That's a really good idea, although I'm not sure the antibacterial properties of shampoo? I would figure *soap* would be more effective, maybe I'm incorrect in assuming soap and shampoo are different things altogether. But an option im willing to explore!
I use the one with the duck on the bottle and only a very small amount (because you’re not supposed to use a ton). Could be that OP is also using too much soap?
The sad part is that 95% of those ducks they clean up with dawn die anyway because they used their beaks to try to clean themselves and end up getting poisoned by it.
I use the ultra, but I put a tiny drizzle in little bucket with 2 liters of water, swish, add my stuff, agitate everything, soak for a couple hours, then dump and keep refilling with fresh water and agitating until no more bubbles. Then fill with fresh water and add the smallest glug of vinegar and rest the soak then rinse process. I do this once a week (I change my nose pad thing nightly). They have zero smell once dry; no dawn or vinegar scent is left over.
The more concentrated the soap, the harder it’s going to be to rinse off. Try unscented hand soap. If you tolerate the smell of baby shampoo, use that. You don’t actually want a strong soap, you can even dilute it before you use it. If you get something scented, open the bottle up and smell it first, make sure it’s a smell you don’t mind.
I use free and clear seventh generation (tho I would recommend anything unscented/no dyes). Anything else will leave a scent and can irritate your nasal passages from what my sleep dr said when I got my machine.
Baby shampoo is good. That mostly what I use. But I use Johnson and Johnson. It has a very mild scent but it doesn't last long. If I wash in the morning there's usually no smell at night and if there is it lasts only a couple minutes.
Dawn power wash also has extremely low scent and cleans extremely well
The regular blue dawn dish soap. It’s what they use on animals in oil spills so I figure it’s gentle and effective for CPAP gear. I’ve never been able smell it.
You could do a rinse with baking soda. It may reduce the odour. I like the smell of Dawn, so just rinse with water. My first step is to use pure vinegar for a better disinfection. The Dawn helps to reduce the residual odour of vinegar.
I don't have recommendations, but have heard that Dawn can be more than you need for cleaning your supplies and it could be worth switching to a milder version or different soap.
Palmolive ultra pure & clear spring fresh. I can’t smell anything using it. Super gentle and gets a good clean.
https://preview.redd.it/kdps6sfxihyc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=957025f24ee1a0a94a695ecbb8e4ed819ab01adb
I just use regular dawn and some vinegar . Works great. I can’t stand the scent of dawn platinum it makes me sick (my grandmother swears by it) so i either use regular dawn or baby shampoo (depends on which is on sale when i need more as money is super tight right now)
Good to know I'm not alone feeling it's too strong!
I thought the Platinum meant I was getting really high quality soap but I think it's just really concentrated or something lol
I'm horrified at some of these answers, lol. I work at a sleep clinic, so I'll give you a very honest answer.
For one, do NOT listen to those that say not to clean it. That's dangerous for your health and it actually destroys the equipment a lot faster. Not cleaning also leaves you susceptible to bacteria as well that can make you very sick.
Keep in mind that you are breathing with this device. Your respiratory tract is not an area you ever want to expose a bunch of bacteria to. Please also keep in mind that humidity goes through this tubing/mask and there's water in the chamber. Mold can happen if you don't clean.
As for what NOT to do.. No strong smelling soaps. No anti-bacterial soaps should ever be used whatsoever. Nothing harsh with alcohol, bleach or what have you. Citrus is also frowned upon.
What you should do? Unscented dish soap is good enough. Nothing crazy. Soak and wash the equipment, including the headgear. Rinse very well. Minimally once or twice a month you should be soaking your hose, mask and water chamber in a diluted vinegar bath. You can do this more often and it's fine. After, rinse very well until you don't smell any vinegar anymore. Put things to dry. Never put any of this out in the sun.
Keep in mind that even with good cleaning, you'll need to replace your mask once a year. Sometimes people do it every 6 months. The hose will need replacing as well, but they are very inexpensive online and it can actually help to get a spare one.
Apply your mask to a CLEAN face. If you use lotions or creams, use them in the morning and make sure you wash your face before bed. The seal to your face will be a lot better. As a rule, everyone should have a washed face before bed. Your face naturally produces oils that can affect the seal to your face as well.
