Would you put your humdifier chamber in the dishwasher?

I know there are lots of threads about cleaning etc
I am thinking of purchasing the H5i humidifier that is designed to go in the dishwasher.
I find cleaning my existing closed container with Control III to be a pain and it does not smell to good after cleaning.

I'm just wondering how sanitary is a dishwasher really?

Mine has a sanitize setting but I'm always finding left over food that has not gone down the built in disposal at the bottom of the dishwasher.

i suppose i could run the washer with just the chamber in it and not other dishes but that would be wasteful and expensive.

I use a fan for white noise, so I empty my water daily and put the chamber in-front of the fan while getting ready for my day.
It dries completly in about 15 mins. So, no worries. I start fresh everyday. But, If I didn't do this I think I would.....no.....I don't think I would as I don't wash my dishwasher dishes everyday. I would need 2 tanks.

Dishwasher manufacturers claim they "sanitize" all the dishes, so you can safely wash baby bottles and such. Guess that means the bits of food are sanitized, too. Aside from that issue, the water in my area (which, we are repeatedly told, meets all the standards for safe water) discolors stuff and tastes bad. Just sayin'.

No.

1. I've never felt the need to "clean" it.
2. I've never taken my humidifier tank apart.
3. We don't have a dishwasher. (electric/powered)


Den

My tank is supposedly dishwasher safe, but I've never taken the chance--thought I might as it gets closer to the 6 month mark when I can get a replacement, but now I'm not so sure.

I fill my chamber once a week with distilled water (hopefully, no CPAP police are listening), and once weekly I thoroughly wash it, give it a vinegar rinse, and rinse well. It looks perfectly new and clean, and it doesn't get slimy, dirty, cruddy, etc.

Our dishwasher is getting old and it does leave some soap residue and hardwater film on glasses. I don't want to be breathing any of that into my lungs, so I feel that my current method is safer.

I do it about once a month or so and have not had any problems. We dont really put any food into our dishwasher though, all plates and bottles and such have already been rinsed very well before they are put inside.

I do. But with some precautions.

1. First run an empty load using vinegar instead of dishwasher detergent. (To kill germs.)

2. While you're waiting, fill the humidifier chamber with vinegar, shake well, and let set a minute or two. Rinse well.

3. Wash the humidifier in the dishwasher.

Be sure to use a mild detergent (e.g., Seventh Generation, etc.), not those that use phosphates.

Be sure _not_ to use a cycle that uses high heat, such as sanitizer, anti-bacterial, added heat, or heated dry.

Open the dishwasher as soon as the cycle is done, so that the seal on the humidifier doesn't sit in there and bake.

Somewhere around once a month ought to be OK if you use distilled water.

No. Just see absolutely no need for such an extreme. Wash it with baby shampoo when you see the need.

Don't know why but my distilled water smells 'musty' after only a few days, so yes, I put my chamber & the metal plate in my dishwasher.
I wash the silicone seal by hand.
Just ordered another so I can have one to swap every few days.
I'd rather be anal about cleaning it than try to cure something that gets started in my lungs. Call me paranoid but I gotta do what I gotta do

UB, I don't understand the need to be cleaning the HH tank all the time.
....but, you got'a do what you got'a do.

Have you tried Slinky's Polident denture tab method.
I clean my tank every couple of months w/two tabs
in hot water.....let it sit for 15min. Rinse.
It never has any residue smell and it's squeeky clean.

Doesn't get much easier.

lktnky wrote: I gotta do what I gotta do

carbonman wrote: ....but, you got'a do what you got'a do.

Is there an echo in here......

Great minds......

No. I think some people have more problems by washing things, esp. too often. Even dishwasher water will likely leave mineral deposits which then requires more cleaning - it is a cycle then.

I esp. don't like leaving things out in the room air to dry, Esp. the bathroom but any room air has dust and other contaminants which wouldn't otherwise get to the cpap stuff.

Most of the cleaning routines are cya for the DME's. I also think some of the soaps used break down the mask seals prematurely. If you must clean the seal, rinse or wipe down using distilled. Then again many times it is the disassembly and re-assembly that breaks the mask or other parts.

If it ain't broke - don't fix it.

Goin on 3yrs....NO.

carbonman wrote:UB, I don't understand the need to be cleaning the HH tank all the time.
....but, you got'a do what you got'a do.

Have you tried Slinky's Polident denture tab method.
I clean my tank every couple of months w/two tabs
in hot water.....let it sit for 15min. Rinse.
It never has any residue smell and it's squeeky clean.

Doesn't get much easier.

Tried the denture tab method and that resulted in 'stuff' in the tank that wouldn't rinse out. Had to take a q-tip to swab it out. That didn't work so well for my already sore hands. Hence......the dishwasher.

Believe me, if it didn't smell so musty I wouldn't be going to all this trouble. I tried doing the 'rinse & go' thing for awhile but got that nasty pink gunk in a tank and ended up tossing it. It's just easier this way. Like 'they' say, "It's in the water!"

carbonman wrote:

lktnky wrote: I gotta do what I gotta do

carbonman wrote: ....but, you got'a do what you got'a do.

Is there an echo in here......

Great minds......

great quote....great minds!

lktnky wrote:Believe me, if it didn't smell so musty I wouldn't be going to all this trouble. I tried doing the 'rinse & go' thing for awhile but got that nasty pink gunk in a tank and ended up tossing it. It's just easier this way. Like 'they' say, "It's in the water!"

You are not far off - the 'pink' is definitely dangerous stuff but it doesn't come from distilled water. So me thinks it comes from (bacteria) washing with city or well water. Then maybe the room drying?

If you just can't avoid washing it then maybe using vinegar to kill the nasties after the wash and a "Final Rinse" with distilled will help. Even make a vinegar/distilled spray. But yea if you see pink you gotta do something.