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How to maintain your CPAP machine to make it function properly?

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Ecarekit
How to maintain your CPAP machine to make it function properly?

A CPAP machine is used to help sleep apnea patients by providing a steady flow of clean air into their nose or throat through a tube and mask. So, to intake consistent good quality of air, it’s crucial to maintain your CPAP equipment. Maintenance of the device helps in ignoring potential problems like equipment breakdown, mold exposure, and bacteria growth inside the machine.

 

Now, maintaining a CPAP machine is fairly affordable and simple. You can use a mini CPAP cleaner and other cleaning tools to keep your CPAP device well-maintained. So, here are some tips on proper CPAP machine maintenance for its better functioning.

 

CPAP Humidifier Maintenance

CPAP humidifiers must be cleaned regularly to prevent the growth of bacteria. You can use a CPAP viral filter to keep the device bacteria and virus-free.

 

Besides, here are some homemade remedies for cleaning the humidification chamber of your CPAP device.

 

  • Restore the chamber with bottled, sterile, or distilled water. Avoid using tap water or filtered water as it may contain chemicals and minerals, which can damage various parts of the device.
  • Soak the humidifier chamber once a week in a mixture of 3-parts water and 1-part white vinegar for about 15-20 minutes before washing with distilled water.
  • It is recommended to replace the humidifier chamber every 6 months.

 

CPAP Mask Cleaning and Maintenance

As CPAP masks are made with non-irritating and gentle silicone material, it is very soft and has a shorter lifespan. Thus, here are a few tips for its proper maintenance.

 

  • Wash the mask regularly with non-fragrant, mild soap, and warm water, or buy CPAP mask-specific detergents and wipes. Mini CPAP cleaner also can be utilized to do the cleaning process.
  • Clean the chin straps and headgear as per requirement by rinsing them with hands using lukewarm soapy water.
  • CPAP tubing must be washed once a week with warm soapy water.

 

CPAP Filters Replacement and Cleaning

A CPAP filter often gets contaminated with air particles, pollen, dust, and microbes. So, here are some cleaning tips for CPAP filters.

 

  • The grey non-disposable filter should be cleaned once a week. Clean daily if you have a dusty house or own pets.
  • Grey filters should be washed with water and dried before positioning them back to the device.
  • White filter papers should be replaced monthly or more frequently if it looks untidy.

 

General CPAP Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

 

Apart from the aforesaid cleaning practices for different components of a CPAP machine, the following are a few general tips for CPAP maintenance.

 

  • Make sure to clean your CPAP machine regularly.
  • Never keep the accessories and device under direct sunlight.
  • Bleach should not be used to wash CPAP accessories.
  • Only distilled or sterile water should be used while cleaning the parts of the device.

 

Thus, by following these easy maintenance tips of the CPAP machine and its accessories, you will surely have a great CPAP therapy experience. However, to make your CPAP device function more efficiently, you can clean it with a ventilation disinfector.

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