New user here! Having some trouble cleaning that pink slime

Howdy! I'm a newbie and i read the stickied comment for newbies and tried to cover all suggestions/search previous posts before posting my own thread about cleaning. So here goes nothing.

23 yo male in Kansas, USA. Been using CPAP since October 2018 and have seen a little improvement; for that I'm grateful!

Went to clean my supplies and chamber last night as I do every week and saw that my chamber was almost completely full with water (don't know why, it seems I have a humidifier problem on my hands tho). I don't usually empty out my chamber and leave it out to dry, but I've seen that recommended on here so I'll start giving thst a try, especially after today. Started washing the chamber and saw a pink slime on the aluminum floor and in the corners. Never encountered this before, but I guess leaving the chamber full and not cleaning it on schedule are the culprits here. Anyway, have been scouring the internet for recommended disinfectants to kill that dang pseudomonas or whatever bacteria it is, and I've seen multiple comments on here recommending a capful of bleach/ or vinegar and water. On a couple other websites I've seen it repeated DO NOT USE BLEACH OR VINEGAR, DO NOT COMBINE THE TWO, WHICH FORMS TOXIC CHLORINE GAS, etc., due to fumes and toxicity if inhaled. Vinegar is not so much toxic as it just corrodes thr aluminum base apparently. After realizing a tried vinegar, I vowed not use it again. Unfortunately, the slime remains after trying vinegar and hand soap and dish detergent. So I'm stumped as to what to use to get rid of it. Any recommendations (besides scrubbing it with more dish detergent or using CPAP wipes)???

In the meanwhile I'll continue to search Philips Respironics website or SleepApnea.org. Theyre bound to have reliable info.

I don't know where in Kansas you are but I am in SW Missouri and it's been really humid lately and your machine may not be using much water simply because there is already ample moisture in the air.
I am not using much water either.

For the pink slime....some really, really hot water and lots of detergent (like Dawn) and a good bit of elbow grease and the pink slime will go away. It's caused by a common bacteria found in most homes and while it has a long yucky name and is a bit freaky...it is easily killed off with just hot soapy water and some extra scrubbing.

Oh...lots of people use vinegar...won't hurt anything but you still have to use a lot of soap, hot water and elbow grease.

Welcome to the forum.

Hot soap and water will do the trick, can also try a blue scrub sponge help with the elbow grease with out scratching the aluminum base. Maybe a rough wash cloth could help.

If you wanted something a bit more disinfecting, you could always dump a large splash of your favorite mouthwash and use that to scrub out your water chamber. You'll proly have a nice smell for a bit the first time you use your machin after cleaning it.

I've done this a time or two my self with orange flavored listerine, works fairly well for me.

Restwell,

Gryphon

I just had some last week. It's hot and humid here so I guess that is why. I had trouble getting into the corners, so I wrapped a bit of paper towel around a toothpick. I wanted to keep it pointy enough to really get into the corner, but not to scratch. I didn't even try to wash it until after I rubbed all the red stuff away.

I am considering not using humidification for the summer.

I have to use the humidifier all year long, even when its humid outside, but that's me... humidifier use is such a personal thing. Last time I had to clean mine I took a rough wash cloth and bunched it up and pushed it into the corners... it cleaned up rather well.

I think some times of the year and depending on weather conditions the amount of that pink slime bacteria just goes up and down. Its really common around the edges of places were water touches or is close to, drains, sinks, tubs, half full cpap humidifier chambers.

Wish the cpap manufacturers would design the air intakes to use a better filter... a large fitting you could attach a pleated hepa filter to would work miracles for allergy sufferers and go a long way to filtering out the little airborne buggers that cause the pink slime.