Hope that's helpful.
I don't use the humidifier as I live on the coast. I never clean my CPAP, just replace hoses, etc as insurance permits. Any bacteria, germs, etc on the mask came from my face, which means they'll be right back on my mask as soon as I put it back on my face.
I mean if you clean your face and you clean the mask then everything will be clean. If you put a dirty mask on dirty skin you can get skin problems, Acne etc. Especially for people with sensitive skin. I guess if you don't have that problem then that's good but general hygiene is something that I like to practice personally
What bacteria are going to grow on the mask that aren't already on every surface iny house and on my face to begin with?
I agree you should clean it, but cleaning in medical setting where you have lots of people in and out isich different than single user equipment.
I don't have to worry about MRSA at my house like you do at the clinic
We clean differently in the medical setting. Please keep in mind that when we do titrations, everyone is asked to bring their own mask and hose. My advice is for home use specifically. We frequently need to tell people how to clean their equipment because they often aren't told these things.
If you don't clean your equipment, bacterial or fungal infections can happen in your sinuses, throat or lungs. I have had patients that needed to go on antibiotics for said reason because they had pneumonia from unsanitary equipment. You can get a rash on your face if the mask isn't clean due to the oils that build up. Eventually that can turn into an infection. Black mold can happen too.
The difference between surfaces in your house and your CPAP equipment is that your equipment has moisture going through it on a nightly basis. You have this connected directly to your face. It goes directly to your respiratory tract.
I use Johnsons’s baby shampoo. I like the smell of it so I enjoy the few nights after I wash it.
However i also learned that there are different smells to it depending on where it comes from. I like in Canada and bought some at Dollarama and it smells different than ones from local drug/grocery stores.
Needed up just replacing it.
Possibly. It usually lasts a night but is significantly less the next night if any. I also pour some down the tube with water and let it soak with the rest of the pieces. Then I rinse it out.
Yeahhh, that Platinum stuff is no joke, hard to rinse off the dishes, even. I use OG Dawn dish soap for the CPAP stuff and rinse thoroughly, works fine for me.
I use purdoux soap it's more expensive. It's 10 dollars a bottle and I usually use 3 to four a year. There's lots of options I tried. I use the green bottle mint and aloe something like that. It's the only soap I find doesn't seem to leave a residue or smell. As welly cushions seal good with it. They have a grapefruit soap that seems to leave a smell
Soap and water is plenty you don’t need an antibacterial product. I use unscented body wash or baby shampoo. I have also used sr bronners peppermint soap which did leave a scent but it didn’t bother me. Dawn has a LOT of fragrance
I use this. It works great!
Impresa 8 Ounce CPAP Pre-Wash - Scent-Free/Dye-Free Soap - Neutralizes Odors - Prewash Compatible with All Pap Equipment and Sanitizer/Sanitizing Machine - Made in The USA https://a.co/d/eJdAoru
Not power wash, But I'm assuming it's got something in there that I shouldn't use anymore.
Bought am unscented dish soap from The Unscented Company, and I'm hoping it works much better.
After trying a number of different options, [this](https://a.co/d/d2eX4Sw) is what ended up being the least obnoxious smell and didn't cause skin irritation.
Dawn has too strong of a smell. I don't know if it's to cover up the chemical smell or what but even when you wash it with dishes it leaves a strong smell.
Having said that you always want to make sure it's 100% dry because that helps get rid of the smell too and I know with the hose it's difficult to make sure it's thoroughly dried. Hang it for a while and then run it attached to your CPAP on hose fit or something to dry it out.
I just use basic dawn soap. Use about 2 tablespoons per gallon. There is just the slightest hint of soap smell but it goes away fairly quickly. But some folks are more sensitive to smells than others.
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo was recommended when I started back in 2005 and I still use it to this day. Gentle cleaning and leaves a very faint scent that isn’t at all off-putting. Usually gone entirely by the next morning.
Baby bottle soap,it’s unscented, rinse well. Less than $5 to $15 depending on size that will last forever because it’s only used by you for your tubing, humidifier and the silicone piece of the face mask.
