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Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
#1
Sad 
Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
I have two serious problems with ResMed Airsense 10 for Her -

1. The humidifier has so many nooks and crannies that it is difficult to clean. The S9 was  more streamlined and so much easier to clean.

2. Arthritis in my hands means it is a real struggle to remove the humidifier to refill it. Again,the S9 was much easier to remove.

Industrial designers need to look beyond the appearance of a product to its future users.
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#2
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
Good point about the arthritis and handling of the water chamber.

As to cleaning ..... all I do is dump out the left over water then fill the chamber with warm water and shake, dump out and repeat. Then turn upside down to dry out during the day. Once a week or so, I add a drop of mild dish detergent and/or vinegar in the first round before shaking. Then it may take a number of rinses to get all the suds out. If you have hard water deposits, you can leave the vinegar and water to soak for maybe 20 minutes or so.
Sleep-well
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#3
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
Initially, I used distilled water in my humidifier reservoir. I now just use tap water. Every morning like clock work, I dump out the water and then wipe it dry with a tissue. I then leave it open for a few hours to insure it's completely dry. 

I almost never get any dried up residual scale. Only once has the reservoir gone dry. I didn't fill it up enough. Some white vinegar took care of that. 

I do understand your concern with being able to remove the reservoir. There have been a few times that I had to give mine an extra tug to remove it. I've even heard of some not being able to remove it for whatever reason. I'm thinking that may be cause of the reservoir running dry and the aluminum base plate getting too warm and expanding. I would think that once the base plate cools some, it will then contract enough to insure it's removal from the machine.
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#4
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
I use soap (for dishes) and a soft toothbrush, some of these brushes now have a wide soft handle for easy gripping.
Every now and again, I take the seal out and leave it soaking for and hour is soap and white vinegar Just enough to cover it and a weak solution of vinegar. After I take it out I give it a brush with soapy water just to get rid of any smell of vinegar. Worst problem I get is pink slime or what might be more harmful a black mould on the seal. A good soak in vinegar usually gets rid of this. Wash well in soap afterwards.
You can get a wide range of soft small brushes with long bristles in a hardware store.
Be careful what you use on the seal and do not leave it soaking for any longer than needed.
I am NOT a doctor.  I try to help, but do not take what I say as medical advice.


Every journey, however large or small starts with the first step.

Sleep-well
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#5
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
I have a Resmed AirCurve 10, BiPAP, had it for a couple of years, been on therapy for about 8.   But when I want a better nights sleep or travel, I break out my old S9.  I think they broke the mold with that one.  

I agree with Ishy-- the AirCurve / AirSense humidifier tank is poor design to say the least, as are the hose connections for the Climate Control tubing.  The best thing about the tubing connector at the machine end is the oxygen tube connection--no additional fitting required.

My wife and I looked and looked for a brush to clean the tubing connections, mask elbow, and humidifier tank openings, and finally found one.  However, I read in another thread about the idea of putting a small weight on a string and dropping it through the hose and then pulling a wipe through the hose.  You could also use that process to speed drying the hose.

I use Dawn dish soap in warm water, scrub and wipe every thing I can, and rinse and run clean water over and through it, and let it air dry.  DO NOT hang your hose over a furnace or A/C vent to help dry it out!  Ductwork can be a bacteria breeding ground.  Just sayin'.....
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#6
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
I sometimes have issues removing the tub on my 10 series ASV because of arthritis in the hands. As for cleaning, I use warm water and Dawn. I let parts soak for at least long enough to consume a cup of coffee. Afterwards, I rinse parts thoroughly. Everything then sits to air dry completely. Repeat as many times as you device believe is necessary. Dave only does this monthly or less.

lots-o-coffee
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#7
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
A suggestion, use one of the foam brushes they make for getting inside of drinking glasses.
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#8
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
Side q- How hard should it be to remove the humidair? I have wondered if mine is making full contact on the bottom... as I usually have a lot of water left over like it's not heating up right. The humidair is pretty easy to remove (only slightly snug). But one night I noticed the tank ran empty and was warm. Surprised me a bit and now I'm wondering if it should be more like that all the time?
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#9
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
For me, arthritis sometimes makes the squeezing motion required to release the humidifier tub a bit difficult. Yeah OK Oldtimers is setting in. No joke, the hands ache enough to bring tears at times.

HOT Coffee Mug really feels good in the A.M.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#10
RE: Handling and cleaning CPAP machine
For whatever reason, my reservoir has been pretty much empty in the morning. That has not been the case in the past. 

I fill it up to the MAX line, and in the morning, there's just a little water remaining. I've changed nothing control wise. I'm not sleeping in any later than normal.  Dont-know

I did go to the Climate Control mode and changed it to Manual Mode, allowing me to reduce it from 4 to 3, hoping that it might make a difference.

As far as cleaning the reservoir goes, for me, it's the quickest and easiest part of the machine to clean. It literally takes me about 30 seconds or so, and it ends up looking like new.
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