Desperate Help in Desmokifying my Machine.

AdmiralCougar · Post by **AdmiralCougar** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 11:50 am

OK, so we stayed at a friends house Saturday night, and he is a smoker. I didn't get my machine out till after he was long to bed, but it picked up the smoke smell from the house. I was only able to run it for two hours before I couldn't stand it anymore. I brought it home and changed the filters and it still smelling awful. I couldn't use it at all last night. I already washed the headgear, and I'm planing on soaking the mask, hose and humidifier in a heavy vinegar solution. Will the Vinegar solution be enough to get rid of the smell in/on them? And what suggestions does anyone have for the machine? Will just running it without hose or mask hooked up help get the smell out? I can't possibly use it with that smell. I have a hard enough time getting up the nerve just to visit our friend because of the smoke I know I can't handle that every night. I'm never going to use my machine at his house again... It's going to be a very miserable time for future visits. I feel so stupid I should of just gone without.

Christy

ozij · Post by **ozij** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:27 pm

Run the machine on without hose etc. for some hours all day if necessary - it'll screw up your leek rate data, but it will help in ridding of the smoke smell.

If your machine has auto off or a leak alalrm set up - you'll have to cancel them.

O.

NeedinZs · Post by **NeedinZs** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:31 pm

OMG! All I can offer is my condolences! You DO NOT need that!!

Beyond what you've mentioned, I can't think of anything else to try!!

I did a home titration and they sent me 2 different Autos that wreaked of cigarette smoke, and I couldn't stand to be in the same room with the machines, let alone BREATHE through them. The RT from that co. said there wasn't much they could do once they got the smoke absorbed in the machine.

They reluctantly sent me a third (brand new).

I hope someone comes up with some suggestions for you!

Good luck!

Wulfman... · Post by **Wulfman...** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 12:46 pm

ozij wrote:Run the machine on without hose etc. for some hours all day if necessary - it'll screw up your leek rate data, but it will help in ridding of the smoke smell.

If your machine has auto off or a leak alalrm set up - you'll have to cancel them.

O.

Take your smartcard out of the machine if you do this and it won't affect your leak data.

Other than that, I really don't have any suggestions for getting rid of the smell. I was trying to think of something that smells "good" that could be applied to the intake filter (in a small quantity) that would neutralize the smell, but don't know what would work.

Den

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:01 pm

Just wondering if a little vinegar on a tissue back by the intake would help. Or a Pur-Sleep type product. Just don't want to add to the smells and make it worse. Would a little Febreez on a tissue blown thru but NOT while breathing be a bad idea?

I'm out of town and although I'm not staying in a smoking house, I didn't bring any Pur-Sleep and just the standard machine smell was not good to me last night. Because my airways are so reactive, I can't use just anything that smells good.

Good luck with getting the smoke smell out. Let us know if you find something that works.

Kathy

sharon1965 · Post by **sharon1965** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 1:23 pm

ugh... that is so yucky...hope you figure it out

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:02 pm

My DH and I stayed at a hotel for 2 nights last week and the room next door had been occupied by smokers for over a week - plus they had been cooking for themselves on a charcoal grill right outside our door (and AC unit). Needless to say the room reeked of smoke - cig and charcoal! It was pretty strong up there. The pursleep helped, but couldn't mask the odor. We got home Friday and I still noticed the odor although faintly last night. I haven't been running it during the day, but I do try to run it about 10 minutes at night before I put it on. I did change my filters as soon as we got home.
Hope your machine clears out fast!
Good luck!
Joanna

jjposey · Post by **jjposey** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:03 pm

sorry - I forgot to log in...
Joanna

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:12 pm

DO NOT USE FEBREZE ANYWHERE AROUND YOUR CPAP.

It contains Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde will eat your brain cells. My boyfriend lost 5 years of his life - not to mention his job - due to Formaldehyde poisoning when his office got new carpeting. Alot of "multiple chemical sensitivity" syndrome sufferers can trace their initial disability to contact with formaldehyde.

I used to love Febreze. But since CPAP I can smell the chemicals so badly it makes me sick. I've eliminated it from my life.

Seriously, don't use Febreze for this issue. Try not to use it at all.

Do the long soaks in vinegar, then wash everything, and then do another long soak in a just a clean water and whatever you're using for detergent, to kill the vinegar smell.