I did read a report about the pink slime causing bacteria being found not only in water chambers but cpap hoses as well... if you notice an issue with the pink goop in your water chamber and if you're having issues with rainout at the same time... you may want to give your mask hose and chamber a good scrub, but not to start anyone on the no clean band wagon, I still think mouthwash or soap and a bit of elbow grease is the best cure for the evil "cpap germs"

Best of luck,

Gryphon

I use straight vinegar, occasionally forgetting I had the tank soaking, and it was 20-30 mins later when I discovered it...no damage to the tank. I wash silicone mask parts nightly and spray with 100% plain old white vinegar, let sit a minute in the sink then rinse very, very and sit on nightstand with the lamp turned on to dry...still have some old incandescent bulbs that slightly warm up the air and hasten drying time. I don't need humidification here Atlanta, GA when the temps consistently above 50 degrees unless I start to catch a cold, so mostly just for my mask.

On the other hand, if you can handle the sight swimming-pool scent, get some hypochlorous spray (like CleanSmart) and use it. 99.9% kill of pathogens within 60 secs, which is good because that's when it turns into saline. Been in use as a disinfectant since at least the '50 or '60s. Great wound cleaner. I spray my non-slip shower mat, countertops, sinks, eye mask, and cutting boards with it. It's what's in the eyelash & eyelid scrub/cleaner I use for blepharitis, so I also spray itchy skin assuming some bug is likely causing the itching. Tried it on my silicone mask parts but the scent lingered and was too distracting. Oh, and it kills the cruddy odors in running shoes. I spray when I take them off; when they get nasty, I pull out the innersoles and spray liberally then let air dry...works like magic

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Pugsy, it's nice to hear from another Midwesterner. In this area of KS the humidity has been through the roof (and through the walls into my room apparently, pun intended). That must be the reason my tank is full every morning. I guess if the humidifier is turning off on its own (on auto) and there's enough humidity in the air to keep one's passages moist, then it shouldn't be anything to worry about. Just let nature to the humidifying i guess.

Tried some more detergent and paper towels last night as Cpapian recommended and it seemed to get rid of most of it, though it's still in the corners a bit. The hydrochlorous spray (sounds pretty safe if it's used in CleanSmart) and maybe vinegar (looks like the corroding is not a concern since it's recommended on every other website including American Sleep Association) and even the mouthwash sound like good ideas. Will look into it.

Have heard hot water can damage the parts so trying to avoid that and sticking to warm water.

A splash of bleach and a little brushing will clean the pink crud out with little effort. Before we moved to CO where there is low humidity we lived in NH with very high humidity and had the pink slime form in the shower corners so have experience with it.

fdeihle wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 10:43 am

Tried some more detergent and paper towels last night as Cpapian recommended and it seemed to get rid of most of it, though it's still in the corners a bit. The hydrochlorous spray (sounds pretty safe if it's used in CleanSmart) and maybe vinegar (looks like the corroding is not a concern since it's recommended on every other website including American Sleep Association) and even the mouthwash sound like good ideas. Will look into it.

Have heard hot water can damage the parts so trying to avoid that and sticking to warm water.

Have some common sense.

Use bleach to sanitize the tank and remove any remnants of pink slime bacteria. then *RINSE IT OUT* thoroughly.

Use vinegar to remove any mineral deposits.. then *RINSE IT OUT* thoroughly.

A cleaning thread:
viewtopic/t94916/The-ULTIMATE-method-to ... -tank.html

Pink slime is something I never encountered in a cpap water chamber or hose. Are you guys/girls using distilled water when filling your chamber? Just a thought.

tlohse wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:34 pm

Pink slime is something I never encountered in a cpap water chamber or hose. Are you guys/girls using distilled water when filling your chamber? Just a thought.

It doesn't matter.

Serratia marcescens is an AIRBORNE bacteria.

After cleaning as well as possible, splash some cheap vodka in the tank--swish around,
and rest for an hour or so. Dump just before bedtime, and fill with good clean water.
Alcohol kills bad things like crazy.
And it's a good way to use up the cheap crap my late mother in law hoarded.
[[[Some is actually getting old enough that it tastes better]]]

tlohse wrote: ↑

Tue Jul 16, 2019 8:34 pm

Pink slime is something I never encountered in a cpap water chamber or hose. Are you guys/girls using distilled water when filling your chamber? Just a thought.

that's because the west bend city council banished it.