Cleaning

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on February 25, 2014 at 0:17

Hi Ken You need to be very careful with washing up liquid - especially brands like Fairy Liquid, which are kind to our hands, but not to our masks.  They usually contain additives and conditioners which after a while will leave behind a residue on the mask seal, which is often why people find their masks stop sealing as well as they did when new.  Don't use Baby Wipes either, because not only do they contain moisturisers, a lot of them have alcohol (often disguised as Ethanol) which actually damages the masks.  There are some Baby Wipes out there that say they contain no alcohol or additives, but I did some research on these lately and they usually contain 90+% water so aren't strong enough to clean off our facial oils.  I only ever use the CPAP Cleaning Wipes on my mask everyday (you just wipe it and leave to air dry with no rinsing) and once a week I use the CPAP Spray to get into every nook and cranny.  I also spray this down my hose.

For the humidifier, it depends which one you have, as some can safely be cleaned in the dishwasher and come out sparkling clean, but be sure to check the manual of yours.  Some people use vinegar and water (I can always smell this afterwards though and it's gross to me lol).  Milton tablets can be used too if you prefer.  I actually always used one of those Ultrasonic Cleaners until recently, but you have to make sure you get one big enough to fit the humidifier.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on February 25, 2014 at 0:32

Ken, I also meant to say (just in case you weren't told) that it's very important to tip out any unused water from your humidifier each day and fill with fresh water, as well as cleaning it regularly.  I'm in a hard water area so it's even worse if I neglect my cleaning of the humidifier.

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Permalink Reply by June Ostiadel on February 25, 2014 at 14:25

Hi Ken, I clean my mask daily with the CPAP Cleaning Wipes, then once a week I wash it in the sink using warm warm and just a drop of washing up liquid. Every day I empty the remaining water from my humidifier and also wash it out (as above) including the hose; always rinse well. My Humidifier is spotlessly clean and shiny and I have had it since new (August last year).

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Permalink Reply by Will Clifford on February 26, 2014 at 19:31

Ken
I use the CPAP wipes daily daily that I buy from Kath. I'm a bit lazy and don't wash the mask as often as I probably should but the wipes are great and do a great job. Actually I'm not convinced you need to wash the thing if you use the wipes if I'm honest.

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Permalink Reply by Elianna Halsey on February 26, 2014 at 23:02

I like a clean mask every night, so, I have three hoses and three masks.  Every third day I wash all three with baby shampoo, which is very mild  and hasn't shown to cause any build-up.  I also do as the others have said and empty my humidifier chamber every morning and wash it along with the hoses and masks every third day.  For most people this might be overboard, but when I tried using a hose more than one night it smelled bad and I couldn't handle it; so for me, washing more frequently is worthwhile.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on February 26, 2014 at 23:30

I'm the same with the mask Elianna and never use it without cleaning first.  (I'd go as far to say that using the same mask is like using a dirty handkerchief - ugh!)   I do mine with the wipes as soon as I wake up, before any facial oils get time to dry, and I use the excess of the wipe on the bathroom sink lol.  I only clean the hose once a week though, but don't notice any smells as I have an aromatherapy jar near the machine's inlet so it smells quite nice I always have a spare mask in my bedside cupboard in case I get any frustrating problems in the night when my patience is low lol.

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Permalink Reply by DeeNJai on March 3, 2014 at 19:09

Hi

I use wet wipes which I get from the supplier that supplies for my different problems.  They don't contain anything that would damage the mask.  So I am so lucky that I get these for free and get six a month of 40 wipes.  I can't use washing up liquid or soap because of my eczema as it would flare up the condition.  

Dee

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Permalink Reply by Ken1064 on March 4, 2014 at 9:13

DeeNJai said:

Hi

I use wet wipes which I get from the supplier that supplies for my different problems.  They don't contain anything that would damage the mask.  So I am so lucky that I get these for free and get six a month of 40 wipes.  I can't use washing up liquid or soap because of my eczema as it would flare up the condition.  

Dee  Dee what are the wipes called

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Permalink Reply by Pete on April 2, 2014 at 19:31

I wash my mask and humidifier tub daily, and my hose weekly, using a mild washing up liquid called Ecover. It works well for me and is just part of the normal routine.

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Permalink Reply by suzanne erdbrink on May 2, 2014 at 13:51

What type of water should i use in my humidifier and for cleaning the hose as i am in Hampshire now and there is a chalky residue in our water? Just purchased spray from this website. 

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on May 2, 2014 at 14:36

Have a look at this long discussion we had recently Suzanne here on the forum then you can make your mind up http://hope2sleepguide.co.uk/forum/topics/distilled-water-v-s-tap-w...  Seems more people here in the UK are having success with getting distilled water on prescription, but I keep forgetting to ask my GP.

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