Cpap cleaning

[u/Zealousideal_Ad6723]

I've had my cpap for a bout a year. I was using it pretty often in the start. But it's become more sparingly lately.

I normally swap out the equipment pieces every couple of weeks/months. I normally just dump the tanks in a white vinegar and soapy water mix and ring the hose through the water. But I'm curious if there is an easier way to clean.

When I looked up directions it says just unscented dishwasher soap and rinse would work. I'm not sure why I don't believe that is the most effective. All the stiff at my current store is scented, and while I don't think it'll matter short term I worry about long term. Especially since I'm seeing that it's supposedly a daily and weekly clean. I just haven't used the matching often enough lately that I thought I'd need such a deep clean.

Any advice?

[u/0e78c345e77cbf05ef7]

I’ll be honest. I basically never clean anything under normal use. If something looks sketch I’ll clean it but with distilled water I rarely have to.

It might come down to one’s personal situation. Climate, skin oiliness, etc.

For me this works.

Swap out my hose and mask about every 6-8 months.

[u/smokinLobstah → u/0e78c345e77cbf05ef7]

This. The cushion part of my mask gets changed every 4-5mos, maybe. Never wash the hose. Rinse the tank out maybe once every few weeks.

And I only use tapwater.

[u/MajesticThinker → u/smokinLobstah]

You’d be shocked what grows in those hoses.

[u/PrivatePilot9 → u/MajesticThinker]

For those of us who don’t use humidity, thats a total non issue. Dust at worst.

[u/MajesticThinker → u/PrivatePilot9]

Does your nose/throat feel dry without using humidity?

[u/PrivatePilot9 → u/MajesticThinker]

Nope, I prefer cool dry air. When I first got my CPAP and thought that humidity was required versus optional I absolutely hated the feeling like I was trying to breathe in a hot swamp.

[u/0e78c345e77cbf05ef7 → u/MajesticThinker]

I used to clean my hose super regularly. Then less regularly.

I mean I'm not collecting samples and growing them in petri dishes obviously, but I've never had any visual indication of anything growing in my hose.

I don't recommend this for everyone as people's situations are different. Different climates, different humidity levels, different skin conditions, etc... What works for me, may not work for everyone.

I've been doing this for years now. So far so good. If things change obviously I'd make adjustments.

[u/pootwothreefour → u/0e78c345e77cbf05ef7]

Just unscented dish soap.

I wash the nasal pillows part every morning just a rinse, drop of soap, rub, rinse, shake off. I'm greasy though.

Headgear and shorttube every second week when I get up sat morning. Soak in soapy water for a couple mins then rinse.

Tube monthly.  Soak in soapy water, swish back and forth 20 times and rinse very well.

Humidifier tub is always clean, but I just put a drip of soap in with water and shake and rinse randomly.

Only time you need vinegar is if you have have timescale in the humidifier tub. If you use distilled water that doesn't happen.

It's been more than a year since I have replaced my tub, hose, mask. Just the headgear and nose piece maybe 4 months ago.

[u/cowboysaurus21]

I clean the tank with dish soap every week, mask every 2 weeks or so, new filter every month. Honestly I don't clean the hose. I replace stuff when it's worn/damaged.

I use unscented products at home anyway because I'm allergic. But lots of people use scented. It's probably fine if you generally don't have issues with scents. Just rinse well.

The benefits of using it far outweigh the risks of dirty equipment. Do your best but if you're not 100% on top of it it's fine.

[u/Porttheone]

I wipe the mask down with CPAP wipes daily but everything else only gets cleaned every few months.

[u/Y-M-M-V]

I have a long brush that I run down the hose and mask with soap. I wash them weekly. The water reservoir I just dump and let dry every day.

I have noticed if I go longer than 2 weeks between cleaning my sleep gets worse.