Cleaning masks?

[Dyssomniac]

I've just had a fairly strong head cold for a couple of days, during which I continued to use my AirFit F10 full-face mask. Thus I'm wondering if I ought to clean it and, if so, how. Do you all every clean your masks? Are there any do's and don't's (anything that might, for example, mess up the seal)?

[SuperDave]

I was told to clean it once a week and just wipe it down in the morning with a damp cloth. But I am kinda a germaphobe and wash mine each morning with soap. The equipment lady at Sanford told me to use baby shampoo or a mild dishwashing detergent.

[saltydawg2]

The nights I do not wash my mask, and my face both, air leaks start by midnight, and continue on until I get up and correct it. I recently had the flu. Yeah, everything but headgear got soaked.

[DariaVader]

I wash the nose piece every day in a mild soapy water, on weekends i soak all of it, and every couple weeks do the vinegar soak thing after the soap soak thing. I sleep better, and the equipment smells better. when I was traveling I did much less, and it felt stinky and sticky to me.

[Mike1953]

http://www.airfitf10.com/airfit-f10-instructions.html

[trish6hundred]

Hi Dyssomniac,
I soak my mask once a week in warm,, soapy water, I use Ivory liquid dishsoap but you can use baby shampoo, too.
When I think of it, I wipe my mask in the morning with CPAP wipes as well.

[justMongo]

I use 5% white vinegar.

[JWR]

Wash mask every morning with dish soap rinse and dry. sanitize mask, hose and water tank every Sunday night with Control 3.

[Dyssomniac]

Thanks all, duly dunked with Ivory flakes.

[archangle]

Your body had billions of cold germs in it while you were sick. Assuming your body manages to fight off the germy hordes already in your body, a few of the same germs coming back into your body from the mask aren't going to make a difference.

It would be an extra bad idea for someone else to use your mask right now.

Give it an extra good cleaning just for the heck of it.

If you're extra paranoid, get some Control III disinfectant online and soak your mask in it after cleaning, but it's not really needed unless you're using equipment that's been used by someone else. Read and follow the label directions and dilute it before using.

Realize that CPAP equipment goes on you, not in you. It's not surgical equipment. There are germs in the air going into your CPAP, but you're breathing those same germs 16 hours a day when you're not using CPAP.