Is SoClean2 an effective sanitizer ?

[douganderson]

There are a number of environmental bacteria that grow well in distilled water and will create a slimy, sometimes colored, bio-film in the humidifier. Some of them are probably present in the distilled water. (Grocery store and big box store distilled water is not sterile.)

While there may be an occasional bacteria present in distilled water, it wouldn't have any nutrients with which to grow on. It is true that a few bacteria can grow on CO2 and nitrogen out of the air, but growth is vary slow. If people are have trouble with growth in their humidifiers. it is more likely that they are leaving some soap residue behind when they are cleaning it which could provide a growth medium. Either that or their distilled water isn't distilled.

[Sleepster]

The first time I traveled with my CPAP, I woke up after the second night and decided to wash the humidifier tub, since I had no SoClean. Imagine my horror when I discovered a slimy bottom and a growth inside...after 2 nights!

Scrub the humidifier tub and use distilled water in it for two nights without cleaning it. I bet there's no slime.

[OMyMyOHellYes]

So-clean? It is guaranteed to sanitize your wallet of several currency notes.

Beyond that ....

[rthomas]

DO NOT use these SoClean “sanitizers”...hearing the ozone is dangerous and I tried it and within a very short time, having huge skin allergy issues on the areas directly in contact with the nasal mask I use. No issues prior so 100% the Soclean....hoping to find something vs the weekly cleaning ritual pain. Suggestions?

[douganderson]

Cleaning your cpap mask is mostly unnecessary. The only contaminants on your mask came from you - they are part of your biome and as such are not harmful and maybe even protective. I clean my mask about once every 6 weeks and even then I'm not removing anything. I use a mild hand soap only and I've been using the same mask for more than 2 years. Apart from the headband losing its stretch, it shows no signs of deterioration.

[SarcasticDave94]

DO NOT use these SoClean “sanitizers”...hearing the ozone is dangerous and I tried it and within a very short time, having huge skin allergy issues on the areas directly in contact with the nasal mask I use. No issues prior so 100% the Soclean....hoping to find something vs the weekly cleaning ritual pain. Suggestions?

You could follow my cleaning method. Everything gets cleaned occasionally which is not weekly. Horrible evil Dave maybe cleans stuff every few weeks, but the drying period is always coffee time.

Soak stuff in Dawn and extremely warm water. Rinse thoroughly and air dry for several hours.

I don't empty humidifier tub nightly but maybe weekly; mine will get more or less emptied through nightly use. For the first year and a half I used distilled water, now it's getting tap. Besides the filter which is monthly, all parts get replaced when they stop functioning correctly and only then. Example would be my original/initial F20 AirFit cushion lasted 13 months then started leaking, so it got replaced then. Exception 2: My original water tub still holds water after about 2 years; it hasn't had any leaks, but I've set it aside as a backup after using a new one in a hospital visit. That swap took place at about one and a half years.

I'm not suggesting this method is right or good for everyone but it's OK for me and I'm COPD.

[Melman]

Cleaning your cpap mask is mostly unnecessary. The only contaminants on your mask came from you - they are part of your biome and as such are not harmful and maybe even protective. I clean my mask about once every 6 weeks and even then I'm not removing anything. I use a mild hand soap only and I've been using the same mask for more than 2 years. Apart from the headband losing its stretch, it shows no signs of deterioration.

As a microbiologist I’m usually telling people that they don’t need to clean as frequently as many do and don’t need anything more than mild dish washing detergent. Sometimes a slimy biofilm will build up in the humidifier which requires some type of mild sanitizer after cleaning. Peroxide is usually sufficient.

I think a 6 week cleaning interval, however, may be a little risky. The bacteria and molds that may grow on your components don’t just come from your respiratory tract. They come from the air in your home, your hands, and the water you use in the humidifier. Although most or all of them are not pathogens in low numbers, they may cause problems in large numbers, especially for people with compromised immune systems or other serious health problems. This schedule may work for you but I wouldn’t recommend it for everyone.

I'm pretty much in Dave's camp.

[SarcasticDave94]

To clarify: my cleaning schedule is between two to four weeks except humidifier tub. The tub normally gets rinsed weekly and soaked with the other stuff.

[douganderson]

I too am a microbiologist and my regimen is based on that expertise. I use distilled water ($1 per gallon which lasts about a month). Since bacteria and molds need some kind of growth medium (source of carbon and nitrogen) to grow on, nothing grows in my humidifier. The air coming into the humidifier all passes thru the HEPA filter, so the whole system is essentially sterile except for your own bacteria which will not harm you.
If you get organisms growing in distilled water I would suggest that it isn't distilled. Another possibility is you are leaving soap residue when you clean it - soap will supply the necessary growth medium. Rinsing is probably more important than the cleaning. It is true that there are a few slow  growing organisms that can get their nitrogen and carbon out of the air but their growth is sufficiently slow that it is very unlikely they would be a problem.
I clean my humidifier tank only about once every 6 months and there is nothing to clean out even then.

[RosieB08]

I own the SoClean 2 and forced myself to use it for almost a month. What I mean by "forced" is that the smell that my machine emitted when used, at night, hours after cleaning with SoClean that morning, was very hard to tolerate. As much as I tried to tell myself it was worth it and push pass the gagging each night, I couldn't do it anymore. Not only was the smell terrible but within a week it turned my brand new Airfit F30 mask an ugly yellowish/brown color. 

I also developed a respiratory infection within the first week of using the SoClean, not sure if it had anything to do with it, but it lasted for several weeks. My daughter who is a Senior Scientist for a cancer research company in Boston sent me an article about the machine with links for articles from the Food and Drug Administration, in which they state: "Ozone is a toxic gas with no known useful medical application in specific, adjunctive, or preventive therapy. In order for ozone to be effective as a germicide, it must be present in a concentration far greater than that which can be safely tolerated by man and animals." as well as for the Environmental Protection Agency, in which they state: "that relatively low amounts of ozone can cause shortness of breath and worsen chronic respiratory disease. In fact, ironically, exposure to it may compromise the body’s ability to fight respiratory infections."

I stopped using the SoClean 2 on that day and it's sitting back on a desk in the guest room collecting dust. I read multiple articles prior to purchasing the SoClean 2 that tell you the benefits of using it, most had links to purchase the product and therefore, most likely received compensation from the company for promoting their product. I'm sorry but I will take the advice of my daughter who holds a PhD among several other degrees over the advice and recommendations of others.