Okay, so tell the truth...

Everything gets cleaned weekly in warm water and neutral, no-scent, no-colour dish soap. Mask is wiped out with wet wipes daily, water tank is dumped in the potted plants in the morning and refilled after drying all day. Black foam filter cleaned weekly, white micro-filter replaced when it shows dirt (been almost 2 months and haven't changed it yet).
I use distilled water because my tap water is considered good for calcium deficiencies. During the day, I cover everything up on the bedside table with a bar towel to keep the dust off.

dlanbro wrote:Just rinsed out my filter after a month and let it air dry. This was all per the instructions of my equipment supplier and the info that came with the machine.

Do you have the washable filter for the S9? I haven't been able to find one online. All I can find are the disposable white fine filters that won't hold up to washing.
I know they used to supply a washable filter (it feels a lot different from the white fine filters) but I was wondering if anyone had a source where to buy the washable filter.

Speaking of bottom lines *smile*, my DME originally told me to do the weekly washing using 50% vinegar solution. They have it in writing, just in case I forgot *smile*. That would really help to degrade the silicone and plastic parts. I never did that, didn't make any sense to me. Instead, I read the ResMed cleaning instructions (don't use vinegar at all unless you see mineral deposits, and then use a 10% solution *smile*) and followed them. Still using my original climateline hose, headgear, humidifier tank, etc.. The filters and the nasal pillows get changed every few months, that's it so far. As a result, I have some spare parts from my DME, that would like to replace this stuff a lot more than I request.

[quote="Pugsy"]
Do you have the washable filter for the S9? I haven't been able to find one online. All I can find are the disposable white fine filters that won't hold up to washing.
quote]

No, all I have is the white filter. I just rinsed it as well as I could and patted it dry as best as I could then set it out to dry. I've only done it once but it seems to have held up. I remember seeing something a couple of weeks ago that you can go buy filter material at Home Depot/Lowes/Walmart/etc. Just need to cut it to size.

I clean my hose once a week in the kitchen sink and rinse very well. I then hang it in the bathroom over the shower head to drain and dry.
I clean my nasal mask daily in a small plastic bowl and let it air dry on a paper towel.
I clean my humidifier tank in the dishwasher 2 times a week. Between times I just keep it filled with distilled water.

The hose and mask are washed in warm water with 2 drops of baby shampoo and I rinse very well.

I'm doing this cleaning according to the instructions my homecare RT who supplied me the equipment provided.

I don't like germs and viruses so I do my due diligence. It really doesn't take too long.

I think something that ALL the air I breathe at night will be flowing thru is not a good place to cost-cut. You can buy a bag of 12 of those rascals for $10 on Amazon or even eBay at times. That's a years' supply.

My DME will sell 2 wht and 1 blk to my Ins Co for $18...or sell me 10 of each for $14.

You risk damaging your machine as well as your lungs.

I have visions of someone cutting up fiberglass furnace filters and stuffing them in their machine...

dlanbro wrote:TangledHose, if you're going to report the bad kids to the CPAP police, do I get a gold star for my good behavior?

Acctually I think you should be Deputized !!

Mask every other day, tube monthly with brush, and water tank daily

PreemieNrsTiffy wrote:

Pugsy wrote:

Stanley56 wrote:On this topic, what's the point of washing the head gear?

When I was using the Swift FX I never washed the head gear. Never adjusted it after the initial fitting that made it perfect either.
I would occasionally wash the Padacheek side strap fleece covers when I thought about it but not the silicone headgear and not the back strap.
After about 6 to 8 months I would replace the back strap and maybe wash the silicone part at that time.

So again..it depends on what mask you use...lots of straps or minimal straps...and personal preference and maybe hair goop that a person might prefer to use that might get gunked up on the headgear.

I'm new to this whole thing but being I nurse I have this respect for cleaning medical equipment. I think I would consider not washing the headgear on my Swift FX anymore. I think I about did it in yesterday. I had decided I might wear it out sending it through the washer/dryer (in a cheap lingerie bag) so I started handwashing it and setting it outside to dry, which it did quickly last week. As I mentioned elsewhere we are in the midst of some wet/humid weather and with the rain I had tried to just hang the stuff up to dry. At 10pm I realized this wasn't going to happen anytime soon so I wound up taking a iron to the neoprene headgear. Okay, not one of my most brilliant moves but I never claimed to be some domestic diva. I think the headgear will be just fine (in spite of a couple of singe marks) if I replace it in a few months but I think I am done washing, drying or God forbid ironing it anymore. Besides that fact that my husband was laughing at me trying to put the thing back together again, several times, over and over.

Also i have a lingerie bag but several time i have use it for traveling not medical purpose.

LinkC wrote:I think something that ALL the air I breathe at night will be flowing thru is not a good place to cost-cut. You can buy a bag of 12 of those rascals for $10 on Amazon or even eBay at times. That's a years' supply.

My DME will sell 2 wht and 1 blk to my Ins Co for $18...or sell me 10 of each for $14.

You risk damaging your machine as well as your lungs.

I have visions of someone cutting up fiberglass furnace filters and stuffing them in their machine...

I found a place that sells the while on in batches of fifty or so, at about a buck apiece. I can change my white filter every two weeks, and that's still about a two years' supply.

Madalot wrote:Masks get wiped down with a baby wipe every morning (to remove the previous nights facial grease).

What's the downside of not removing facial oil residue?

Pugsy wrote:Take your choice.

viewtopic.php?p=567264#p567264

There's as many different schedules and routines are there are people here.
Do what you feel that you need to do to make you comfortable with the regiment you want to use.

Thanks for posting that link, Pugsy.

I clean my nasal pillow with a sensitive skin cleanser, at least every second day (99% of the time its everyday). Headgear never. I've put my water chamber through the dishwasher twice. For the hoses I just rinse them out with tap hot water when I clean the mask