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One week in but have cleaning questions.
#11
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
I use mild soap and warm water first thing in the morning. Let it air dry all day. Like I said in another post, I'm OCD about cleaning my equipment. I've seen what happens when you don't clean like you should and I don't want that happening to me.

Now, in the winter I clean my mask about once or twice a week (depending on how many times I forgot to wash my makeup off before bed).

In the summer, I clean every day. I sweat and get more oil on my face in the summer and it affects how my mask fits. If I don't clean daily the oil will make the mask slide and allow a small leaks to occur. I wake up a lot at night adjusting. I don't do that with a clean mask.

I've tried everything for cleaning except the machine. I refuse to pay $300+ for something that takes me 30-45 seconds in the morning.

I don't like the wipes, they had a funny smell and I felt my mask didn't last as long - got stiff.
I don't like vinegar for the same reason, smell. And let's face it, even if there's a small smell in your mask you smell it all night!
I don't like dish soap because it's rather harsh and seems to reduce life on the mask.
My favorite is mild hand soap (no antibacterial!). I can use very little and still get it clean.

Do you wash your humidifier? I dump mine daily, let air dry. But, I clean it once a week without fail.
Do you clean your hose? I hang my hose daily, let air dry, but I also clean it once a week. I found a dryer vent cleaner that looks a lot like a giant baby bottle washer. I run that through the hose once a week. (My sink is already full for cleaning my humidifier.)

Daily it's about 30-45 seconds. Once a week it's about 2-3 minutes. No time at all.
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#12
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
Every morning:
  • Wash nasal pillow/ mask cushion in mild dish soap and warm water. Rinse well and air dry.
  • Empty, rinse out and air dry water reservoir.

Weekly:
  • Wash hose and mask frame with mild dish soap and warm water. Rinse well and air dry.
  • Wipe off cpap machine with a damp cloth.
  • Check filters.

Monthly:
  • Wash headgear in mild dish soap and warm water. Rinse well and air dry.
  • Wash reusable filter in warm running water and air dry.
  • Check fine filter.

Every two months:
  • Replace fine filter.
  • Replace nasal pillow/ mask cushion.

Every six months:
  • Replace headgear.
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#13
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
I don't comprehend wiping off the machine itself. I read that in the directions from the DME as well as in the manual.

What's the point of wiping it off? To dust it? Mine doesn't get dusty. And are people worried about the dust being sucked into the machine through the air filtered inlet??
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#14
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
I'm not sure how much good wiping my machine off does, if any. I will say that I've had may machine for 19 months and it still looks as good as when I got it, right down to the cling film on the display.
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#15
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
(07-07-2017, 11:24 PM)pupcamper Wrote: right down to the cling film on the display.

Dielaughing Lolabove Laugh-a-lot
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#16
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
99.99 percent of all this cleaning is overkill and has no point. Such is our world of endless litigation. All this machine does is blow air already in your home that you would breath anyways. Do you clean your ventilation ducts as vigorously as you clean these machines?
If you said yes you're lying because I don't see duct cleaning trucks around much.

Give the mask and the hose a dunk once in a while and use distilled water in humidifier. Wipe off or whatever as necessary. Replace the filter if it's dirty. Most of this stuff is simply for personal comfort, sealing and general tidiness. Your machine is engineered to last 5 years. I doubt those weighty dust particles are going to abrade it to the point of non-functioning in 5 years. If you are a reasonably clean person and you feel it's clean enough it's plenty fine clean 'nuff.

I have NEVER heard or read (from a credible source) of anyone getting any type of infection or sickness from a CPAP machine (that has been proven to be linked.)
Even skeptic ME thought Legionellosis might be an issue, but no dice. (I would think this IS probably possible with tap water in humidifier that has the bacteria, but STILL NO cases documented from CDC and people have been using CPAP machines for a long time now.)

More cleaning just satisfies OC tendencies and wastes time and money.

You don't need any $300 cleaning systems or wipes or sanitizer any more than you need antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer.
You need nothing but a simple bottle of Dawn. If you want to go craaaaazzy you can use a tube brush and some type of hanger to hang the hose up to drip dry.
$30 will buy enough to clean your stuff as long as you're here.

Save that money to replace your worn out gear earlier.

****** I understand there will be those that have severe allergies or other special situations, but for most people the above applies. ******
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#17
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
dmeRT,

Quote:c. Gently wash the mask, water chamber, and exhalation valve in warm water and mild dish soap. DO NOT use any cleaners containing conditioners or moisturizers-they will leave a residue.

What is the exhalation valve on a mask?

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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#18
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
Full face masks have them in case of power failure, below the elbow. You won't see them on nasal's.
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#19
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
(07-08-2017, 01:08 AM)Hydrangea Wrote:
(07-07-2017, 11:24 PM)pupcamper Wrote: right down to the cling film on the display.

Dielaughing Lolabove Laugh-a-lot

My OCD does not even let me apply power to a device before removing that Big Grin
-- Rich
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#20
RE: One week in but have cleaning questions.
personal,

What you describe is the anti-asphyxiation valve. My question was what is the exhalation valve?

Best Regards,

PaytonA

Admin Note:
PaytonA passed away in September 2017
Click HERE to read his Memorial Thread

~ Rest in Peace ~
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