SoClean 3 - safe to use?

[Mecate13]

Hi, I'm new to using my cpap and it's going great. At the suggestion of a friend I ordered a SoClean 3 cleaner/sanitizer. It arrived and then I heard about the voluntary recall having to do ozone leakage. I called SoClean and they said it was a voluntary recall and that it did not apply to the machine itself, but had to do with instructions in the booklet. Booklet instructions have been revised. I'm wondering if it is safe to use? Thanks for your help with this.

[Grumpy48]

Excerpt from a a Resmed CPAP User Manual......

"Do not use bleach, chlorine, alcohol, or aromatic-based solutions, moisturizing or
antibacterial soaps or scented oils to clean the device, the water tub or air tubing. These
solutions may cause damage or affect the humidifier performance and reduce the life of
the products. Exposure to smoke, including cigarette, cigar or pipe smoke, as well as ozone
or other gases, may damage the device. Damage caused by any of the foregoing will not
be covered by ResMed’s limited warranty."

The SoClean sanitizes with the use of ozone. Using it may cause damage to the CPAP machine, thus Resmed will not warranty the unit. Ozone is not good for ones health either.

SoClean not recommended.

Another interesting read.....
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-a ... one-gas-or

[Dog Slobber]

Do a search for "ozone compatibility", you will find hundreds of ozone handling companies, they publish charts rating how incompatible material is with ozone. Basically, how quickly ozone will destroy it.

ie: https://ozonesolutions.com/blog/ozone-c ... materials/

Some of these incompatible materials are inside your CPAP machine.

I called SoClean and they said it was a voluntary recall

Which means what?

If SoClean was beneficial, don't you think the CPAP manufactures would recommend it, not give warnings to not use it.

[Mecate13]

Thanks Grumpy48 and Dog Slobber! I returned it this afternoon and now feel really good for doing so.

[Dog Slobber]

Thanks Grumpy48 and Dog Slobber! I returned it this afternoon and now feel really good for doing so.

I think you made the right move.

This is also a good opportunity to put you at ease about CPAP cleaning:

• SoClean (and other sanitiser manufactures), DMEs, and some CPAP users, fear-monger and overstate the necessity and thoroughness of CPAP cleaning. This is sometimes done for legal liability and over cautiousness
• About Pathogens:
  • Most are absolutely harmless, for example almost all bacteria on your mask are harmless facial flora
  • Those that are not harmless, probably came from you, or you have already been exposed to them in your environment, therefore you likely have the antibodies for them.
  • On the off-chance some kind of pathogen is on your equipment that you have not been exposed to, there is a good chance that the viral/bacterial load is so small that your immune system will easily fend it off. But once again the pathogen is in your environment.
  • CPAP equipment is really not a great environment for pathogens to thrive and multiply. Out devices are missing the organic nutrients. But this is also why regular cleaning is still important so we don't create organic nutrient environments
• Many experienced CPAP users simply don't clean at the frequency and thoroughness documented and/or suggested. Some don't ever wash some components (ie hoses, and yes I'm in that camp)
• There are millions of CPAP users, tons of data of CPAP users, who use vastly different levels of cleaning methods and thoroughness. Where's the studies demonstrating a significant differences in CPAP maintenance illness???

Here's an interesting study about over-cleaning CPAP equipment.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10867908/

[Mecate13]

Thanks so much Dog Slobber. I have been almost ODing over the cleanliness/germ issues. I'll relax now.

[chunkyfrog]

I feel that some "dirt" is beneficial by exercising our immune systems,
but knowledge of the processes is useful if they are needed--but only then
For example, I became much more conscientious during chemo.
After chemo, I welcomed my first runny egg in months.
And tap water!

[ozij]

Thank you, Dog Slobber.

That paper is worthy of a thread with its own name, something like "Worried about cleaning your equipment? Read this!"

A gem!

[lazarus]

Great info, DS, that apparently was not funded or sponsored by people making money from cleaning products!

The only times I have actually thoroughly cleaned mask and hose have been for the cleaning of my travel-machine mask and hose after overnight hospital stays. But then, I thoroughly cleaned pretty much everything after those times.

Everyone has a personal comfort level in such matters. It's always a numbers game to assess and estimate risks, even with the rare tiny risks.

To illustrate: I don’t consider myself to have a phobia about germs, but then again, I am one of the few in my area who still wear a KN-95 indoors when around large groups in poorly ventilated locations and in hospitals and in doctor's offices, and I religiously wash my hands when leaving such areas. I have diabetes and high blood pressure that are well-controlled with medication, but I still consider myself to be at high risk for COVID complications and decide accordingly.

I do not, however, wear a KN-95 mask in relatively crowded outdoor settings unless others are consistently close enough to me for me to feel better wearing a mask as others cough and sneeze in the outdoor crowd.

So, in my opinion, many cleaning decisions and preventative habits are based more on personal comfort and preference than on direct hard science.

I am glad this forum has room for us all.

That said, I personally do not consider SoClean or their products or their misleading ads to be honorable or respectable or ethical.