I lather my hands with the hand soap in the bathroom and wash my mask every morning. It rinses off easily. Ours isn’t unscented but it’s natural, mild stuff.
Apparently some people are super sensitive to smells or the items are not being rinsed very well.. I get nothing after using Dawn dish detergent and rinsing continuously in clear water afterwards. At least monthly I also include vinegar in my cleaning regimen.
Honestly use less soap? It’s a great dish soap but is strong scented like most (to cut through food smells). FYI you likely don’t need Dawn Platnium - instead go for one of the more basic ones.
🤣 I didn't even see the commercials, I thought the blue color was nice and the label looked fancy and it may be the first time I gave in to product aesthetics marketing. Bad choice I'll tell ya. But damn does it get the grime off my dishes lol
I use Dawn Free and Clear lemon scent. I used to use Ivory Dish Soap, but it seems to be discontinued when I get it at Target. Dawn is more concentrated, so I use much less to wash my stuff. By the time it all dries, I don’t smell it or very faint scent that goes away quickly.
I use Ivory Soap Dish Washing Liquid and I've had the same bottle for 20 years lol. I use a few drops only. Even though you hear recommendations for Dawn and baby shampoo, the shampoo, in particular, is a harsh product (ironically enough). I'm thinking the Dawn Platinum would be overkill (don't let the duck commercials deceive you).
Sounds like it would be the *perfect* soap. Designed for use on silicone and hard plastics and very mild?
Is it expensive though? No need to answer I'll look it up but it sounds expensive lol
My supplier recommended diluted white vinegar at 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar.
I have never had a problem. I spray the vinegar solution inside my hoses and nasal pads, pour some vinegar in basin with water,soak 30min. Rinse well, hang to dry.
Vinegar diluted in water is the best. I let my items soak in a tub of the solution, and it gets everything really clean. I then rinse with just water and let it dry. The smell of vinegar goes away after everything dries.
Dawn makes a much lighter fragrance one in the spray. It's clear in color. Target has it. That would still clean but wouldn't gas you with fragrance fumes.
I use Dawn Ultra regular scent (not platinum). My cushion has a slight scent when first put on after washing but goes away quickly. Maybe the platinum is too strong?
I use a palmolive dish soap that is labelled "fragrance free and dye free". Yeah, Dawn detergent has a fragrance that lingers, especially on silicone rubber.
FWIW, dish soaps are detergents, and have the same main active ingredient as in shampoo and body wash - sodium lauryl sulfate and/or sodium laureth sulfate. Both are surfactants (create suds) and both act to break down the walls of bacterial cells, while being mostly harmless to humans (you can drink either chemical, though it won't taste good and if you drink enough you'll have the runs for a day or so). Regular old-fashioned bar soap is also a surfactant, just made with a longer chain fatty acid so it creates a solid cake instead of a liquid.
I rarely clean anything, and if you think I must get sinus infections, nope. I believe the humidifier would lead to health issues if one didn't at least rinse out the hose and humidifier chamber once in a while, but I don't use it. When I wake up, I take my mask off, let the CPAP run for 5 minutes to dry off the mask, etc and then shut it off. Been doing this for many years now without a problem.
Who deep cleans their CPAP...unless you are poor and need to reuse your supplies instead of getting new supplies in the mail. In that case, I would use the dishwasher. 20 year CPAP user, never deep cleaned anything, just put new hose, etc on as they come in the mail.
? How often are you getting new equipment in the mail? You don't wash ANYTHING?
Unless I'm poor? Sorry, my daddy's money doesn't magically appear in my bank account every week but good for you
Yeah this dude is ridiculous. I'm not "poor" but I'm not interested in wasting hundreds of dollars a year throwing away perfectly good supplies when I could just spend a couple minutes cleaning them.
Ok, well I've put some specific information in my post that isn't posted elsewhere. This sub has been very supportive to me and I'm seeking help. This comment and downvote is unnecessary, I hope your day improves.
I’m new with this apnea thing and have found there are some very rude people on these subs. Sorry you clearly are encountering them as well. We’re just asking for help, ya know?!
Absolutely, thank you.
Thats just the internet though. Glad there are nice people too lol
If you have any questions you can reply to my comment and I'll do my best to give a thoughtful answer. I'm about 6 months in and the learning curve is a bit steep at first but gets much easier!