Try putting some PurSleep on the filter and run that through the machine for a few hours, sans SmartCard and with the auto-off feature disabled, as other posters have said.

You might see if you can track down one of those ion/ozone air cleaner things and run it in the room the same time you're cleaning your machine out. Ask around - maybe someone can loan you one. Make sure it comes from a non-smoking home.

I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!
B.

NeedinZs · Post by **NeedinZs** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:19 pm

Thanks Babette for the tip on the Febreeze.

No wonder I had such a strong aversion to it first time I used it years ago.
It went directly into my outside trash can!
Almost anything with ANY smell I can not tolerate.

I am always surprised that others can use aromatherapy with their CPAP's!!

I guess you're not all wimps like me!

mel334 · Post by **mel334** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:28 pm

There is a product out there called "Odors away". It comes in a small bottle. I get mine at True Value. One drop on a glass or ceramic dish in my kitchen gets rid of all kitchen cooking odors FAST! My husband likes to burn stuff when he cooks so I use it a lot! I wonder if you can put a drop of it on a dish next to the cpap and leave the hoses off and just run it for an hour. Maybe that will help.

My niece loves Eternity perfume and it got spilled on a carpet at my mom's house. Nothing could tone it down but the odors away did.

kteague · Post by **kteague** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:29 pm

Thanks for the tip on that Febreez. I've never liked the smell, but my daughter uses it, even the Tide with it in it. Formaldehyde is what messed my lungs up in the first place so I am particularly sensitive to it. In the early years I stayed on top of what products had it in them, but got kinda lax thru the years. Good to know about this one.

Kathy

sleepycarol · Post by **sleepycarol** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 2:47 pm

I had a freezer that became unplugged without me being aware of it and you can guess what happened -- rotten meat smell. I was going to junk the freezer when my brother (he worked for an appliance repair shope) told me to put some charcoal in a shoe box or some other container and set it in there for a few days. It worked.

I don't know if this would work with a CPAP, but get a little charcoal and wrap it so it doesn't get the black junk in your machine and set it near the intake and see if that helps.

You might try some baking soda dissolved in water to clean your equipment (I would prefer it over the vinegar smell as vinegar smells make me sick) and set a small container of it (try dissolving it in water first) near the intake.

Just two suggestions that I have used on other things to get rid of smoke smells. Don't know how they will do on a CPAP though.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:09 pm

I wonder if a Puraira would work? I have one here I could send to you pretty quick, and you could test it out. Bret says it kills alot of household odors. I'm thinking, put the machine in a small room, like a bathroom, light the Puraira, turn on the machine, and seal up the room. Let it run for awhile and test breathe it.

Christy, write me offlist if you're interested in trying this. I'm not using the Puraira much, and if it works for you, again, we can talk trade and I'll just buy myself a new lamp. They're pretty cheap - only about $12. But they do take a while to ship, and you need this fast.

Dubya Dubya Dubya puraira Dot Com

I can send you some PUR oil, which has no scent. That would probably be best for this use. Maybe some Cedar, too.

Just lemme know.

Cheers,
Barbara

Snoredog · Post by **Snoredog** » Mon Oct 01, 2007 3:34 pm

[quote="Anonymous"]DO NOT USE FEBREZE ANYWHERE AROUND YOUR CPAP.

It contains Formaldehyde. Formaldehyde will eat your brain cells. My boyfriend lost 5 years of his life - not to mention his job - due to Formaldehyde poisoning when his office got new carpeting. Alot of "multiple chemical sensitivity" syndrome sufferers can trace their initial disability to contact with formaldehyde.

I used to love Febreze. But since CPAP I can smell the chemicals so badly it makes me sick. I've eliminated it from my life.

Seriously, don't use Febreze for this issue. Try not to use it at all.

Do the long soaks in vinegar, then wash everything, and then do another long soak in a just a clean water and whatever you're using for detergent, to kill the vinegar smell.

Try putting some PurSleep on the filter and run that through the machine for a few hours, sans SmartCard and with the auto-off feature disabled, as other posters have said.

You might see if you can track down one of those ion/ozone air cleaner things and run it in the room the same time you're cleaning your machine out. Ask around - maybe someone can loan you one. Make sure it comes from a non-smoking home.

I'M SO SORRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!
B.

Desperate Help in Desmokifying my Machine.

Desperate Help in Desmokifying my Machine.

Smoke smell

Thanks for tip