cleaning solution

I have a Quattro FX full face mask. Each morning, I clean it with swaps (specific to masks - got them from cpap.com).
Once a week, I take it apart and clean all the parts in water with little soap.
Just after 1-2 weeks after first use, the silicon cushion is far from being clear.
I was wondering if there is a dedicated cleaning solution out there which really "shines" it out.

Do other people have such issues or is their silicon cushion clear as crystal?

Anyone who has used ArmorAll or a similar product, or knows someone who has used it on their car's dashboard has probably heard tales of woe involving cracks developing after a while. Lots of car folks are vehemently against using any cleaning agents on plastic car parts for that reason. I think CPAP masks might best be treated the same way. I'm on my original Opus 360 nasal pillows after more than 2 years. I only wipe them with a tissue. No soap, no cleaning solutions.

Have you seen this thread?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74686&p=685305&hili ... ng#p685305

Yes, the silicone does seem to get "cloudy" looking. I have never used anything but a nasal pillow mask and yes, the silicone with use will turn color. In fact if left out in the air and not even used it can actually yellow to the point of being really ugly despite never being used. I saw it happen to one of my nasal pillows.

When you rinse your cushion after washing...are you rinsing in normal tap water which might contain minerals or are you using a distilled water rinse?

Silicone does get cloudy. It doesn't mean it needs replacing. I use mine for a minimum of 3 months before replacing. The boiling does help to make the silicone clear but is clouds up again after about 7-10 days.

Pugsy wrote:Have you seen this thread?
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74686&p=685305&hili ... ng#p685305

Yes, the silicone does seem to get "cloudy" looking. I have never used anything but a nasal pillow mask and yes, the silicone with use will turn color. In fact if left out in the air and not even used it can actually yellow to the point of being really ugly despite never being used. I saw it happen to one of my nasal pillows.

When you rinse your cushion after washing...are you rinsing in normal tap water which might contain minerals or are you using a distilled water rinse?

Normal tap water and some colorless liquid soap. I may start conducting experiments on with cushions I'm about to replace in the future.
Boiling sounds too extreme.

Is a puzzlement to me.

Our tap water varies from place to place.
Even though a city may be able to make it "safe" for drinking, minerals are still present.
I find the 13 grains present in our water will make silicone get scuzzy after a very short time.
I wish I had access to the soft artesian water we drank on the ranch in Cherry county.
It was awesome!

LSAT wrote:Silicone does get cloudy. It doesn't mean it needs replacing. I use mine for a minimum of 3 months before replacing. The boiling does help to make the silicone clear but is clouds up again after about 7-10 days.

Doesn't the silicon lose "form" when boiling? What temperature do you use and for how long?

As long as it's not turning yellow, it's fine.

Do NOT put Armor All or get any liquid silicone (i.e. lube....) on it at all. You will melt the plastic/silicone parts.

The plastic is not cloudy, per se. The hard water and soap is forming spots on the plastic when it dries. If you have soft water or clean in distilled water, this should be less problematic. But otherwise, it will happen. You could try adding some jet dry to your rinse water to see if it helps, but who knows if that could itself degrade the silicone. One mask, the Hans Rudolph V2 I know can be cleaned in the dishwasher. But all other masks I have seen do not allow it.

The instructions for the masks I have seen are all very straightforward for cleaning. >> Warm water. Plain soap. Wash mask and hose. Rinse. Dry. Daily. Replace cushions monthly and masks every 90 days. Simple stuff. Nothing mysterious to mask care.

justacpapuser wrote:

LSAT wrote:Silicone does get cloudy. It doesn't mean it needs replacing. I use mine for a minimum of 3 months before replacing. The boiling does help to make the silicone clear but is clouds up again after about 7-10 days.

Doesn't the silicon lose "form" when boiling? What temperature do you use and for how long?

Many people on this forum have done it...it works and does not hurt the silicone.
I do it with my Quattro silicone.

Boil some distilled water....add a tsp of baking soda
Drop the silicone into the boiling water
I leave it for about 2 minutes and then turn it for another minute
(The foam is the baking soda reacting with the oils from the skin)
Take out and rinse in distilled water
Let air dry...It will look like new.

I dishwash my ComfortGel masks once a week. No dishes, normal dishwashing powder, extra rinse, "sanitize" cycle. NO rinse agent.

The silicone gets a little cloudy eventually. Never bad enough that I worry about it. YMMV with different water.

LSAT wrote:

justacpapuser wrote:

LSAT wrote:Silicone does get cloudy. It doesn't mean it needs replacing. I use mine for a minimum of 3 months before replacing. The boiling does help to make the silicone clear but is clouds up again after about 7-10 days.

Doesn't the silicon lose "form" when boiling? What temperature do you use and for how long?

Many people on this forum have done it...it works and does not hurt the silicone.
I do it with my Quattro silicone.

Boil some distilled water....add a tsp of baking soda
Drop the silicone into the boiling water
I leave it for about 2 minutes and then turn it for another minute
(The foam is the baking soda reacting with the oils from the skin)
Take out and rinse in distilled water
Let air dry...It will look like new.

Boil like fully/max boil the water until it is all bubbles and makes noises?

justacpapuser wrote:

LSAT wrote:

justacpapuser wrote:

LSAT wrote:Silicone does get cloudy. It doesn't mean it needs replacing. I use mine for a minimum of 3 months before replacing. The boiling does help to make the silicone clear but is clouds up again after about 7-10 days.

Doesn't the silicon lose "form" when boiling? What temperature do you use and for how long?

Many people on this forum have done it...it works and does not hurt the silicone.
I do it with my Quattro silicone.

Boil some distilled water....add a tsp of baking soda
Drop the silicone into the boiling water
I leave it for about 2 minutes and then turn it for another minute
(The foam is the baking soda reacting with the oils from the skin)
Take out and rinse in distilled water
Let air dry...It will look like new.

Boil like fully/max boil the water until it is all bubbles and makes noises?

That's what boiling does.....it makes bubbles.

Silicone bakeware is commonly expected to withstand temperatures up to 400 deg. F (YMMV)
Home-medical grade may be similar, but is intended to withstand sterilization.
I would keep silicone cushions and pillows off the bottom of any pan surface exposed to direct heat.
Use a double boiler, or something like this hanging in a regular pot deep enough to keep it off the bottom:
http://www.amazon.com/Fusionbrands-Sili ... B002OOVC7K