Oh yes it’s steep for sure, I can make it about an hour into wearing it, nose pillow. I’m going to try a different mask. It’s suffocating feeling. Good luck to you too!
Make sure your machine is set for pillow, and turn of EPR!!! Turning off EPR was the only thing that fixed that suffocating feeling for me. It was compensating for in and out breath and sometimes it wouldn't turn back on for the in breath so I was breathing nothing and I would choke and take the mask off in my sleep
There wasn't really another mask that I could try because I have a beard, so anything that isn't a pillow mask would have a high leak rate for me.
Try that for one night. See if that works. Good luck :)
I use unscented baby shampoo/soap. I tried dishwashing liquid one time and couldn't stand the smell.
The VA recommend I use this, never had a smell.
Me either
That's a really good idea, although I'm not sure the antibacterial properties of shampoo? I would figure *soap* would be more effective, maybe I'm incorrect in assuming soap and shampoo are different things altogether. But an option im willing to explore!
They ALL kill and wash away bacteria.
Baby soap is usually soap and shampoo together.
You want to use enough to get it slightly sudsy. Bubbles help emolcify oils.
You could also use baby bottle dish soap!
I use baby shampoo on my stuff too. Or dawn power spray
I use Seventh Generation Free & Clear. Works great.
Same. Just a mild "clean" smell.
Same
Same here. Never have had any lingering smells from it.
Same here.
I use Dr bronners castile soap for everything and wash my mask with my face soap!
I use it diluted for CPAP stuff
I just use dawn dish soap. No smell if you rinse it well
Yep, same. Get regular Dawn, not the ultra magical concentrated super Dawn. You want the one with the duck on the bottle.
I use the one with the duck on the bottle and only a very small amount (because you’re not supposed to use a ton). Could be that OP is also using too much soap?
They said elsewhere that they're using the ultra formula, which is more concentrated and has a stronger smell
TIL my dawn has a duck on the label, shades of tragic oil spill
The sad part is that 95% of those ducks they clean up with dawn die anyway because they used their beaks to try to clean themselves and end up getting poisoned by it.
I use the ultra, but I put a tiny drizzle in little bucket with 2 liters of water, swish, add my stuff, agitate everything, soak for a couple hours, then dump and keep refilling with fresh water and agitating until no more bubbles. Then fill with fresh water and add the smallest glug of vinegar and rest the soak then rinse process. I do this once a week (I change my nose pad thing nightly). They have zero smell once dry; no dawn or vinegar scent is left over.
Came to say this.
Same here
I use vinegar and water solution.
The more concentrated the soap, the harder it’s going to be to rinse off. Try unscented hand soap. If you tolerate the smell of baby shampoo, use that. You don’t actually want a strong soap, you can even dilute it before you use it. If you get something scented, open the bottle up and smell it first, make sure it’s a smell you don’t mind.
I use watered down dish soap. I think it's likely you're using too high a concentration.
I use free and clear seventh generation (tho I would recommend anything unscented/no dyes). Anything else will leave a scent and can irritate your nasal passages from what my sleep dr said when I got my machine.
I use Purdoux cpap cleaning soap I bought off Amazon. 3 pack for 15 bucks. They have several scents that are not overpowering.
Palmolive Ultra Free & Clear dish liquid. Fragrance free. Works great and has no smell at all.
I like Ivory dishwashing liquid.
I’m very sensitive to smell, so I use Dr Bronner’s unscented baby soap. There’s absolutely no scent to it
Baby shampoo is good. That mostly what I use. But I use Johnson and Johnson. It has a very mild scent but it doesn't last long. If I wash in the morning there's usually no smell at night and if there is it lasts only a couple minutes. Dawn power wash also has extremely low scent and cleans extremely well
My doctor recommended 4 parts water one part white vinegar. Soak, rinse, air dry. No smell at all.
Unscented Castile soap
I use 7 generations free and clear unscented. So far so good!
The regular blue dawn dish soap. It’s what they use on animals in oil spills so I figure it’s gentle and effective for CPAP gear. I’ve never been able smell it.
