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My husband and I do not smoke.  But his mother smokes like a chimney. Let me say that again - like a CHIMNEY.

Before, when we've gone to see her, I've just left the machine at home. We only go for one or two days at a time. But I have some additional health issues crop up since the last time we've seen her and when my surgeon found out I have sleep apnea  & used CPAP, he drilled down on my CPAP use. Evidently he has patients that don't use the machine because they're not comfortable with it or whatever. I do use the machine every night. My only exceptions are when I fall asleep on the sofa,watching TV or I'm visiting my MIL. 

He warned me that I should be 100% compliant with the CPAP therapy with no exceptions. The long term success of the surgery and my health depend on it. He told me not to even take a day off for overnight visits (he's discouraged the couch naps, too - told me if felt sleepy to go lay on the bed and put the machine on).

I've researched sleep apnea so I know the serious risks to my health if I leave it untreated. I think that I had it for years before I finally got a sleep study (have 2 hospital stays in less than a year) and is the root cause of some of the health issues I'm facing now.

And I'm using the machine 99% of the time but I do hesitant to take this machine to my MIL's home. I'm afraid the smoke smell will be hard to get out. We immediately fumigate everything when we get home.I despise the smell of smoke and don't want to stuck with a machine and gear that stinks.

Has anyone else had to de-smoke a machine before? I just do not want to bring the smoke smell back home with the machine.

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Oh my where do I start?

 

As a vendor who allows cpap trials, this is a repeating issue.

 

Sometimes, a cpap has to be left running for a full business day or two and the smell is faint.

 

Othertimes it doesn't matter what we do. And we have to junk it.

 

I have heard people using eucalyptus, air freshener, etc to change the smell from the cpap.

 

The safety and health of those choices remains to be seen.

 

Professional concensus among CPAP vendors is to junk the unit.

 

That doesn't help those who own CPAP though.

 

I would call the manufacturer of the cpap to question what they would do knowing that junking a cpap was not an option.

 

Currently we call the manufacturers. Responses vary.

 

Not sure if this helped.

Have you tried running ionised air into a smoky CPAP unit to clean it out? (Not when attached to a person, of course!)

Probably wouldn't work for a seriously fouled machine, but might for removing a night's worth of less saturated odors...


Bill BIstak said:

 

Oh my where do I start?

 

As a vendor who allows cpap trials, this is a repeating issue.

 

Sometimes, a cpap has to be left running for a full business day or two and the smell is faint.

 

Othertimes it doesn't matter what we do. And we have to junk it.

 

I have heard people using eucalyptus, air freshener, etc to change the smell from the cpap.

 

The safety and health of those choices remains to be seen.

I live in Hawaii.  I have been super sensitive to cigarette smoke since I was a kid.  I am now 72.  I have used a CPAP for almost four years.  Our house is always open.  If the neighbors have been barbecuing I can smell it in the CPAP the next day or two, but I do not find it a big deal.  If my wife cooks with garlic or other pungent items or happens to burn something, I smell it for a couple of days, but again it is not a big deal.  For me the issue would not be a lingering odor in the CPAP, but staying in the MIL's home, period.  Thank God for smoke free planes, restaurants, etc. 

its the design

it should be designed to be easily cleaned without specialist intervention

Bill Bistak, throwing the device away is ridiculous.

 

All of these PAPs have foam padding to reduce vibration, sound, etc. Replacing the interior foam padding ran me about $55 on my Resmed VPAP Auto after the warranty had expired.

 

Or keep smoking loaner units and non-smoking loaner units and always ask those renting or "borrowing" a PAP if theirs is a smoking home or not, then place the appropriate unit. It sure beats throwing a perfectly good PAP away due to smoking odor.

Bill,

     Thanks to your reply, I can understand why rental costs have to be so high: the rental must cover the cost of junked machines.

     That said, I wonder if it wouldn't be possible to sell these items at a very low, pennies-on-the-dollar cost -- charity, really -- to people who need CPAPs but can't afford them.  The buyers would have to accept the fact that the machine would have otherwise been junked and the reason. Still, it might be a small enough price to pay for an otherwise good machine.

