Sanitize CPAP

[Mindrasect]

Hello everyone I am new here and having been worried about utilizing covers and hoses over a broad period I have been searching for a strategy for cleaning ceased hoses as substitutions are not accessible that fit whatever is left of my unit. Taken a gander at ultrasonic cleaners however found those sufficiently vast to take the hoses and cover were over the top expensive. Have attempted sterilizer and figured out how to harm a fundamental hose connector. Presently I am thinking about an ozone sterilizer having found out about the Guardian packs as they would twofold to give my CPAP machine a standard (yearly?) clean. 

A few inquiries emerge: 

Why the sack - would they say they are to contain the ozone in a little zone? 

Would cleaning hoses along these lines be risky for those with lung conditions? 

Does the ozone sterilizer have channels or carbon filtration that needs supplanting? 

Anybody know anything about this or had a go at utilizing the hardware or device?

[joesetx]

Ozone is actually damaging to your lungs. The famous Soclean ads don't tell you it is indoor air pollution.
It is also very reactive and can ruin the seals and plastic in your machine and Cpap mask.
The forced air from your Cpap prevents your breath from flowing back to the actual machine.
The best thing is to wipe your mask with an unscented baby wipe and periodically wash your hose and mask with mild dishwashing soap like dove.
I'm not talking about the toxic stuff you put in a dishwashing machine just the kind you use in your sink.

The Soclean and other sterilizer are heavily advertised but a total waste of money.

[Mindrasect]

Ozone is actually damaging to your lungs. The famous Soclean ads don't tell you it is indoor air pollution.
It is also very reactive and can ruin the seals and plastic in your machine and Cpap mask.
The forced air from your Cpap prevents your breath from flowing back to the actual machine.
The best thing is to wipe your mask with an unscented baby wipe and periodically wash your hose and mask with mild dishwashing soap like dove.
I'm not talking about the toxic stuff you put in a dishwashing machine just the kind you use in your sink.

The Soclean and other sterilizer are heavily advertised but a total waste of money.

I also read about Surface Cleaner, Cleaning Wipes are they sufficient for cleaning?

[Fats Drywaller]

It's best to follow the directions from the manufacturers (in the user's guides for the machine and mask) for cleaning. There's no mention there of Soclean, etc. There is mention of soap (or mild liquid dish detergent) and warm water. There may or may not be mention of the various CPAP-wipe products. Those are always safe, but IMO a waste of money. If you can find a list of ingredients by doing a web search, then you could use those ingredients instead of buying the wipes, and some of the ingredients are not needed and are there for the fragrance or the feel-good factor. I'd bet that the magic formula is some combination of mild soap, aloe, maybe a tiny bit of lanolin, and perfume ... about the same as baby-wipes. Why bother? Just use soap, rinse well afterward, and call that George.

At least as important is to empty the humidifier tank every day and let it dry out (with the cover open) so mold doesn't form. No, you don't have to use any chemicals on it or scrub it or worry about it; you just have to keep it dry when you're not using it, that's all. Also, some people never bother to do that, and they say "It hasn't killed me yet", which is fine. It just goes to show that there's no point in agonizing over this stuff.

[Homerec130]

I usually clean my mask when I take a shower. Have a bottle of baby shampoo that work's great for it. As I do it in the morning, it is dry by the evening when I go to bed.

Don't really do my hose as it gets swapped out about every 6 months. The old hose does get a wash before becoming a spare.

Homer

[fortywinks]

The main thing is to remember that there are a lot of very unscrupulous people out there in the healthcare world who will try to steal your money by claiming they have some device, pill, or potion that you can't live without.
If these sanitizers actually worked, you can bet that Philips and the rest of the industry would be pushing them on patients. They're not, so that should tell you that either they don't work or that they'll destroy the plastic and silicone.

I have been using my machine for the past six (6) years, and I replace the filters pretty frequently, but I've done no ultrasonic, chemical, or UV sanitizing and I'm still alive. 

On the other hand, this is a machine that's hooked up to your face all night so you have to be comfortable with how clean it is. I find that rinsing out the hose and mask and throwing them over the shower head to dry every day makes the air feel fresher and makes using the machine a lot nicer.

