DME suggested White Vinegar to Clean CPAP Hose? Yes/No

Is this technique forum approved.....The last thing I need is a vinegar smelling CPAP machine if it doesnt rinse out easy.

Yes, it's one to three vin/water....1 vin to 3 water mix in the sink.

Vinegar is great for removing odors from hoses, and it rinses out completely. Don't use vinegar on masks though. It is OK if the hose isn't completely dry when you use it, just don't let moisture sit in the hose.

Vinegar as a "deodorant" is an old wives practice that works. It is very effective, every bit or more effective than Baking Soda (or is it Baking Powder? - I'm not very domesticated).

It's baking soda.

Thank you. The Baking Soda comes in the yellow box. And the Baking Powder comes in the red can.

Works great. I wash mine every weekend. For the mask I use some wipes that I bought at the DME and use them every day, but I soak the hard plastic mask parts in vinegar. Rinse well and allow to air dry.

I've been using vinegar on everything - hose, humidifier, mask.... I'm not supposed to use it on the mask?

[quote]I'm not supposed to use it on the mask?[/quote]

The DME gay said not to use vinegar as it can deteriorate some the materials used in the seals of some masks. I did some Googling and it seems that skin oils and petroleum based skin moisturizers should be more of a threat to silicone than household vinegar would be. Not all masks use silicone though and other seal materials may be less resistant to vinegar. There is a Respironics mask with a blue soft gel seal, and I have no idea what it is made of or what chemical resistance it has. There is a core portion of the seal on a Fisher Paykel mask made of a mystery rubbery substance that the DME guy said is not even supposed to be soaked in soapy water. Neoprene, which is resistant to petroleum and body oil, is suposed to be deteriorated by vinegar. I think that the straps on the Swift nasal pillow system may be made of neoprene. I am playing it safe by not using vinegar on any soft portions of my masks.

Okay, so, there's lots of things you can't use to clean the mask, if I don't have the special wipes or solution (the DME didn't give me any) what IS safe to use?

Oggie

I was told to use whatever I wash my face with, or "Dove soap". At first I cleaned the mask with the same thing I clean my face with, which is what I clean my whole body with -- Soft Soap hydrating. Then I thought to be safe I probably should get plain Dove soap with no fragrance. I got the bottled variety instead of the bar soap.

It seems like for the last week or so I have been having problems with not getting a good seal. I am wondering if the Dove soap I am using is actually not the right thing to use. Of course, they did just increase my pressure about a week and a half ago, so I may have to ask my DME about this. Am wondering if perhaps I should switch to the Dove bar soap.

Please remember that vinegar is an acid - a weak one, but still an acid. And weak or not, it is effective at dissolving the minerals deposited by hard water. And I have found that the smell clings to plastic if left in contact for any length of time.

But I have no idea whether it might harm a mask.

Missp; Do you use moisturizer on your face or Vaseline anywhere, especially at night? The oils and greases used in Vaseline and most skin moisturizers can cause certain types of silicone to deteriorate. I use Dawn dishwashing liquid (original formula, especially not the antibacterial type) to clean my masks (which I seldom do). I use vinegar with water to clean my hose and humidifier chamber (which I also seldom do).

Bearded One wrote:

I'm not supposed to use it on the mask?

The DME gay said not to use vinegar

Your DME is gay?

I do put some Carmex on my lips to keep them from drying out, but nothing that comes into contact with the mask.