How Often Should You Clean Your Cpap Mask

You and Your CPAP Equipment: How Often Should It Be Cleaned?

November 25, 2019

You and Your CPAP Equipment: How Often Should It Be Cleaned?

The right CPAP machine will besides provide you with long-term benefits. But in order to fully enjoy the benefits of your CPAP auto, cleaning and maintaining your motorcar will be crucial. Your CPAP machine and mask require a level of intendance that shouldn't be ignored or neglected.

This web log post will talk virtually how often your CPAP mask and CPAP equipment need to exist cleaned. Too, we will talk over the importance of sanitization when it comes to CPAP equipment. The below instructions will ensure a longer lifespan for your equipment, a proper-functioning machine and a happy slumber!

Don't Put Your CPAP Performance (And You) At Run a risk

What are the risks of not cleaning your CPAP mask and equipment? Not keeping upward with your CPAP cleaning routine can be very risky. This can include damage to the machine such as mineralization of the equipment, mould and bacteria exposure, too as the potential for your warranty to exist voided.

While the above sounds bad on its own, improper or neglected cleaning can also pb to harm to your own health. If you're not cleaning your machine regularly, you tin notice allergy symptoms, an increase in respiratory illness or sickness, as well as the car not providing the same optimal do good at night to minimize your sleep apnea.

How Oft Should CPAP Equipment Be Cleaned?

There are specific intendance instructions you should follow to make sure you get the almost out of your CPAP equipment and mask. These instructions range from what you should consider for your machine and mask daily, to even longer-term care weekly to monthly.

Daily

After you wake up, it'll exist in your best interest to make clean your mask in the morning. Why? While almost masks are made from silicone, cleaning your mask in the morning with soapy water ensures that you allow the mask enough time to dry out completely. This means information technology can be ready to use once more for bedtime. While you tin let your CPAP mask air dry, information technology is also a good practice to dry the mask with a clean textile, in lodge to ensure information technology is completely dry for the next use that night.

But what if y'all're a decorated private? Cleaning your mask every forenoon can't always happen. That's why investing in CPAP cleaning wipes is also a sensible pick. Regular employ of wipes tin can effectively remove the build-up of dirt, grease and oils; and is a great daily alternative when you're on the go.

Weekly

While cleaning the mask daily will be a swell all-time practice for maintaining your CPAP mask, in order to keep the hose of your CPAP equipment like-new and free of bacteria, yous should make clean this part of the motorcar one time a week.

Unscented or mild lather, or vinegar, is a low-cost and condom option to make clean your tubing. By simply placing the tube in warm water, and with detergent or vinegar, swirl the tube in the h2o solution. It'll then be very important to hang the tubing to dry out in lodge to speed up the air-drying process.

Monthly

When it comes to cleaning your CPAP filter, this volition depend on the filter type you have for your machine. Be sure to check the model of your machine to be certain. The standard guideline is to modify your filter every six months. It's not necessary to do this monthly unless a specific circumstance calls for it.

Some reusable filters can be cleaned with water, dried and used again. However, many machines, such as the Dreamstation Auto , will allow you to replace the filter completely with a new one; making for an piece of cake and quick pace in your ongoing maintenance.

In fact, while cleaning the auto regularly volition ensure a longer lifespan for your CPAP machine, we should also consider when to replace certain elements of the auto entirely. For example, replacing the tubing and the mask should exist washed every six months, in order to ensure optimal operation, every bit eventually, these materials will degrade.

Cleaning Your CPAP Machine

While the above tips may ensure that your mask, tubing and filter remain clean, functional and effective for ongoing use, the biggest impact will be cleaning your CPAP machine, itself.

To do this, always ensure the automobile is unplugged, and wipe it downwardly with a make clean cloth or towel, making certain the car is completely dry before plugging it back in.

When information technology comes to cleaning your water chamber, this is recommended as something y'all should practise weekly. To clean the chamber, remove your chamber completely from the machine—and similar your tubing and mask—clean it with a balmy soap in clean water. Be sure to rinse the chamber well.

Once done, dry out it off and let dry in a absurd, dark identify (avoiding straight sunlight) before placing the chamber back in the machine and using it again that evening.

Types of Sanitation & Cleaning

While we mentioned certain means to clean your CPAP mask and equipment manually, you might decide to invest in a CPAP cleaner or CPAP sanitization automobile. These machines let different ways to clean, using certain technologies. Some of these technologies include:

Oxygen

Machines such as the SoClean 2 CPAP cleaner , are a corking investment, with solid reviews and medical-grade technology. A auto like this, for instance, uses ozone or activated oxygen instead of water. Equally a result, it tin can kill harmful elements such as mold, leaner and germs. Without water to clean the car, this also ways this technology doesn't require whatsoever wait time for parts to dry.

Light

Some sanitation devices volition use a level of ultraviolet calorie-free to clean your CPAP. Like with activated oxygen, this technology means at that place'due south no utilise for water or chemicals to clean your machine. The Lumin is a cracking case of a UVC light sanitation device. It'south also very easy to employ. Simply open the tray, place your CPAP equipment inside, shut, and button the push button to clean.

Routine Washing

While nosotros've mentioned above the importance of cleaning your automobile regularly, we can't stress this plenty. Sanitation machines tin can't replace routinely washing your machine. This is essential in lodge to remove oils and dead skin cells on a daily and weekly basis. While oxygen and UV machines will make the maintenance of your equipment easier, manual cleaning —and the steps to do so mentioned above— will be an important step to still include in your CPAP cleaning routine.

We hope this article provides a level of clarity on how to best maintain your CPAP machine and CPAP equipment.

Be sure to read our other pieces, such as "How Long Earlier I Change My CPAP Filter" and other of import questions answered on our weblog, so you can stay informed and slumber like shooting fish in a barrel!