I am having issues with the weekly cleaning. I was told they wanted me to clean with vinegar. I felt good about that, but have trouble getting all the vinegar smell out. I asked the technicians what they recommend. I was told to try baby shampoo. This has pretty much ruined my hose and I have not been able to use my machine since Wed. I am feeling really bad due to that, so I really need help. I only used a small squirt of the baby shampoo, yet I cannot get the smell out. I have soaked in plain water. I have soaked in vinegar several times, then plain water again. My husband suggest peroxide. Tried that and soaked in water after. No better. I soaked it all night last night in clean water, and still it smells like baby shampoo. While that is nice smell, I am very sensitive to smells and need my air to have no smell at all. I guess I will be getting new hose, etc tomorrow. I would like to hear how you all clean your equipment. My husband thinks I need to invest in the So Clean. I have read good and bad reviews on them. They cost $300, so that is a major decision. If anyone has thoughts on the So Clean, I would love to hear that too. Thanks in advance for any advice anyone has for me.
Can't comment on the So-Clean gizmo... I don't use one and am probably too cheap to toss $300 after cleaning equipment. First; cleaning the water tub seems important but the need to do this is mitigated by use of distilled water. This thing is about the only thing in all the equipment that needs soaked and most DMEs recommend a vinegar solution. Perhaps using vinegar that doesn't smell would help; not balsamic or cider vinegar but plain white stuff... As far as the hose, if you receive re-supply on a regular basis I would just use the new hose. I have been using my original hose for about 3 years now and haven't cleaned it. Doesn't seem to be any negative effect. The mask harness needs to be washed out as it soaks up oils and can get nasty. I wash with mild unscented hand soap. I also wash my mask with the same and do these about every couple weeks. I wash the mask PAD that contacts my face every day. I use the same hand soap. I am not smell sensitive so don't know if that would work with you. I could smell something better used on a dinner salad or any scented/perfumed soap like baby shampoo. I am surprised more folks haven't chimed in because everyone is faced with cleaning and should have advice. I also know there are CPAP specific cleaning fluids but haven't tried them. I do know not to use bleach impregnated wipes. I did destroy my first mask pad with these. No germs though hehe
Thank you so much for your reply. I too thought others might reply as everyone has to clean their equipment. I did use white vinegar, but it still smells. I have not had my equipment long enough to have extra parts lying around. It is the hose that has the smell trapped in it. I do use distilled water in the tub part. I am going to get new parts today and will be back on my machine tonight hopefully. How I will be cleaning it, I don't know? I don't want to spend $300 on So Clean. I am not even sure how good it is.
For masks we generally recommend simple dish washing detergent. I would be concerned that vinegar would have a negative effect on the rubber over time. Once a week is a good guideline for cleaning your mask, but it varies from person to person. Some people need to wash the mask pillow every day to achieve adequate seal, but most people get perfectly good result washing their mask once/week, and washing your mask less often will extend its life. Ultimately it's going on your face so it's up to you. But please DO wash it. You may be surprised, but there are plenty of people who just never wash their mask and the results are truly disturbing. Sometimes I just cannot believe what people put on their faces. Washing your face immediately before putting you mask on can also help with seal. An good alternative to washing with water and detergent is good old baby wipes. It is possible to get some which are unscented (I believe), and as long as they are alcohol free (which almost all are) they won't harm the mask. Avoid things sold specifically as CPAP cleaning wipes. They are a complete ripoff. Some CPAP suppliers sell them for sterilising your mask, but you don't need to sterilise it. It's not like you're sharing it with anyone. It only needs to be clean, not sterile. It is generally unnecessary to wash the tubing because the only thing that travels down it is plain ordinary air. You don't breathe back down it, all of your exhaled air is blown out of the exhalation port of the mask. If you have a humidifier and get condensation in your tube, do make sure you drain and dry your tube every morning, and the occasional wash may be worth while. Humidifier chambers should be emptied every day to prevent mold growth. If you use tap water or rain water, there will be deposits left as the water evaporates, and these can usually be removed by soaking with vinegar and a little scrub. If you use demineralised water you should not need to clean your humidifier chamber. It is that same stuff sold for use in irons, and car radiators and so on and is pretty cheap. Many people mistakenly refer to it as distilled water, but distilled water is different thing. It is of a far high grade of purity that is unnecessary for use in a CPAP machine, and proper distilled water is expensive. If you have a filter tap this is just as good. Hope all of that helps.
Thank you for your input. No one ever told me I didn't have to wash the hose. I am going to the supply center for a new hose soon. I will ask them about that. Washing with vinegar is what they told me to do. My paperwork has instructions for this and says mild soap is the second choice. It does say no bleach or anything harsh. I do use wipes on my mask and nasal cushion daily. Maybe I am cleaning too much. Trying to figure this all out.
sleeptech, A gallon of distilled water will last me about 6 weeks or more and costs $.99 US. We can buy it in any grocery and I have never heard of demineralized water here in the States. May have it but not at the grocery stores my wife shops at. The packaging on distilled water container says "DISTILLED WATER" so I am guessing that is what it is.
