cleaning mask.... oily skin + drool....help!!!

does anyone have any tips on an easy way to clean your mask? i have tried the wipes, they r ok for a quick job but not great.

so far what i end up doing is taking the mask in the bathroom with water in the sink and a few drops of dawn dish soap and swishing it around and soaking for a few mins then rinse.

my problem is i have such oily skin by 1/2 way threw the night the mask starts "farting" on my face, sorry to be so graphic but thats the about the size of it. nothing like being woke up to that at 2 or 3am.
now i have the mask soo tight on my face just to stop this, and if its not the oily skin its drool.

anyone have some help for me?

the mask i wear is a quatro M

I'll probably be criticized for this, but I use a dab of Dawn dishwashing detergent and rinse well. No oil. I have not noticed any degradation in the mask materials.

I have oily skin also so what I do before I go to bed is to wash my face really good and then apply an astrigent with a cotton ball. Astrigents absorb any oil on the skin that wasn't removed during the washing process. For people with non-oily skin it can be a little drying, but if you have oily skin it isn't.

That's exactly what i do! Wash and use an astringent. I however, use a nasal pillow mask, so it minimizes the contact and hence the problem.

I use Neutrogena Deep Clean Facial Cleanser, For Normal to Oily Skin. A squirt in a bowl, soak the mask--really works well for remove the oil and make the mask sqeaky clean!

I also use Dawn to clean my mask and my humidifier. Is it OK to wash the humidifier in Dawn?
Regarding moisturizer --- I have taken good care of my skin for over 30 years ALWAYS using my moisturizer at night. I also was having problems with my mask until reading information submitted by you nice caring people on the yellow lightbulb portion of this site. When I read to not use moisturizer I panicked
--- OH NO I CANNOT GO TO BED WITHOUT MY MOISTURIZER --- but have found the solution. I do not apply it in the area of my nasal mask but only on the rest of my face. So now I can sleep better and without abusing my skin care regimen.

slideshowstan wrote: my problem is i have such oily skin by 1/2 way threw the night the mask starts "farting" on my face, sorry to be so graphic but thats the about the size of it. nothing like being woke up to that at 2 or 3am.

Same here. I have a few different masks and the quattro is the worst with it.

Dittos on the oily skin. I clean the hose and mask with one of those environmentally safe dish detergents. I actually pour a few drops into the CPAP end of the hose and also in the mask and then run warm water through. Shake and hang up.

I use a Buff-Puff (skin care section of the drugstore) and soap at night. I then keep it handy. If at some point I start mega-leaking I now know that it is fruitless to try to fix while in bed. It is ether bite the bullet, get up and wash my face and nose or dump the mask for the rest of the night. If I couple the re-wash with a bathroom break, I kill two stones with one bird and back to sleep mask on.

BTW - I tried the lanolin treatment for the nares as suggested on this forum but it was a dismal failure for me. The sucker slipped out of the nose continuously.

-Clark

Hi Slideshowstan,

How long have you been using CPAP? Have you tried any other mask? The different masks fix your face differently. You didn't report having to make it really tight or issues with red sore spots on the bridge of your nose (both items have been reported for all kinds of masks.) I had the same issues that you have reported and I found that changing to a different FFM eliminated the drooling and rude noises--sleep better now too.

If you have been using the mask for less then 30 days, then you should check with your DME to see if you can exchange it for a different size or a completely different mask. I went through four different kinds and a few different sizes--but, I eventually found one that works for me. (That really seems to be the key--it has to work for you).

i been on cpap since feb 19 so i guess this is 30days today

as for sores nope none, red marks ya but goes away within 15 mins 20 witout mask on

i've tried washing face b4 bed, durning the night, cloth beside the bed to mop up drool, anit oily skin stuff,

i'm calling medigas in the morning, see what they say.

if it wasnt for the oil i'd be good

Daily I seperate the mask from seal, rinse and let air dry. Weekly I seperate all items and place in a bowl of hot water & Ivory dish soap. Wash real good, let soak, change bowl to clean water & rinse, air dry.

Don't tighten too much, the seal & mask need to move & flex a little.

I use dove dishsoap original unscented. I also wash my face before I put the mask on. If my skin is really oily I wipe it down with alcohol. Get those little cotton wipes that are used for women's makeup and put some alcohol on that and wipe your face it removed all oil.

I tried to use a mild perfume and dye free dishsoap on my mask, but it left something on it that still caused irritation to my skin so I now use the Dr. Bronner's soap (plain, with no aloe or perfumes added). I disagree with the advice here to use rubbing alcohol or other astringents on the face that completely strip all the oil. From what I understand that actually causes oil production to increase and leads to a vicious cycle and irritated skin. I use an antibacterial soap called Safegaurd on my face, it does strip the oil. I use a moisturizer on it in the morning (after washing it again). It has helped keep the oil production down, but I sometimes have to get up in the night and wash my mask...or I switch for a clean one. It won't hurt anything to wake up once and do this, you should still get plenty of rest since it's really not abnormal to be awake once during the night anyway. Also, be sure to wash your mask cushion immediately in the morning. The oils from your face will break it down and you'll have to replace it more often. I still have to replace mine every couple months (for the quattro).

slideshowstan wrote:does anyone have any tips on an easy way to clean your mask? i have tried the wipes, they r ok for a quick job but not great.

so far what i end up doing is taking the mask in the bathroom with water in the sink and a few drops of dawn dish soap and swishing it around and soaking for a few mins then rinse.

my problem is i have such oily skin by 1/2 way threw the night the mask starts "farting" on my face, sorry to be so graphic but thats the about the size of it. nothing like being woke up to that at 2 or 3am.
now i have the mask soo tight on my face just to stop this, and if its not the oily skin its drool.

anyone have some help for me?

the mask i wear is a quatro M

My opinion is you are washing your mask appropriately. I assume you also wash your face with soap and warm water each evening just before putting on your mask - if not, try that.

A product is available that might solve your problem - look here -> http://www.remzzzs.com

I have not tried their product yet but I have ordered a sample to see if it helps me to wear masks that othrwise leak and cause irritation.

I just called remZzzs and the owner called me back himself and is sending me a trial pack for free. if they work i'm gona order a few months worth.
works out to be less then a 1.00 a day

i like wash my face so many times in a day its gona look like an leather sofa lol