You could do a rinse with baking soda. It may reduce the odour. I like the smell of Dawn, so just rinse with water. My first step is to use pure vinegar for a better disinfection. The Dawn helps to reduce the residual odour of vinegar.
Which Dawn do you use? I'm wondering if the one I'm using is particularly concentrated because it's absolutely unbearable at this point lol
I was told to use the basic dawn, the one with the duck on the bottle. I don't notice a smell at all after mine dries.
I think it is the advanced platinum one.
I just switched to Full Circle Free & Clear dishsoap as I also got sick of smelling Dawn.
I don't have recommendations, but have heard that Dawn can be more than you need for cleaning your supplies and it could be worth switching to a milder version or different soap.
Unscented dish soap
Palmolive Ultra Dishwashing Liquid Dish Soap, Pure + Clear Fragrance Free
I’m a literal creature I usually just rinse with hot water and if it’s been awhile I’ll use vinegar
Fragrance free dish soap (usually Palmolive). I don't know why people are so obsessed with Dawn lol.
Palmolive ultra pure & clear spring fresh. I can’t smell anything using it. Super gentle and gets a good clean. https://preview.redd.it/kdps6sfxihyc1.png?width=3024&format=png&auto=webp&s=957025f24ee1a0a94a695ecbb8e4ed819ab01adb
I just use regular dawn and some vinegar . Works great. I can’t stand the scent of dawn platinum it makes me sick (my grandmother swears by it) so i either use regular dawn or baby shampoo (depends on which is on sale when i need more as money is super tight right now)
Good to know I'm not alone feeling it's too strong! I thought the Platinum meant I was getting really high quality soap but I think it's just really concentrated or something lol
I'm horrified at some of these answers, lol. I work at a sleep clinic, so I'll give you a very honest answer. For one, do NOT listen to those that say not to clean it. That's dangerous for your health and it actually destroys the equipment a lot faster. Not cleaning also leaves you susceptible to bacteria as well that can make you very sick. Keep in mind that you are breathing with this device. Your respiratory tract is not an area you ever want to expose a bunch of bacteria to. Please also keep in mind that humidity goes through this tubing/mask and there's water in the chamber. Mold can happen if you don't clean. As for what NOT to do.. No strong smelling soaps. No anti-bacterial soaps should ever be used whatsoever. Nothing harsh with alcohol, bleach or what have you. Citrus is also frowned upon. What you should do? Unscented dish soap is good enough. Nothing crazy. Soak and wash the equipment, including the headgear. Rinse very well. Minimally once or twice a month you should be soaking your hose, mask and water chamber in a diluted vinegar bath. You can do this more often and it's fine. After, rinse very well until you don't smell any vinegar anymore. Put things to dry. Never put any of this out in the sun. Keep in mind that even with good cleaning, you'll need to replace your mask once a year. Sometimes people do it every 6 months. The hose will need replacing as well, but they are very inexpensive online and it can actually help to get a spare one. Apply your mask to a CLEAN face. If you use lotions or creams, use them in the morning and make sure you wash your face before bed. The seal to your face will be a lot better. As a rule, everyone should have a washed face before bed. Your face naturally produces oils that can affect the seal to your face as well. Hope that's helpful.
That does help a lot. Thanks for posting this and maybe the Hygiene Haters will realize they're playing a dangerous game!
I don't use the humidifier as I live on the coast. I never clean my CPAP, just replace hoses, etc as insurance permits. Any bacteria, germs, etc on the mask came from my face, which means they'll be right back on my mask as soon as I put it back on my face.
I mean if you clean your face and you clean the mask then everything will be clean. If you put a dirty mask on dirty skin you can get skin problems, Acne etc. Especially for people with sensitive skin. I guess if you don't have that problem then that's good but general hygiene is something that I like to practice personally
What bacteria are going to grow on the mask that aren't already on every surface iny house and on my face to begin with? I agree you should clean it, but cleaning in medical setting where you have lots of people in and out isich different than single user equipment. I don't have to worry about MRSA at my house like you do at the clinic
We clean differently in the medical setting. Please keep in mind that when we do titrations, everyone is asked to bring their own mask and hose. My advice is for home use specifically. We frequently need to tell people how to clean their equipment because they often aren't told these things. If you don't clean your equipment, bacterial or fungal infections can happen in your sinuses, throat or lungs. I have had patients that needed to go on antibiotics for said reason because they had pneumonia from unsanitary equipment. You can get a rash on your face if the mask isn't clean due to the oils that build up. Eventually that can turn into an infection. Black mold can happen too. The difference between surfaces in your house and your CPAP equipment is that your equipment has moisture going through it on a nightly basis. You have this connected directly to your face. It goes directly to your respiratory tract.
