Over 22 million people in the United States suffer from obstructive sleep apnea. We know that the most common form of this condition is more than just a nuisance. Multiple studies indicate that disrupted sleep is associated with greater risks of dangerous diseases and conditions. As a CPAP user, you need to obtain a CPAP cleaner for regular CPAP cleaning.
Why cleaning the CPAP is important
According to most CPAP cleaner reviews, the reasons for regular cleaning with a CPAP cleaner and sanitizer are simple.
Oil, sweat, and dead skin cells can accumulate in the CPAP mask when it is used.
The water in the machine and the moisture in the mask and hose are possible breeding grounds for bacteria and germs.
CPAP cleaning options
Some of the cleaning methods CPAP users can choose from including the following:
Soap and Water
The old method of disassembling the mask and hose and cleaning it with a CPAP machine cleaner. It involves using soap and water. In fact, this method can be time consuming and inconvenient. If it is not performed with extreme attention to detail, it can also be ineffective. That is especially so in cleaning hard-to-reach surfaces in the humidifiers, masks, and hoses, which may be potential breeding grounds for germs, viruses, and bacteria.
Vinegar and water
Similar to the soap-and-water method, this way of cleaning without a CPAP cleaning machine or a CPAP mask cleaner. The technique requires users first to disassemble their CPAP. Then, the equipment must be soaked in vinegar and water solution for at least 20 minutes, rinsed thoroughly, and allowed to dry completely. Therefore, for CPAP patients who choose to clean their CPAP devices using this method, which in itself is a time-consuming process.
Wipes
At first glance, though cleaning CPAP equipment with specially designed wipes may seem more convenient for most CPAP users, it actually may be more hazardous than beneficial. That is because wipes cannot clean inside the hose. Just recently, researchers looked at this method and found that rather than eliminate pathogens, the wipes tended to just transfer bacteria from one surface to another. However, it is good to acknowledge that the wipes are formulated expressly to clean CPAP equipment.
UV light
this method is an improvement over soap and water. A UV light CPAP cleaner is deemed to be the best CPAP cleaner by most CPAP users. However, UV light may not kill bacteria in the hose, inside the machine, or the water in the reservoir.
Activated oxygen
Used in cleaners like SoClean CPAP cleaner, activated oxygen (ozone) has been shown to have multiple benefits over other ways of cleaning the CPAP. As a CPAP cleaning device, SoClean eliminates 99.9 percent of germs without introducing moisture that could then become a breeding ground for more germs and bacteria.
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