hose. The hose dries itself as the machine keeps running air thru for a time after you shut it off. Also, this air is filtered, so she says it can't grow anything and there's no moisture left in it. But, hang it up. (I put a hook on the wall for this, and another for the headgear & mask). She never washes her hose. And, if you wash it, you have the chance that is doesn't dry completely. Insurance lets us replace the hose every 3 months.
If you keep your fingers out of the humidity water container, and use just distilled water, just swish the remaining water around and dump it every morning. Then set it upside down to air dry on a clean washcloth or paper towel. She says no bacteria can grow in it this way.
Wash the mask with mild soap daily (she uses Olay bar soap, I use a drop of baby shampoo) and rinse well and air dry. I've been told repeatedly not to use Dawn because it's too strong and can wear out the silicone.
Check your filter and replace at least once a month, or more often if you have a dusty room or it looks like it needs to be replaced. Insurance allows us 2 a month, and she replaces hers every two weeks. Got to keep that air clean.
Insurance also allows replacement of the silicone pillows twice a month as the seals can get leaky. She advised me to take the replacements when I'm eligible so that I always have a spare. She cited a time when she left her CPAP hose behind, in another state, and had no replacement. You don't want that to happen.
Hope this helps.
Lori

2kittymom wrote: Ours have the heated humidity hose. The hose dries itself as the machine keeps running air thru for a time after you shut it off. Also, this air is filtered, so she says it can't grow anything and there's no moisture left in it.

Some dust and other things will still make it through the air filters. Some of this ends up in the hose. Some of whatever your exhale also goes up the hose. Even the heated hose gets some condensation some times. The gunk levels may be low, but they aren't zero. Washing the hose occasionally is still a good idea.

I guess it's a habit I developed in another life. I take care of my stuff. So I clean my hose, humidifier chamber, and FFM every day. Yep, every day. Clean the little sponge filter once a week, disinfect the hose with 1P vinegar 3P water every week.

Also make the bed every day, polish my shoes at least once a week, fold my underwear & T shirts, roll my socks and change my engine oil every three thousand miles. Yes, I am married. It's just how I roll.

I'm a big believer in keeping my CPAP stuff clean. I've had allergies, and I don't want my CPAP to cause me problems!
I wash my nasal pillows every morning - just a quick swish w/some v. mild dish detergent and a quick rinse. I use Ayr Saline Gel, and definitely don't want to be growing any crumbies in my nasal pillows!
Every couple of days I empty out the humidifier's chamber and let it air dry. I wash the hose and humidifier chamber every 7=10 days.
Since I use a padacheek mask liner for my FFM, I don't wash it every day, but I do wash the mask liner after a handful of nights, when I'm using that mask. I wash the FFM and the other parts of the Swift FX mask once a week.

I change the filter once a month.

One thing surprised me when I started using nasal pillows: my sinuses stay clearer using them, than babying them with the FFM! Not sure what that's all about, but there you have it.

Ah the same old subject.We all do it different because we are all different.
Wash cushions or pillows every morning. I use a pure soap.
Wash tub every week
Wash hose every month.
never wash the face mask itself.

Mold is a problem; especially in rural areas.
When I was in the hospital, my roommate was a farm wife who had surgery
to remove part of a lung and sections of rib bone because of a stubborn mold infection:
--source: their fields!