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washing cpap -- really?
#21
RE: washing cpap -- really?
(11-16-2013, 12:20 AM)sir_sleeps_alot Wrote: *groans* I'm so lazy. This is gonna stink.

When I smell the stink I know it's time to clean. I'm lazy, too.

Quote:How do you dry things? And what if I want to take a nap? Do I have to wash it every time or just once a day?

I think once a day is overkill. Just my opinion.

I just hang things up to dry, and if it the hose is still wet on the inside I go ahead and use it anyway. It'll quickly dry out.

Naps? I take 'em whenever I feel like it!
Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
#22
RE: washing cpap -- really?
(11-15-2013, 11:36 PM)PaulaO2 Wrote: I really ought to get that hose brush. I keep forgetting. I'm writing it on my list. Now I need a list of stuff to write in my list.

Check Supplier #1. They often have free shipping this time of year.

One time I logged on to their website, put some stuff in my cart, and then when I went to check out I changed my mind and didn't make the purchase. They immediately sent me an email offering me free shipping if I'd buy the stuff I'd put in my cart.

I think they'll have free shipping on black Friday.

Sleepster

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEB SITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
#23
RE: washing cpap -- really?
Are my own germs really harmful to me? I mean, I assume that if it's coming out of me, I'm either already infected, a symptom free carrier, or my immune system is adept at keeping whatever pathogen at bay.

I'm not using this as a reason not to care for my cpap properly, at all, but this is the second time someone has mentioned "self germs" (for lack of a better term) as a reason to clean the cpap. I've always thought that my own germs were more of a threat to others than to myself...

My primary concern is about growing mold or bacteria in stagnant water whether it be in the tank or tubing. I'm also a little terrified about some Naegleria fowleri sneaking in and being blown up my nose, but I know that's highly unlikely.

(11-16-2013, 04:35 AM)DocWils Wrote: Dryness is always the key - the mask or pillows should be washed with regularity as they are in near constant contact with a contagion, being you.

#24
RE: washing cpap -- really?
How or where did you get a 10 feet hose??? The RT I saw yesterday said you can only get 6 foot hoses.

For complicated reasons, my bed is pushed against a wall and I sleep on the far side. There just isn't enough length for me to have the cpap on my night table and use the hose support stand. I'm sure I'd roll over and yank the entire thing off table and send it crashing to the floor.

My current solution is to have the cpap in a plastic bin on the mattress next to me. The bin has a solid bottom and the sides are made of slats. The slots between the slats are not wide enough for the hose, so I cut one out. The power cord fits fine though. I hope I'm giving a good description--it's nice and open so plenty of air can get in and the cpap won't overheat. This protects the cpap a bit so that nothing gets stuck against the air intake and keeps it on a nice level surface.

The downside is that my face is next to the machine. A longer hose would give me more distance so I think it'd be a bit quieter. I'd really like that. Smile


(11-16-2013, 11:00 AM)PollCat Wrote: I do have a hose brush, which is a little hard to use since it's only five feet long and my hose is 10 feet (I'm unsure that I get complete coverage).

#25
RE: washing cpap -- really?
No, your "germs" are a threat to yourself as well - understand that anything that incubates outside your body can infect you, even if the original source was from your body. There is a LOT of things that can be a threat to you, and what we are talking about here is pushing stuff into a warm, moist environment (your lungs) that is ideal to grow just about anything nasty. Your are a walking germ, virus and fungus factory, but many are specialised and localised, and when transferred to another area can be deleterious to you. There is no real thing such as "self immunisation" - if there were, my job would be a lot easier.

Drying is as I said the main ingredient. If you take out your cf card, turn off the auto off and the humidifier, and then let the machine run for half an hour to an hour (you'll find the best time by experiment), your tank, tube and mask connections are dried out completely, and there is no chance of anything growing, but only if you use distilled water - any other water will leave deposits in the tank and tube that can become growth media. Keep away the food and the growth possibilities, and you will have little or no problem. Small hint - when you empty your tank prior to doing this, and the tank should always be empty during the day, swirl the leftover water around the tank quickly to pick up all the droplets, then open the tank, shake it out, close it and replace it in the humidifier. Then run the compressor as described and you will be fine. Make a habit of doing it when you get up (and after you've washed your hands, please) and then once dried it can sit the day happily without any risk of growth. Only add your water before going to bed, again after washing your hands, please. I have treated five patients over the years for heliobacter bacteria and other nasties on their noses or faces exactly because they didn't follow proper hand hygiene before touching their CPAPs.

As for the mask - if pillows, once a week with dish soap and hot water should be enough unless you are a real sweater or have a cold, dry the external parts with paper towels and put back on the hose before running the morning compressor (it takes me exactly 1.5 minutes to do that, btw). For other types of masks, I will defer to users of such masks for the best tips.

Change your air filters once a month to six weeks (I do it every six weeks, but I have a better air quality here than most city folk, and have filtered air in the house anyway).
#26
RE: washing cpap -- really?
DocWils

Just to clarify: When you say let the compressor run, do you mean just push the start button as if you were going to sleep for the night? Sorry if this is a dumb question
#27
RE: washing cpap -- really?
It really comes down to what you, personally, are willing to tolerate and are willing to do. There is not CPAP Clean Police who will be at your door.

When I empty out the humidifier tank, I check it
for scale build up (I use tap water). When it gets to the point I cannot tolerate it, I clean it. Someone else wouldn't be able to tolerate it as long as I do.

PaulaO

Take a deep breath and count to zen.




#28
RE: washing cpap -- really?
(11-16-2013, 02:13 PM)sir_sleeps_alot Wrote: How or where did you get a 10 feet hose??? The RT I saw yesterday said you can only get 6 foot hoses.

Supplier #1 sells a 10 foot standard hose. I emphasize 'standard' as it does not come in a sensor-line or climate-line version. I need it because the machine sits under my bed and the hose runs up through the headboard and then down my side, to about my chest and then back up to the mask.

I have a friend who used a coupler to hook two 6-foot hoses together; don't know whether he ever had a sleep center check the set-up for loss of pressure issues.


Paula, since I usually use tap water in my travel machine, I've found that soaking the humidifier tank with Lemi-Shine takes the scale build-up away without any elbow grease needed.
INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED AS MEDICAL ADVICE. 
ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA.
#29
RE: washing cpap -- really?
(11-16-2013, 02:44 PM)me50 Wrote: DocWils

Just to clarify: When you say let the compressor run, do you mean just push the start button as if you were going to sleep for the night? Sorry if this is a dumb question

Yes.
#30
RE: washing cpap -- really?
(11-16-2013, 02:14 PM)DocWils Wrote: No, your "germs" are a threat to yourself as well - understand that anything that incubates outside your body can infect you, even if the original source was from your body.
We don,t throw away toothbrushes after each use yet toothbrushes harbor more germs than anything else and advised not to share with anyone as can be a risk of transmitting blood type diseases such as Hepatitis C



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