I'm sure my machine is crawling with every variety of bacteria that can survive on its plastic surfaces.

[Fats Drywaller]

I'm sure my machine is crawling with every variety of bacteria that can survive on its plastic surfaces.

As are we all, even without plastic. Fun stuff!

[Big Guy]

I've been on CPAP therapy since Sept. 10. In that short time, I have become very comfortable cleaning my CPAP equip. by hand. 

Every morning, my water reservoir gets dumped out and then wiped clean. My mask / pillow gets a good wipe down with a Clorox anti-bacterial wipe. 

Every Monday morning, the hose, top half of the water reservoir / lid seal, hose elbow, and face mask straps, get a good soaking / cleaning in hot water with Dawn dish soap in my bathroom sink. It all comes out clean as new. 

The hose gets hung up and allowed to drip dry all day long. By the time bed time rolls around, it's dry as can be. The machine's air filter gets cleaned about every two weeks or so by hand. Same ritual as above. 

I feel extremely comfortable knowing the equip. is as clean as can be.

[Fats Drywaller]

Every morning, my water reservoir gets dumped out and then wiped clean. My mask / pillow gets a good wipe down with a Clorox anti-bacterial wipe. 

Every Monday morning, the hose, top half of the water reservoir / lid seal, hose elbow, and face mask straps, get a good soaking / cleaning in hot water with Dawn dish soap in my bathroom sink. It all comes out clean as new. 

The hose gets hung up and allowed to drip dry all day long. By the time bed time rolls around, it's dry as can be. The machine's air filter gets cleaned about every two weeks or so by hand. Same ritual as above. 

I skip all of that and use the time to browse Innertubes porn instead.

Of course, one of these months I'll die from a disease caused by some rogue bacteria in the mask ...

[Melman]

As a microbiologist who has worked both in medical microbiology and sterile pharmaceutical manufacturing I can assure you that sanitizing agents such as ozone,  UV light, and strong chemicals are not necessary for mainlining your CPAP components in a sufficiently sanitary condition to not be a source of infection. Simple cleaning with warm water and a mild detergent is all that is routinely necessary. Occasionally a slimy biofilm may  develop in the humidifier tank if it is not cleaned frequently. It can be removed by normal cleaning with mild detergent followed by a rinse with a mild sanitizer such as drugstore hydrogen peroxide.

Personally, I clean less frequently than many. I can't remember when I last cleaned my hose. I simply inspect it against bright light every week to 10 days for any signs of mold or any type of build up that could harbor bacterial growth. I never see anything which does not surprise me since it is only exposed to filtered room air. My only concern is that residual moisture from the humidifier may promote the growth of mold but have never seen it. I use a heated hose. If I were using a standard hose and had any residual water in the hose I would probably rinse it with mild detergent at some regular interval.

I use distilled water to avoid mineral build up due to hard water. I just top off the water daily and completely drain and wash the reservoir every week to 10 days. I occasionally see a little residue but not always. I have only seen a a small colony of mold once in the last year which I removed with a peroxide soaked Q tip. It has not reappeared. (Don't assume distilled water is sterile or contains fewer bacteria than tap water. I'm not suggesting that everyone use it.) I rarely wash my mask frame. I may wash the cushions every few days with mild detergent. I wipe the cushions daily with Pampers Natural Clean baby wiped to remove facial oils. They are much cheaper than CPAP wipes and contain no harsh chemicals.

Some may need to clean more frequently depending on the bacteria in their environment. For example, some have reported seeing pink slime in their reservoirs. This is due to a bacterium frequently encountered in industrial purified water systems. Although the organism is not usually pathogenic it should be removed. A mild detergent wash and peroxide rinse should suffice.

I understand that many may feel uncomfortable with my apparently lax cleaning approach. Do what makes you feel comfortable.

Early in this thread someone mentioned filter changes. The inlet filter should be changed when it becomes dirty but be aware, it is to protect the machine, not the user. It is simply removing some of the airborne particles and bacteria in your room air which you inhale constantly while awake. Frequent changes of the  filter will do nothing to safeguard you health.