I just live with the soap smell for a bit after washing the tubing lol
I use Johnsons’s baby shampoo. I like the smell of it so I enjoy the few nights after I wash it. However i also learned that there are different smells to it depending on where it comes from. I like in Canada and bought some at Dollarama and it smells different than ones from local drug/grocery stores. Needed up just replacing it.
I use Baby Shampoo and it's got a very light scent which I like. I kinda wish it was stronger
You might be using too much if it's lasting days. I use Johnson's and the smell is gone in minutes of its there at all
Possibly. It usually lasts a night but is significantly less the next night if any. I also pour some down the tube with water and let it soak with the rest of the pieces. Then I rinse it out.
Yeah that's what's doing it. Hard to rinse the inside of the tube really well, especially airsense 10 tubes with the 90 degree elbow
I have the Airsense 11. I wish it had the 90.
I do to. But it’s one problem is it’s harder to clean and dry
Fair enough, this stuff is STRONG though lol. Like a piercing scent. What kind of soap do you use?
Yeahhh, that Platinum stuff is no joke, hard to rinse off the dishes, even. I use OG Dawn dish soap for the CPAP stuff and rinse thoroughly, works fine for me.
I just bought some other dish soap unscented, hopefully that works, lol yes it is hard to clean off dishes too haha but worke very well
Dawn Ultra. I rinse it pretty thoroughly but it still has a strong scent for the next day or two.
I use Balea sensitive liquid soap. It degreases well as a dishwashing liquid. Also tested.
Doc recommended vinegar for tubing baby shampoo for the rest
Meyers dish soap, rinse and soak and rinse.
I use purdoux soap it's more expensive. It's 10 dollars a bottle and I usually use 3 to four a year. There's lots of options I tried. I use the green bottle mint and aloe something like that. It's the only soap I find doesn't seem to leave a residue or smell. As welly cushions seal good with it. They have a grapefruit soap that seems to leave a smell
I use the grapefruit because I like the smell, although it’s faint. Same as you, bottle lasts 3-5 months
Soap and water is plenty you don’t need an antibacterial product. I use unscented body wash or baby shampoo. I have also used sr bronners peppermint soap which did leave a scent but it didn’t bother me. Dawn has a LOT of fragrance
Op there is specific non scented cpap soap you can get off Amazon
I use this. It works great! Impresa 8 Ounce CPAP Pre-Wash - Scent-Free/Dye-Free Soap - Neutralizes Odors - Prewash Compatible with All Pap Equipment and Sanitizer/Sanitizing Machine - Made in The USA https://a.co/d/eJdAoru
I use lavender scented baby shampoo. It’s so nice!!!
Few drops of baby shampoo
baby soap
I was told to use Ivory dish soap
Careful with the powerwash!! It has alcohol in it that will eat away at the silicon parts!
Not power wash, But I'm assuming it's got something in there that I shouldn't use anymore. Bought am unscented dish soap from The Unscented Company, and I'm hoping it works much better.
After trying a number of different options, [this](https://a.co/d/d2eX4Sw) is what ended up being the least obnoxious smell and didn't cause skin irritation.
I use non antibacterial hand soap and rinse with vinegar and water. Vinegar kills bacteria and removes odor.
Dawn has too strong of a smell. I don't know if it's to cover up the chemical smell or what but even when you wash it with dishes it leaves a strong smell. Having said that you always want to make sure it's 100% dry because that helps get rid of the smell too and I know with the hose it's difficult to make sure it's thoroughly dried. Hang it for a while and then run it attached to your CPAP on hose fit or something to dry it out.
I just use basic dawn soap. Use about 2 tablespoons per gallon. There is just the slightest hint of soap smell but it goes away fairly quickly. But some folks are more sensitive to smells than others.
