Are Wipes Containing cetylpyridinium chloride OK to Use?

[anderson5420]

I am a new CPAP user, 4 nights so far.

I clean my Resmed AirFit F20 mask daily per the instructions in the User Guide by rinsing in running water, soaking in warm water with a little Dawn detergent, agitating, rinsing thoroughly to remove the soapy water residue, and air drying.  There is no mention in the User Guide of disinfecting. I am not particularly a germophobe, but I think the mask components probably should be disinfected as well as cleaned, since air coming in through it is going into my lungs. I was on the verge of buying a So Clean 2 but most (not all) of my CPAP user friends told me to save my money. One of my friends, whose career was as a sleep professional, told me I could disinfect my mask with ordinary disinfecting wipes - he has done so for many years. The User Guide, however, states "Do not use alcohol wipes." The active ingredient in the disinfecting wipes I have for countertops and so forth state the active ingredient is "cetylpyridinium chloride." I am not sure whether cetylpyridinium chloride would come under the category of "alcohol,"

 A duckduckgo seardy (sorry Googlers) tells me this:

Medical Definition of cetylpyridinium chloride
: a white powder consisting of a hydrated quaternary ammonium salt C21H38ClN·H2O and used as a cationic detergent and antiseptic.

"Cetyl" however is "An alcoholic radical (C16H33) supposed to exist in a series of compounds obtained from spermaceti and beeswax." Is an "alcoohollic radical" 

So, is this okay to use to disinfect my mask  components (thse wipes are a whole lot less expensive than "CPAP wipes")?

If you do disinfect, what do you use? Or do you not worry about disinfecting?

Thanks!

Pat Anderson

[Big Guy]

I've been using Clorox Disinfecting Wipes for well over a year now. Probably closer to 1 1/2 yrs. I've used them on both of the masks that I use, an AirFit F20 and an F30. 

They work well and do not degrade the silicon cushion or the plastic mask itself. The do have an aroma, but it dissipates quickly. If there is a slight lingering aroma, it doesn't bother me in the least. 

I don't clean my mask daily anymore. I give it a wipe down a couple times a week with the Clorox wet wipes. About once every two weeks, the mask assembly, hose, and hose elbow, gets a good cleaning in hot water and Dawn dish soap. 

It'll be three years of CPAP therapy for me in Sept. So far, no problems or issue at all with any kind of bacterial build-up.

BTW.....welcome to the forum! It's a gold mine of information and user experience. Great bunch of people.

[anderson5420]

Thanks for the reply and welcome! I tend to take things in manuals literally and drive myself crazy overthinking everything!

[Big Guy]

Initially, I did the same thing. I made sure that I used distilled water in the water reservoir, made sure that I stuck to the recommended cleaning regime, and all that stuff. 

I gave up on the distilled water long ago. I do make sure that I empty the tank and wipe it dry every morning. Once in a while, I'll use some white vinegar in it, and that quickly rids it of any mineral or calcium build-up. Tap water works just fine. 

Don't know if you're using a hose holder / hanger. If you're not, give one a try. It was one of the best things I did to improve the user quality of CPAP therapy.

[Sleeprider]

I don't worry about disinfecting. My world is far from sterile and has been for as long as I remember. I have no problem with hygiene, and find that soap and a good rinse has always been sufficient, and I see no health or practical advantage to sterilization of CPAP equipment. I breathe the ambient air, take showers with the municipal water, swim in pools, lakes and streams, and pick up the dog poop in the yard and have certainly had exposure to much more hazardous chemicals. My CPAP mask and equipment gets cleaned when I think of it, and it's convenient. None of it has ever made me ill or concerned. While I don't see the point in disinfection, I'm completely okay with you doing what makes you feel safe and better. If by some unlikely circumstance you choose a material that prematurely deteriorates your equipment, I'm sure you can deal with that consequence. I'm not aware of cetylpyridinium chloride being a problem. It's a common ingredient of toothpaste, mouthwash and other products. My advise is don't siphon gasoline by sucking on a tube.

[anderson5420]

Initially, I did the same thing. I made sure that I used distilled water in the water reservoir, made sure that I stuck to the recommended cleaning regime, and all that stuff. 

I gave up on the distilled water long ago. I do make sure that I empty the tank and wipe it dry every morning. Once in a while, I'll use some white vinegar in it, and that quickly rids it of any mineral or calcium build-up. Tap water works just fine. 

Don't know if you're using a hose holder / hanger. If you're not, give one a try. It was one of the best things I did to improve the user quality of CPAP therapy.

I'm not using a hose holder/hanger. The hose goes from the machine on a nightstand down to the floor and then back up to me on the bed. Where would the hose holder/hanger go? I imagine it could be on the wall behind the nightstand and then the tubing goes to me on the bed (and the tubing can be stored on it all the time)?

[Big Guy]

We have a headboard, and I made my own hose holder. A swivel arm holds the hose and it can move back & forth as needed. 

For about the first 2-3 weeks of CPAP therapy, the hose simply lay on me. That was a real problem, as it kept getting tangled up under my arms and such. 

If you don't have a headboard, something attached to the wall will suffice. Maybe a stick on plastic hook of sorts?

The hose to my machine rests on top of the headboard when not in use. Very convenient.

[Deborah K.]

I wipe down my husband's mask with a fragrance free baby wipe every morning. It gets it nice and clean.

[Melman]

The main reason I clean the cushions on my mask daily is to remove facial oils which can interfere with sealing. I see no need for disinfection. Any microorganisms on the mask are already on my skin or in the room air. There is no spontaneous generation of pathogens and a plastic or silicone surface is not conducive to their growth.

[newguy99]

I wipe down my husband's mask with a fragrance free baby wipe every morning.  It gets it nice and clean.

The main reason I clean the cushions on my mask daily is to remove facial oils which can interfere with sealing. I see no need for disinfection. Any microorganisms on the mask are already on my skin or in the room air. There is no spontaneous generation of pathogens and a plastic or silicone surface is not conducive to their growth.

On the same topic started CPAP and folks say alcohol free/fragrance free baby wipes, So I looked at the ingredients some have some sort of oil and ALL the others have Aloe? Are those even just with Aloe bad?