Anyone who uses a CPAP machine is breathing filtered and humidified air, and that means you're going to want to keep the machine as clean as possible, so that you can avoid any potential hazards to your health. You could be exposed to bacteria, mold, sinus infections, mustiness, or mineralization which occurs in the equipment. All this means is that you're going to want to periodically clean and sanitize your CPAP machine so that you can be sure you're breathing in clean air.
Frequency of Cleaning
If you were to ask your equipment provider how often the machine needs to be cleaned, they might recommend daily cleaning of the water chamber, tubing, and the mask so as to keep them free of all those nasty things which might accumulate. While this is undoubtedly a preferred approach which will keep all your equipment sanitized, it's probably not strictly necessary, since the risk of any kind of infection or exposure to mold is relatively low. If you were to clean all of your CPAP equipment once each week, that would be enough to banish most problems that might pop up. Do a thorough cleaning using the procedure described below, and you'll probably be just fine.
CPAP Cleaning Procedure
First, you'll need to disassemble all the parts of your machine and unplug it from its power source. Then you'll have to disconnect your mask from the tubing and detach any headgear associated with the mask. Remove the tubing from whatever it's connected to, and separate the water chamber from the humidifier unit.
In the second step, you should use a soft cloth and get it moistened with warm water before gently wiping down the external surface of the machine, so as to remove all dust and debris. Then you'll need to fill a tub or basin with warm water and add a small amount of gentle dish liquid. Into this mixture, you should immerse the tubing, head gear, mask and all connectors, and allow all these to soak for about 30 minutes.
If your CPAP machine has a filter, you should either rinse it out or replace it. Most disposable filters need to be replaced monthly, and should always be replaced according to your manufacturer's specifications. After everything has soaked and been removed from the water and allowed to air dry, you can begin to reassemble all the parts.
Reapply the headgear to your mask, hook the mask back onto the tubing and connectors, and then reconnect your tubing either to the humidifier or to the CPAP machine itself. Once you get everything back together again, you should turn the machine on and listen for possible air leaks. It's good to keep in mind that whatever is growing inside your machine is what you're breathing, and that should motivate you to keep your CPAP machine as clean as possible.
The Best Cleaning & Sanitizing Products
If you don't want to bother doing the cleaning yourself, you can purchase a really good machine that will do it for you. You won't have to search around for the best product to use when cleaning your CPAP machine, because the most reliable and effective cleaning apparatus can be purchased right here. The SoClean Equipment Cleaner and Sanitizer requires no water or chemicals, and the cleaning process itself is fully automated. On top of its ease of use, the machine is also very affordable, so this is the product you should consider for all your cleaning requirements. Keep in mind that your CPAP machine will likely require an adapter, but we've got you covered. Purchase a SoClean through our company and we will include an adapter for your machine absolutely FREE.
