Best way to clean your full face mask.

[Chuck Connors]

I'm interested in learning what cleaning solution has worked the best for cleaning the silicone part of the mask. No matter what I use, I can't get the silicone anywhere close to the squeaky clean, good fit, which it usually maintains in the first week of use. Thanks a bunch for your words of CPAP wisdom. -Chuck-

[purple]

I wanted to say some things that others here are not likely to say. One it is not just what you use to clean the mask cushion, but what you do not use. Do not use anything with alcohol. Do not use those little packages of citrus pads that some DME's provide, do not use harsh soaps. All those things dry the silicon cushion. When I started it was suggested that one use Vinegar, as it kills a lot of bugs, and rinses away pretty well. I also tried some soaps. My favorite being to swish a fresh bar of Ivory soap in mildly warm water, then use that. I like the smell of Ivory. BTW: Did you know that bar soaps can incubate bacteria on them, and on the surface, in the cracks of the soap. That is the reason why public places always use liquid soaps from a dispenser. And why I use a freshly unwrapped bar each time I wash the mask. Likewise, a lot of bowls, and sinks keep bacteria in the cracks, no matter how much they have been scrubbed.

I was a real bug at first about washing the mask every nite. That made the same problem you describe. Silicon became stiff. Now I will wash my mask when I have any kind of cold, sinus thing every day. In a bowl with fresh soapy water. Else rarely. I will wipe it off with a paper towel and water, I will give it a good rinse sometimes, with very little ivory soap. I can get away with this, I think because the air in my area is dry enough, that it does not encourage mold or mildew.

I have also developed another habit. When I get up in the morning, I shave, take a shower. I get out of the shower, and with my face still drippy wet I put oil on it. This makes my face more pliable, softer. Then when I put the mask on that night, I get a better fit. The best fit of course would be for me to shave again in the evening. Of course the oil I use is not good for Silicon, but it is mostly gone by the late evening. I have used Coconut oil. I now use a slightly more expensive oil that has vitamins in it. The best being one with Vitamins and Co-Q10. An employee of the local wound clinic, who treat a lot of skin breaks, ulcers (frequently from Diabetes) said they always slathered on skin oils with Vitamins after treating wound.

I have read some, using a mask like my FitLife, have boiled the mask, with something, I think a bit of vinegar, and it came back with the same new softness that it originally had. I have never tried it. I would make sure to have another mask on hand before trying that.

I feel you might benefit from a "Mask Liner" Which some here have made from old soft cotton, like an old T-shirt. Which is cut to cover the cushion. Better would be to purchase a Mask Liner from PadaCheek. AKA Karen. No relation, I am just a satisfied customer. More than that. Karen is a very helpful chatty person. Give her a call, tell her about your concerns, describe what exactly is going on. See what she says. If you think it wise, buy her mask liner, and whatever else would make your xPAP life easier.

While you did not ask about it, I use a hose hanger system, which I have discovered keeps me from dragging the machine off the stand onto the floor, and helps to minimize the issue of the hose pulling on the mask, causing leaks.

Best wishes

[Wulfman...]

Dawn dishwashing liquid (the original blue version).


Den

.

[palerider]

I wanted to say some things that others here are not likely to say. One it is not just what you use to clean the mask cushion, but what you do not use. Do not use anything with alcohol.

I've been looking, and I can't find any reference to substantiate this...
can you provide me with some references, other than apocryphal comments?

I cleaned my ffm cushion with purell and a facial tissue for years, a quick wipe to remove oils every night, and then a wash with hot soap and water every week or two. it worked quite well for me for four or five years, on the same cushion. never had to replace it... the only reason I'm not doing it now, is that I switched to a different mask most of the time.

[Wanker]

all I use is warm soapy water. I always wake up at night with a flood of my own dribble in my mask

[Pugsy]

Last resort for cushions headed to the trash can and make sure you have a spare cushion that isn't in the pot.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=74686&st=0&sk=t&sd= ... il+cushion

Make sure to use distilled water for the boiling if your tap water has any sort of mineral content. I tried the boiling thing first with my tap water on my old nasal pillow masks and the darn things look worse and not better....so then I decided to try distilled water for boiling and rinsing and it really made them nice a clear again.
My water where I live is super high in mineral content.
Make sure the pot is rather tall as the baking soda causes a lot of foam to be produced.

[chunkyfrog]

Warm water and Method unscented hand soap.
I don't think they make it any more, so I will probably use Dawn Pure Essentials when that's gone.
Don't you just hate it when good stuff goes away?
I am also playing with the idea of using distilled water, carbonated in the Soda Stream, as a soak,
since we can't boil these things.

[palerider]

I am also playing with the idea of using distilled water, carbonated in the Soda Stream, as a soak,
since we can't boil these things.

that's an interesting thought. I might try that just for shits and giggles... I've got a home made carbonator setup... carbonated water is mildly acidic. hmm.

[purple]

I wanted to say some things that others here are not likely to say. One it is not just what you use to clean the mask cushion, but what you do not use. Do not use anything with alcohol.

I've been looking, and I can't find any reference to substantiate this...
can you provide me with some references, other than apocryphal comments?

I cleaned my ffm cushion with purell and a facial tissue for years, a quick wipe to remove oils every night, and then a wash with hot soap and water every week or two. it worked quite well for me for four or five years, on the same cushion. never had to replace it... the only reason I'm not doing it now, is that I switched to a different mask most of the time.

It is always good when someone chimes in with a different experience than mine, mine is limited to me. My first RT, and first DME said not to use wipes with Alcohol. I disobeyed them, and suffered the consequences. I have heard the same advice not to use prepackaged wipes from other DME sources.

Wonder if your success might be related to how well your mask fits, and perhaps a lower pressure than I use.

[glarnold]

My procedure: I don't clean it daily. Every two or weeks (or when it looks bad), I wash it in the bathroom sink using warm water with a little Woolite liquid soap, rinse well, and let air dry. At night, it fits against my short beard and conforms well. A mask lasts me a little over five years. I do use three masks, alternating to give them a breather.

[nobody]

I'm interested in learning what cleaning solution has worked the best for cleaning the silicone part of the mask. No matter what I use, I can't get the silicone anywhere close to the squeaky clean, good fit, which it usually maintains in the first week of use. Thanks a bunch for your words of CPAP wisdom. -Chuck-

Dr. Bronner's without any scent or Neutrogena fragrance free bar. Both get the mask squeaky clean just like new. But eventually it doesn't work anymore and you have to replace it. The silicone will soak in oils that can't be washed out and they get stretched out. I replace mine about every three months.

[trr]

I use Palmolive pure + clear on a daily basis. Don't ask me why, I just thought it was pure and clear. Now I'm seeing the list of ingredients and I'm wondering myself.

[palerider]

Wonder if your success might be related to how well your mask fits, and perhaps a lower pressure than I use.

I run about 12-20 with bilevel in there ...

I can't find anything that says to avoid alcohol on silicone though... other than "so and so told me not to"...

like, no reference material or anything. that's what I was hoping you had.

[LSAT]

My Quattro silicone gets wiped every night with a baby wipe. It gets cleaned in the sink with hand soap about once a month and it gets boiled every 3 months. I can get a year out of a silicone cushion.

[HoseCrusher]

I don't think this has been mentioned prior to this but washing your face prior to masking up may reduce the amount of crap ending up on your mask and reduce the effort needed to clean the mask.