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How Many of us Empty our Humidifier Each Day?
I've got to be honest and say that although I try to empty it out every day, some days it gets lost in the shuffle and just sits there. What are other people doing?
Views: 127
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jerri Lynn on
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Well I've only been on CPAP for four nights but have emptied and rinsed the reservoir each morning "so far".
Do you personally recommend using mild soapy water or vinegar and water to clean tubing, accessories, etc.?
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Permalink Reply by sleepycarol on
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I use distilled water and admit that I just top my water off when I do use the humidifer.
I have found that I don't need the humidifier in the summer and don't use it. Once the heat comes on, I use it in pass over mode.
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Permalink Reply by Mike on
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i personally use a product called cpap wipes. but that's mostly because i'm lazy. filling a basin with lukewarm mild soapy water and soaking the mask cushion for a few minutes was what i used to do before i got so lazy. never used the vinegar method.
Jerri Lynn said:Well I've only been on CPAP for four nights but have emptied and rinsed the reservoir each morning "so far".
Do you personally recommend using mild soapy water or vinegar and water to clean tubing, accessories, etc.?
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Permalink Reply by Jan on
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Note to self: Get CPap wipes....I am going to need a shopping list for my adventures with a CPAP machine:
-- Cpap wipes
--10 ' hose
-- cover for hose
-- something to keep nostrils from getting sore (hmmm what was that called?)
--distilled water
Just getting my list together from the tips I found in various posts ;-) What am I missing???
Jan
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the thing that keeps the nostrils from getting sore is Ayr gel i believe. available at walgreens or any neighborhood drugstore. as far as other accessories go, i'd humbly suggest you check out the stuff sold at ApneaLife.com --- full disclosure: that's a sister store of this site.
Jan said:Note to self: Get CPap wipes....I am going to need a shopping list for my adventures with a CPAP machine:
-- Cpap wipes
--10 ' hose
-- cover for hose
-- something to keep nostrils from getting sore (hmmm what was that called?)
--distilled water
Just getting my list together from the tips I found in various posts ;-) What am I missing???
Jan
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Thanks for the info Mike. I'll see if my DME carries them and if not, I'll check online.
And Jan: You go Girl! You're really getting all your ducks in a row. Do you know what kind of machine to ask for?
Someone else chime in here and give her the the appropriate info.
I followed the instructions from you here on SG and ended up with a great unit. I have a REMstar Plus M Series with C-Flex, Humidifier and Smart Card.
Mike said:i personally use a product called cpap wipes. but that's mostly because i'm lazy. filling a basin with lukewarm mild soapy water and soaking the mask cushion for a few minutes was what i used to do before i got so lazy. never used the vinegar method.
Jerri Lynn said:Well I've only been on CPAP for four nights but have emptied and rinsed the reservoir each morning "so far".
Do you personally recommend using mild soapy water or vinegar and water to clean tubing, accessories, etc.?
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I saw the wipes on the site you mentioned. I notice that they are "citrus." I don't generally do well with any cleansing materials or soaps that are scented due to allergies. Do you know if they come in unscented?
Mike said:the thing that keeps the nostrils from getting sore is Ayr gel i believe. available at walgreens or any neighborhood drugstore. as far as other accessories go, i'd humbly suggest you check out the stuff sold at ApneaLife.com --- full disclosure: that's a sister store of this site.
Jan said:Note to self: Get CPap wipes....I am going to need a shopping list for my adventures with a CPAP machine:
-- Cpap wipes
--10 ' hose
-- cover for hose
-- something to keep nostrils from getting sore (hmmm what was that called?)
--distilled water
Just getting my list together from the tips I found in various posts ;-) What am I missing???
Jan
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Jan, the wipes only come in one variety as far as I know. They don't have a strong scent, but the label does say the product includes cleansers "derived from corn, coconut and citrus."
Jan said:I saw the wipes on the site you mentioned. I notice that they are "citrus." I don't generally do well with any cleansing materials or soaps that are scented due to allergies. Do you know if they come in unscented?
Mike said:the thing that keeps the nostrils from getting sore is Ayr gel i believe. available at walgreens or any neighborhood drugstore. as far as other accessories go, i'd humbly suggest you check out the stuff sold at ApneaLife.com --- full disclosure: that's a sister store of this site.
Jan said:Note to self: Get CPap wipes....I am going to need a shopping list for my adventures with a CPAP machine:
-- Cpap wipes
--10 ' hose
-- cover for hose
-- something to keep nostrils from getting sore (hmmm what was that called?)
--distilled water
Just getting my list together from the tips I found in various posts ;-) What am I missing???
Jan
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Permalink Reply by susan mccord on
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Sleepy Carol, that's what I do too. I only wash that receptacle every now and then--I use white vinegar and warm water to either rinse it out or soak it if it needs soaking. This is probably the only thing my DME didn't talk about cleaning except before I started distilled water. I used to use bottled purified water, but it ended up leaving residue that had to be soaked off. He's the one who told me to soak it in vinegar and water. It worked like a charm. Rinsed well, there was no vinegar smell by the time I needed it again. I use mine every single night, turned up to 5--it's the only way I can keep my sinuses from getting cranky.
I ALWAYS use distilled water now.
Has anyone been told we should empty and air out or clean out that thing daily?? If so, I need to know that 'cause I don't.
Susan McCord
sleepycarol said:I use distilled water and admit that I just top my water off when I do use the humidifer.
I have found that I don't need the humidifier in the summer and don't use it. Once the heat comes on, I use it in pass over mode.
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i heard that emptying it out each day is the thing to do. believe the notion is that a heated humidifier that slowly cools during the day is the perfect environment for micro-organisms to grow. anyone with more science background have any further info on this?
susan mccord said:Sleepy Carol, that's what I do too. I only wash that receptacle every now and then--I use white vinegar and warm water to either rinse it out or soak it if it needs soaking. This is probably the only thing my DME didn't talk about cleaning except before I started distilled water. I used to use bottled purified water, but it ended up leaving residue that had to be soaked off. He's the one who told me to soak it in vinegar and water. It worked like a charm. Rinsed well, there was no vinegar smell by the time I needed it again. I use mine every single night, turned up to 5--it's the only way I can keep my sinuses from getting cranky.
I ALWAYS use distilled water now.
Has anyone been told we should empty and air out or clean out that thing daily?? If so, I need to know that 'cause I don't.
Susan McCord
sleepycarol said:I use distilled water and admit that I just top my water off when I do use the humidifer.
I have found that I don't need the humidifier in the summer and don't use it. Once the heat comes on, I use it in pass over mode.
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I don't heat the water anymore as passover does the job for me.
The first winter I did use the heat on the humidifier and still just topped the water off. I did buy a Fisher and Paykel HC 100 and a Fisher and Paykel HC150 from a guy on craigslist. Both were like new and I ended up paying $50.00 a piece for them. If I need to use the heated part on the humidifier I will use one of those models instead of the intergrated humidifier. For one thing, the water tank is larger and and there is a greater degree of control over the temperature. The HC 150 has ambient tracking so should help with rainout issues.
On another side note, I decided early on to make me a bag with all the "extras" of accessories. I have tape, poligrip strips, teflon tape, Ayr gel, extra filters, etc. in it. It sure beats having to look for these things at night!
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