     Indeed, I'm looking for a data-capable machine. The smoking part wouldn't bother very much if the price were low enough. If the price were really low, it wouldn't bother me at all!  Feel free to PM me on the matter.



Bill BIstak said:

 

Oh my where do I start?

 

As a vendor who allows cpap trials, this is a repeating issue.

 

Sometimes, a cpap has to be left running for a full business day or two and the smell is faint.

 

Othertimes it doesn't matter what we do. And we have to junk it.

 

I have heard people using eucalyptus, air freshener, etc to change the smell from the cpap.

 

The safety and health of those choices remains to be seen.

 

Professional concensus among CPAP vendors is to junk the unit.

 

That doesn't help those who own CPAP though.

 

I would call the manufacturer of the cpap to question what they would do knowing that junking a cpap was not an option.

 

Currently we call the manufacturers. Responses vary.

 

Not sure if this helped.

I'm not sure, but I suspect that selling any CPAP with a "known issue" might open up the seller to legal attack?

If the patient gets lung cancer, for example, I could see many lawyers getting rich.

Most people probably have a few back up masks and hoses..as well as filters..I wouldn't care if they were doing lines of coke..hitting heroin OR smoking  ~  whatever.. I would NOT go w/out my CPAP for anyone or anything. You could always take that mask and hose and clean them well..let them air out for a couple weeks or so. BEFORE I lost my insurance I started saving all my masks and hoses so I have back ups if something goes wrong. I also have a bag of "parts masks"..where something or another has broken off of them..I would, personally, do like someone above said..keep the guest room door closed..cover my equipment..then switch out to a clean set up when I got home and allow the set I used there to air out after thoroughly cleaning it.


I could not imagine ever being able to use a CPAP that had been in a smoky environment!!! You could never get that smell out. We have a relative that we visit on Sunday afternoons for a few hours and when we get home everything we wear or take with us reeks of smoke and has to be washed if it is possible!!!  Ugh, I can't imagine ever getting that out of a CPAP. You'd have to throw it out and get a new one.  The thought of it is gross and disgusting!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jeffrey Donaldson said:

Most everyone out here has good suggestions. I can understand. I have stayed in hotel rooms that have had smokers in them in the past and when I put my mask on the next night at home, I can smell the room and the stail smoke smell all over again. Last year I went on a weeks vacation to a carribbean island that had a strong odor of the ocean and surrounding vegetation. When I returned, I thoroughly washed my mask, tubing and headgear. I changed the filters and that smell was still there for a couple of weeks after. The only sure way is to not stay in that house at all. Your health is more important than hers.

Do you have a sleep dentist that could make an oral device ?? I have considered this for travel and power failures .

This also happened to me.  I slept in a room for one night and was not in any direct smoking but their house is permeated with smoke stink.  I couldn't stand to use my CPAP when I got home--changed the microfilter, washed tubing and mask and still had the terrible smell.  I lightly sprayed Febreze into the microfilter every 8 hours and ran it without the tubing and eventually the smell disappeared.  As stated previously, there is much soundproofing material inside the unit and this holds in the odor.  It did take a few days of doing this until the smell disappeared.  I will never sleep in that house again with my CPAP.  Unfortunately, these smokers do not see the big deal.  They can't smell the odor.

It is funny how you bring back memories of your vacation trapped inside your CPAP machine!

Staying in someones smokey home wouldn't be any vacation to me!!  Gag me!

Margaret said:

This also happened to me.  I slept in a room for one night and was not in any direct smoking but their house is permeated with smoke stink.  I couldn't stand to use my CPAP when I got home--changed the microfilter, washed tubing and mask and still had the terrible smell.  I lightly sprayed Febreze into the microfilter every 8 hours and ran it without the tubing and eventually the smell disappeared.  As stated previously, there is much soundproofing material inside the unit and this holds in the odor.  It did take a few days of doing this until the smell disappeared.  I will never sleep in that house again with my CPAP.  Unfortunately, these smokers do not see the big deal.  They can't smell the odor.

It is funny how you bring back memories of your vacation trapped inside your CPAP machine!

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