Aug 19th 2022
How Often Should You Clean Your CPAP Equipment?
Your CPAP machine and mask are critical medical devices that require you to keep up on their cleaning and maintenance to ensure effective and healthy sleep apnea therapy. Therefore, maintaining a consistent cleaning plan is vital. You should clean your CPAP equipment both daily and weekly.
CPAP Equipment to Clean Daily
Because you are breathing through your CPAP equipment every night for 8 hours, you must clean it every morning after use. Cleaning daily prevents bacterial growth and build-up that would cause unsanitary conditions. Therefore, you must clean your cushion, frame, and headgear daily.
To clean these parts, you'll need:
- Mild soap
- Warm water
- CPAP cleaning cloth
- A clean towel
Begin by disassembling your mask entirely so that your three parts are separate. Next, wash your frame, and cushion with warm, soapy water. All parts must air dry out of direct sunlight. You should also clean your headgear daily by wiping it down with a wet cloth. Use a damp cloth or CPAP cleaning wipe on the cushion and frame if necessary.
CPAP Equipment to Clean Weekly
You don't need to clean all parts of your mask and machine daily. For instance, the CPAP humidifier water chamber and mask tubing only need to be cleaned once a week. But, ensuring that happens is essential for effective CPAP therapy. Like your daily cleaning routine, you will wash your air tubing in warm water with mild soap and let the parts air dry out of direct sunlight.
Unlike the other cleaning routines, the weekly cleaning of your humidifier will be slightly different. You will need:
- White vinegar
- Water
Make a cleaning solution of 1-part white vinegar and 1-part water. Let your humidifier soak in this solution for 15 to 30 minutes. Then, rinse it in water and set it out of direct sunlight to air dry.
ONLY Use Mild Soap
Why does every CPAP supplier specify to clean your equipment with a mild soap? Because many other cleaning agents are chemicals that could leave harmful residual vapors that could be dangerous to inhale. It is important to never clean your CPAP mask or equipment with:
- Essential oils or scented oils
- Dish detergent (even if mild)
- Antibacterial soaps
- Bleach
- Alcohol
- Strongly scented products
You should never wash your cushion, headgear, or any other CPAP parts in the washing machine and dryer.
Invest in a Cleaning Machine
If you think these cleaning methods will take too much time out of your morning routine, no worries! Many CPAP cleaning devices are on the market to simplify your daily and weekly cleaning routine. While there are varying models, each model will save you time, ensuring a deep and efficient clean.
Explore our CPAP cleaner options: The Best CPAP Cleaners: Features and Reviews
These cleaners kill 99% of bacteria, mold, and germs.
How Often Should You Clean Your CPAP Equipment with a Machine?
If you use a CPAP cleaner, you should also clean your frame, cushion, headgear, and humidifier tube daily and your air tube and humidifier weekly.
Maintenance: Replacing Parts
In addition to cleaning your machine, it is vital to stay on top of part replacements. Ensure that you follow the below guidelines when replacing your varying CPAP equipment.
- Replace monthly: the mask cushion and filter
- Replace every three months: the mask frame and air tubing
- Replace every six months: the headgear and humidifier tubing
Learn More About CPAP
There is so much that goes into cleaning and maintaining CPAP machines and masks. Explore our blog to learn more about cleaning and maintaining your CPAP equipment.
