Using humidifier

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on April 26, 2021 at 21:33

Hi Maxine

That advice is correct, except you really want to be giving a deeper clean once a week with a more natural disinfecting regime.  The manufacturers recommend doing this with 1 part of white vinegar to 5 parts water and leaving to soak.  Some people use lemon juice instead, and also use an old toothbrush to try to get rid of any limescale build-up.

It's true that distilled water is best (NOT deionised though which isn't for respiratory equipment) but the problem is that distilled is expensive here, whereas very cheap in the USA and other parts of the world.  If you live in a hardwater area our problem is worse.  To be honest, I do buy distilled water for my machine due to living in a very bad hardwater area, but as I said it's not cheap.  Here's a link to the one I buy on Amazon http://amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BSJ9T8S/ or you can buy a water distiller to make your own which is more cost-effective.

If you don't want to use distilled water, you can continue with cooled boiled tap water, but will just have to clean/disinfect more often.

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Permalink Reply by Maxine Chaplain on April 28, 2021 at 6:56

Thanks so much for the advice. I now have my new one and will try the water/vinegar regime. Yes, we do live in a very hard water area which doesn't help so I'll give the distilled water a go too. Many thanks 

Kath Hope said:

Hi Maxine

That advice is correct, except you really want to be giving a deeper clean once a week with a more natural disinfecting regime.  The manufacturers recommend doing this with 1 part of white vinegar to 5 parts water and leaving to soak.  Some people use lemon juice instead, and also use an old toothbrush to try to get rid of any limescale build-up.

It's true that distilled water is best (NOT deionised though which isn't for respiratory equipment) but the problem is that distilled is expensive here, whereas very cheap in the USA and other parts of the world.  If you live in a hardwater area our problem is worse.  To be honest, I do buy distilled water for my machine due to living in a very bad hardwater area, but as I said it's not cheap.  Here's a link to the one I buy on Amazon http://amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07BSJ9T8S/ or you can buy a water distiller to make your own which is more cost-effective.

If you don't want to use distilled water, you can continue with cooled boiled tap water, but will just have to clean/disinfect more often.

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Permalink Reply by Kath Hope on April 28, 2021 at 11:59

You're welcome Maxine.  I have to say that although it's more expensive using distilled, I now never get any build-up of minerals/limescale in my humidifier and don't even need to clean it with vinegar.  I just spray the CPAP spray into it once a week for a deeper clean or lemon juice would be fine.  
Maxine Chaplain said:

Thanks so much for the advice. I now have my new one and will try the water/vinegar regime. Yes, we do live in a very hard water area which doesn't help so I'll give the distilled water a go too. Many thanks 

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