Suggestions for prolonging life of silicone on masks

I would like suggestions to prolong the life of the soft silicon found on face masks. My DME says it should be replaced monthly, but at $140 for my ResMed Quattro Air, that would get rather expensive. I assume the mask should be washed daily and allowed to air dry. One person told me they wash theirs in a solution of 1:7 vinegar to water weekly to kill germs. Any other suggestions or methods would be appreciated.
Ron

Boil them with a small amount of baking soda . Go to the search box up top and put in boil cushion.

Has anyone boiled any of the cushions that are a combination of materials?
I have been procrastinating boiling one of my older Wisp cushions, as I've only boiled Swift FX pillows (all silicone)
--I really should do this; I have a smoky one that I can't wear anyway--good for a boil test.

> I would like suggestions to prolong the life of _the soft silicon_ found on face masks.
> My DME says it should be replaced monthly,
> but at _$140_ for my ResMed Quattro Air, that would get rather expensive.

I'm not familiar with the Resmed Quattro Air.

The cpap.com webpage shows that it has a _separate_ replaceable cushion.
Retail price is $54.

<https://www.cpap.com/productpage/resmed ... -mask.html>

Do you have insurance that pays for your DME costs?
Or are you not using insurance with your DME?

My cushions for the Quattro last a long time. I wipe them daily with a baby wipes, wash them weekly with liquid hand soap and let them air dry and I boil them every 2 months. Boiling make them crystal clear. My current cushions are about 7 months old.

Silicon will be degraded if boiling to 140 degree. To clean with antibacterial soap is not good idea from FDA. May need
to invest in Ozone (O3) to disinfect the mask?

There are various grades of silicone; those of us who have boiled our cushions/pillows
have often had them restored to practically new condition.
I suspect the heat warning is from the manufacturer--"egad; can't have people using these things indefinitely!"
((Might hurt the PROFITS!))

danielqk wrote:Silicon will be degraded if boiling to 140 degree. To clean with antibacterial soap is not good idea from FDA. May need
to invest in Ozone (O3) to disinfect the mask?

When you replace the cushion on your FX take the old cushion and boil it according to directions. see for yourself how it comes out. Lots cheaper than ozone.

RonMatson wrote:I would like suggestions to prolong the life of the soft silicon found on face masks. My DME says it should be replaced monthly, but at $140 for my ResMed Quattro Air, that would get rather expensive. I assume the mask should be washed daily and allowed to air dry. One person told me they wash theirs in a solution of 1:7 vinegar to water weekly to kill germs. Any other suggestions or methods would be appreciated.
Ron

Your DME just wants to generate income.
I used my first ResMed Ultra Mirage Full Face mask cushion for SIX years before I replaced it. It was still giving good leak rates but I had a number of spare cushions squirreled away that I wanted to try (to see how they compared).
I also got FOUR years out of the first set of headgear for that mask.
I only wash my mask and cushions after several months of use. I can't get a decent seal with a freshly washed mask cushion.
I wash my headgear about once a month or every other month. I have several sets of (homemade) fleece headgear strap covers that I can rotate.

I use Dawn dishwashing liquid to clean my mask and just throw the headgear in the washing machine with a load of clothes.
I've never used vinegar or boiled the seals in baking soda.

I've never used a brick & mortar DME and have purchased ALL of my supplies (beyond my initial purchase) out-of-pocket. I've never asked my insurance provider to pay for any supplies, so, I make them last.


Den

.

I have two sets of everything. Every week, I wash the set I've been using in the dishwasher, then let them sit dry for a week until next wash day.

My silicone parts seem to last a long time. I've used Swift FX, and ComfortGel Blue.

I never put any baby wipe or handwash dish soap on them, just the dishwashing powder or simple hot water rinse.

Different people get different results. Maybe different people have different levels of oil, acid, etc. in their skin and that affects the silicone differently. Lotions, makeup, etc. on the skin may make some difference as well.

it's also important to remember that someone with a standard CPAP pressure of 7 or so is going to be able to get longer life out of their cushions than someone like myself with bi-level pressures in the teens to 20+

I consider myself lucky to be able to get 3 months use out of a cushion before my leaks become uncontrollable.

Dave