When you’re looking at your daily to-do list, cleaning your CPAP equipment may not rank very high. It’s one of those tasks that is easy to put off for another day.
But consider this — regularly cleaning your CPAP equipment is just as important as maintaining your own personal hygiene.
Would you skip brushing your teeth or taking a shower for a week? Probably not. So why skip cleaning your CPAP equipment? Ideally, you should be cleaning these items on a regular basis:
- The mask which makes direct contact with your face.
- The tube you receive air through at night.
- The humidifier that adds moisture to the air.
- You should also replace the filters regularly to ensure any air that enters your machine is always clean and filtered.
Cleaning Your CPAP Equipment
By routinely cleaning your supplies, you ensure that you are breathing through a clean and germ-free system every night. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
Clean your equipment daily
You need to clean your mask and other equipment that comes into direct contact with your skin every day. That’s because oils and germs from your skin can create an unhealthy environment where bacteria can breed.
Plus, a dirty mask can actually prevent a proper seal from forming at night. This can lead to leakage and affect the quality of your therapy.
Be gentle with your supplies
Bleach may be good for cleaning the bathroom but you should never use it to clean your CPAP equipment. It’s just too harsh to be used on your supplies. Besides, a mild detergent or dish soap will get the job done just fine.
To clean your mask, mask cushions, pillows, and tubing, just wipe them down with warm water and some mild detergent, like the all-new CPAP Smile Aroma-Infused CPAP cleanser. Then you can rinse them off and let them air dry out of direct sunlight. You can also cleanse and dry them off with CPAP wipes.
Always wash your headgear and chin straps by hand. Never put them in the washing machine or dryer as both could cause them to lose elasticity.
Deep Clean
About once a month, you should wash it in soapy water and rinse it off well. Then you should soak the tubing for 30 minutes in a solution of two parts white vinegar and three parts water. (Example: 1 cup vinegar and 1-½ cups water.) When you’re done, you can rinse it off in warm water.
Ozone Sanitizers
If you feel that standard soap and water just aren’t cutting it, you might want to consider an ozone sanitizer for your cleaning regimen. Among the most popular are the SoClean and the VirtuClean. Although they are different sizes and builds, both cleaners work to clean and sanitize your mask, tube and machine. Using activated oxygen, they kill 99.9% of germs in a single use.
Conclusion
It’s important to keep your CPAP supplies clean and well-maintained. After all, you’re breathing in the air that circulates through your machine. Cleaning your supplies will help you avoid bacteria, mold exposure, and more. This can make you less susceptible to illnesses and infections and will ensure that you receive the optimal quality of sleep.
