Nasal pillow & mask cushion storage. How long until bad?

I have ordered a lot of extra mask because I have use up all of my FSA funds. Enough to last me many years. I also have extra pillows.

I failed to consider that the silicone parts could go bad over time. How long can these parts last and how should I store them?

They will last a long, long time if you keep them sealed in the original bags. Left out in the open air they will discolor and look yucky but won't really be harmed all that much unless you get a lot of drying out of the silicone.
I keep all my new unused stuff in their original sealed bag an in a big box with a lid.
Stuff that I am using but maybe rotating (like nasal pillows) I just keep in the little bag that comes with the masks.
I just wash them, let them dry and throw them in the bag and keep it handy on the dresser.
That's also how I know which ones are used and which ones aren't. I think I have an Aloha mask and a Pilairo mask in that little bag since I have also used those masks. The Aloha has been in there since last spring. It's fine.

A good question, Cosmo.

I Googled this and all I could find that might be useful was silicone prostheses, which will last anywhere from 1 to 4 years, depending on their use.

If you take the longest time as 4 years for a prosthetic arm which is exposed to normal elements, then it makes sense that your silicone mask parts, kept sealed in a dry, dark place should last much longer. You may find some yellowing due to age, but some here have boiled nasal pillows in water with some baking soda and they've returned to new condition.

cheers,
xena

I wonder if using a vacuum-seal bag would make any difference.
Or keeping them in the freezer, once vacuum-sealed.

I'm going to stick an unused nasal pillow that is not in my size in the fridge to see how long it will last or the effects.

Silicone; (check the Wikipedia page) Temperatures down to -100C are not an issue.
But oxygen can be, due to silicone's ability to absorb oxygen.
It sounds like airtight packaging would be a great idea.
(anybody know a supplier for those little packs you find in the bottom of a bag of jerky?--new, of course!)

Be careful where you put them and how you store them -- I just got a 'gift' of new nasal masks and tubing, brand new in their original packaging. The person had them sitting for quite some time and wasn't going to use them because he switched mask type.

And they totally stink. From a smoker's home and the silicone just stinks. No matter what I tried I cannot purge the smell from the flexible cushion parts. The hard plastic parts are fine. Anything pliable, however, is ruined. I even ran one of the masks through the dishwasher, after first trying a day's soak of the cushion in vinegar. Nothing, nothing gets the smell out of the silicone.

So lesson 1. The manufacturer's packaging is not impermeable to odor molecules or chemicals. Lesson 2. For long term storage you will need to find something that is impermeable to store them in. Perhaps large mason jars with tight fitting lids to store the cushions in. I would not store anything in a freezer because it will pick up food odors, and certainly not in a garage. And definitely not in a sock drawer....

The jar sounds like a plan, maybe even kept in the dark, with a new charcoal capsule.
I have a mask I lent for 5 days to the wife of a HEAVY smoker.
I did what you did; to no effect; then I tossed it aside and forgot about it.
3 months later, I couldn't smell the smoke. The key ingredient was TIME.

chunkyfrog wrote:The jar sounds like a plan, maybe even kept in the dark, with a new charcoal capsule.
I have a mask I lent for 5 days to the wife of a HEAVY smoker.
I did what you did; to no effect; then I tossed it aside and forgot about it.
3 months later, I couldn't smell the smoke. The key ingredient was TIME.

What about 'canning' them in a jar of vinegar like you do with hot peppers?

Say a month or two...

Would that get rid of the smoke smell w/o causing damage I wonder?

lazer wrote:

chunkyfrog wrote:The jar sounds like a plan, maybe even kept in the dark, with a new charcoal capsule.
I have a mask I lent for 5 days to the wife of a HEAVY smoker.
I did what you did; to no effect; then I tossed it aside and forgot about it.
3 months later, I couldn't smell the smoke. The key ingredient was TIME.

What about 'canning' them in a jar of vinegar like you do with hot peppers?

Say a month or two...

Would that get rid of the smoke smell w/o causing damage I wonder?

Pickled silicone, the next BIG thing!

I think the most important thing to do is keep the silicone cushions away from exposure to the sunlight...

The UV ray's will cause the silicone to yellow as well as make it brittle over time.

hyperlexis did you try boiling the cushion for 15 minutes or so with some baking soda in the water?

I wanted to bump this post. So if stored in open air, in a box, nasal pillows wont get any germs or whatever in them? Just maybe discoloration?

I know, maybe that's a silly question but I'm a germophobe kinda.