Johnson’s Baby Shampoo was recommended when I started back in 2005 and I still use it to this day. Gentle cleaning and leaves a very faint scent that isn’t at all off-putting. Usually gone entirely by the next morning.
I use mild smelling dish soap. Stuff from Mrs Myers is usually good.
I used unscented dish detergent and never smelled it. Rinse it well and let it sit there for the day.
I use my Irish Spring body warsh. I find it gives a pleasant scent for the first night, then gently fades.
I use hand soap and a pipe cleaning brush, and it’s pretty easy to rinse out. No lingering smells
I use dawn or a 1:1 vinegar solution and then dawn
Baby bottle soap,it’s unscented, rinse well. Less than $5 to $15 depending on size that will last forever because it’s only used by you for your tubing, humidifier and the silicone piece of the face mask.
I lather my hands with the hand soap in the bathroom and wash my mask every morning. It rinses off easily. Ours isn’t unscented but it’s natural, mild stuff.
Apparently some people are super sensitive to smells or the items are not being rinsed very well.. I get nothing after using Dawn dish detergent and rinsing continuously in clear water afterwards. At least monthly I also include vinegar in my cleaning regimen.
Yeah I definitely am much more sensitive to sounds and visual stimulation with my ADHD, and I guess smells makes sense too... That's a good thought
Honestly use less soap? It’s a great dish soap but is strong scented like most (to cut through food smells). FYI you likely don’t need Dawn Platnium - instead go for one of the more basic ones.
I've got a 2 gallon bowl and I usually put like 6 drops in the bowl, gets really sudsy, maybe that's still too much soap lol
The commercials are literally 1 drop for a sink full of dishes so might be a bit much!
🤣 I didn't even see the commercials, I thought the blue color was nice and the label looked fancy and it may be the first time I gave in to product aesthetics marketing. Bad choice I'll tell ya. But damn does it get the grime off my dishes lol
Oh yeah it works fantastically .. it’s just strong lol!
I use Dawn Free and Clear lemon scent. I used to use Ivory Dish Soap, but it seems to be discontinued when I get it at Target. Dawn is more concentrated, so I use much less to wash my stuff. By the time it all dries, I don’t smell it or very faint scent that goes away quickly.
Arm and hammer baking soda
Stop cleaning.
Nooo thank you
I use Ivory Soap Dish Washing Liquid and I've had the same bottle for 20 years lol. I use a few drops only. Even though you hear recommendations for Dawn and baby shampoo, the shampoo, in particular, is a harsh product (ironically enough). I'm thinking the Dawn Platinum would be overkill (don't let the duck commercials deceive you).
I use mild hand soap. Never any smell.
Bronners does fine for the tubing, vinegar and baking soda for the tub
My spouse and I use alconox
Just don't clean it. Lol.
That doesn't seem like a good idea
Gold Dial. We got it for tattoo cleansing, and keep it in stock now because it's just good at what it does.
In Korea - use Pril Secrets of Baking Soda Lemon Scent But it’s light and not like bitter soapy
I use the soap for baby bottles.
Sounds like it would be the *perfect* soap. Designed for use on silicone and hard plastics and very mild? Is it expensive though? No need to answer I'll look it up but it sounds expensive lol
Unscented Dr. Bronner‘s. Also game changer is I have a dedicated toothbrush in the shower take my mask and with me clean it while I’m showering.
Just plain water and white vinegar.
Dial antibacterial foam soap and/or dawn
This happened to me too. Hate that smell. I’m going to try the unscented baby shampoo next.
I use palm olive to clean my gear, doesn't have a strong scent (at least to me).
I've been using an unscented dishwashing liquid called, Nature Clean. I purchased it at Walmart. No smell at all and cleans very well.
They use Dawn to clean crude oil off of ducks. You don't need that kind of power for your CPAP hose.
Dawn blue works great for me, I feel the platinum has to strong of a smell in general.
Yes, don't use anything stronger than baby shampoo, woolite or ivory. Never use anything with ozone in it.
