Soap or not want all the answers I can get please.

I'm wondering if you all would chime in on a question I have. See I was told to wash the reservoir and the mask with dish soap when I first got it. However I have a Caregiver that says in the nursing home she worked in they only used warm water on them as the soap would break down the seal on the mask.

I want to know if the company I got my unit from is trying to get more money out of me by intentionally telling me to do something that will harm the mask.
Or is my caregiver wrong?

I'd like to know how you care for the equipment you have Please.

Machine manufacturers recommend soap and water. Have you read your owners manual? Dish washing detergent, baby shampoo, plain soap and water...OR...if you use distilled water exclusively, you rarely need to wash it at all.

I wash all of our equipment equipment with Ivory dish soap and water. The cushions get washed every Monday morning, and everything else gets washed the first Monday of every month. When washing the equipment, I try to handle it gently. I simply rub the cushion seals between my fingers, then gently wash the rest of the mask. Washing only in warm water will not remove the facial oils that get on the equipment and may prevent the mask from sealing properly. Regular cleaning does not shorten the life of your equipment. The cushion I am using has at least six months usage, and the cushion my wife is using has almost a full year of usage on it. We both use the same type of machine and mask. since they're both the same, it cuts down on the amount of spares I need to keep on hand.

FaethSilverwolf wrote: ↑

Mon Jan 21, 2019 2:53 pm

I'm wondering if you all would chime in on a question I have. See I was told to wash the reservoir and the mask with dish soap when I first got it. However I have a Caregiver that says in the nursing home she worked in they only used warm water on them as the soap would break down the seal on the mask.

I want to know if the company I got my unit from is trying to get more money out of me by intentionally telling me to do something that will harm the mask.
Or is my caregiver wrong?

I'd like to know how you care for the equipment you have Please.

Simply put, the caregiver is WRONG.

A good gentle soap is baby shampoo. You need something to cut through the skin oils and de-stink the mask.

Cardsfan wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 3:02 pm

A good gentle soap is baby shampoo. You need something to cut through the skin oils and de-stink the mask.

One doesn't need a "gentle soap", any good dish soap will do fine, I've used Dawn unscented for years.

A few drops of baby shampoo works fine.
And a bottle lasts longer than you will!

Especially the big jug I recently purchased at Costco.
What was I THINKING of?

I use Dawn to wash mask (daily), tank (weekly), and hose (after any illness, rare on CPAP therapy). After rinsing the soap, I spray with plain old white vinegar (5%) to get rid of soap residues so I get a great seal & the residues don't irritate my skin. When silicone parts get filmy/hazy, they get a boiling water bath (distilled water) with a teaspoon of baking soda (bicarbonate of soda for our international folks). Still using a mask I got in 2016. Been washing like this for years and years. I only replace parts when they break.

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:14 pm

Especially the big jug I recently purchased at Costco.
What was I THINKING of?

chunkyfrog wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:14 pm

Especially the big jug I recently purchased at Costco.
What was I THINKING of?

Maybe it's a sign... of things to come... little crawly things that need to be washed...

I use a baby body wash. I wash everything in it as needed. I chose this soap because it is unscented. Scents bother my lungs. I think any soap would be fine. I have not noticed any breaking down of the seal by using soap.

I've used water and baby wipes,paper towels for years. No problems here.

I use Free & Clear (without chemicals) types dish wash soap.

One of the Respiratory therapists recently told me that I should disinfect at least once a month with a 10% solution of vinegar with water.

beautifuldreamer wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 24, 2019 5:51 pm

I use Free & Clear (without chemicals) types dish wash soap.

Um, even pure water has chemicals in it... dihydromonoxide

beautifuldreamer wrote: ↑

Thu Jan 24, 2019 5:51 pm

One of the Respiratory therapists recently told me that I should disinfect at least once a month with a 10% solution of vinegar with water.

RTs say a lot of things that aren't true, or even good advice.

Like a DME, everything an RT says should be examined critically, and verified independently.

There's certainly no *harm* in pickling your cpap stuff... but it's not necessary (except to get rid of mineral buildup in the tank).