Nurse at doctor's office is saying to not use Dawn soap to clean CPAP

[olywa]

I use Bronner's soap pretty much everyday on my nasal cushion.  I have been CPAPing for over a year now and am still using my original mask and cushion.  Every week I clean my mask, cushion and hose with Bronner's and vinegar; and then rinse well with water.  It works well for me.

[vroomvroom]

I use Bronner's soap pretty much everyday on my nasal cushion.  I have been CPAPing for over a year now and am still using my original mask and cushion.  Every week I clean my mask, cushion and hose with Bronner's and vinegar; and then rinse well with water.  It works well for me.

Great! I use Dr. Bronner's liquid soap too! I bought a bunch from Costco since it was way cheaper there than anywhere else. How much do you dilute the Bronners by? Do you mix it in with the vinegar at the same time or clear the hoses/mask/etc separately with vinegar? Do you even need vinegar after using Bronners?

[olywa]

I use Bronner's soap pretty much everyday on my nasal cushion.  I have been CPAPing for over a year now and am still using my original mask and cushion.  Every week I clean my mask, cushion and hose with Bronner's and vinegar; and then rinse well with water.  It works well for me.

Great! I use Dr. Bronner's liquid soap too! I bought a bunch from Costco since it was way cheaper there than anywhere else. How much do you dilute the Bronners by? Do you mix it in with the vinegar at the same time or clear the hoses/mask/etc separately with vinegar? Do you even need vinegar after using Bronners?

I cut the Bronner's by half.  I use the baby mild unscented kind.
I only mixed the vinegar and soap once.  Ha.  A process called saponification occurs and it made an oily mess in my tank.    

So, I clean all the parts first with Bronner's and then rinse well.  Then I put vinegar in the tank with my cushion, shake and let it sit a few minutes.  I put vinegar in my hose and mask then shake them around.  After the vinegar step, I rinse each piece well with water. 

It takes about 20 minutes.

[Mosquitobait]

I use baby shampoo only because I clean both my equipment and that of my disabled brother. Dawn left some residual odor if I soaked the equipment and it make him gack. If I wasn't doing his equipment, I'd just go back to dawn.
FWIW, Palmolive is a poor choice because it leaves a residual oil (hence why it was recommended for 'soft hands.'

Note: there is no need to use the 'hottest water available.' You can clean in cold water. If you are using a detergent, that is what cuts the grease/oil from your mask. Hot water is useful for dishwashing only because it loosens stuck on and burnt on food. Hopefully, your water bin isn't getting THAT hot that things stick to it.

[Lukie]

I like Mrs Meyers dish soaps ..lovely natural floral scents.

[Regular Joe]

I've been using Dawn for 6+ years, no issues at all.

[Big Guy]

Dawn and hot water works great!

[ruach]

I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear Dish soap

[Mrzocor]

The nurse at my doc's office is saying not to use Dawn as it may be too harsh on the machine, hose, etc. 

She recommended several options, but unfortunately, the only ones I can remember this instant is Ivory or 7th Generation. Essentially, only very mild soaps. 

Dawn is used to clean oil on animals (from oil spills, etc), so while it's gentle enough for skin, perhaps it's not for our lungs? 

What do you guys think? 

I was thinking of going 7th Generation since it's supposed to be a very mild soap, but am open to trying others, such as Ivory (I know that 7th Generation will likely be the most expensive out of the bunch as it's eco friendly, etc).

 7th generation and  Johnson's baby shampoo is correct.

[hegel]

I use baby wipes on my mask before going to bed every night. I wash the mask and hose...not often enough probably. I'm surprised that I haven't seen this mentioned.


(I use a Respify ozone cleaner for the tub, hose and sometimes mask. And I empty and dry the tub daily. I don't intend to start a discussion about ozone! the baby wipes are for oils and whatever else are on the mask.)