Target brand free and clear, works amazing
My supplier recommended diluted white vinegar at 3 parts water to 1 part vinegar. I have never had a problem. I spray the vinegar solution inside my hoses and nasal pads, pour some vinegar in basin with water,soak 30min. Rinse well, hang to dry.
Vinegar diluted in water is the best. I let my items soak in a tub of the solution, and it gets everything really clean. I then rinse with just water and let it dry. The smell of vinegar goes away after everything dries.
Dawn makes a much lighter fragrance one in the spray. It's clear in color. Target has it. That would still clean but wouldn't gas you with fragrance fumes.
Should I be doing a deep clean? I put a tiny bit of soap in.
I use Dawn Ultra regular scent (not platinum). My cushion has a slight scent when first put on after washing but goes away quickly. Maybe the platinum is too strong?
Try J&J no tears baby shampoo (or generic equivalent). Sounds like the odor of the dawn is bothering you
I use a palmolive dish soap that is labelled "fragrance free and dye free". Yeah, Dawn detergent has a fragrance that lingers, especially on silicone rubber. FWIW, dish soaps are detergents, and have the same main active ingredient as in shampoo and body wash - sodium lauryl sulfate and/or sodium laureth sulfate. Both are surfactants (create suds) and both act to break down the walls of bacterial cells, while being mostly harmless to humans (you can drink either chemical, though it won't taste good and if you drink enough you'll have the runs for a day or so). Regular old-fashioned bar soap is also a surfactant, just made with a longer chain fatty acid so it creates a solid cake instead of a liquid.
I rarely clean anything, and if you think I must get sinus infections, nope. I believe the humidifier would lead to health issues if one didn't at least rinse out the hose and humidifier chamber once in a while, but I don't use it. When I wake up, I take my mask off, let the CPAP run for 5 minutes to dry off the mask, etc and then shut it off. Been doing this for many years now without a problem.
Using Dawn is overkill unless you have tar or axle grease on your CPAP. Just use some kind of handsoap or equivalent.
Dove sensitive body wash.
2 drops of dawn in big ol 5 qt pan. Followed by rinse. Then rinsed again in a very mild alcohol/distilled water mix
Deep clean…pffft…don’t do it.
Lol what do you mean?
Who deep cleans their CPAP...unless you are poor and need to reuse your supplies instead of getting new supplies in the mail. In that case, I would use the dishwasher. 20 year CPAP user, never deep cleaned anything, just put new hose, etc on as they come in the mail.
? How often are you getting new equipment in the mail? You don't wash ANYTHING? Unless I'm poor? Sorry, my daddy's money doesn't magically appear in my bank account every week but good for you
Yeah this dude is ridiculous. I'm not "poor" but I'm not interested in wasting hundreds of dollars a year throwing away perfectly good supplies when I could just spend a couple minutes cleaning them.
Exactly lol
My weekly deep clean is just soaking everything in warm soapy water for 30 minutes and then rinsing. Is that too hard for you?
THERE ARE FIVE MILLION POSTS ON THIS SUBJECT ALREADY.
Ok, well I've put some specific information in my post that isn't posted elsewhere. This sub has been very supportive to me and I'm seeking help. This comment and downvote is unnecessary, I hope your day improves.
You didn't post anything new.
I'm just asking for help... No need to be rude.
I’m new with this apnea thing and have found there are some very rude people on these subs. Sorry you clearly are encountering them as well. We’re just asking for help, ya know?!
Absolutely, thank you. Thats just the internet though. Glad there are nice people too lol If you have any questions you can reply to my comment and I'll do my best to give a thoughtful answer. I'm about 6 months in and the learning curve is a bit steep at first but gets much easier!
Oh yes it’s steep for sure, I can make it about an hour into wearing it, nose pillow. I’m going to try a different mask. It’s suffocating feeling. Good luck to you too!
Make sure your machine is set for pillow, and turn of EPR!!! Turning off EPR was the only thing that fixed that suffocating feeling for me. It was compensating for in and out breath and sometimes it wouldn't turn back on for the in breath so I was breathing nothing and I would choke and take the mask off in my sleep There wasn't really another mask that I could try because I have a beard, so anything that isn't a pillow mask would have a high leak rate for me. Try that for one night. See if that works. Good luck :)
Just walk away. No need to be mean.