One of the greatest struggles in having to use a CPAP is the maintenance. For me, it was just one more thing that required cleaning which made it an even greater annoyance.
It is an expensive set-up so regardless of how I feel about cleaning it, it needs to be done or else I risk introducing bacteria into my breathing or having something break down. And that would be an incredible waste of money.
Here is my cleaning schedule that I worked out with my CPAP Specialist:
Mask - I have two masks (one for back-up) that need to be washed daily to every few days depending on how oily my skin is or whether there is a build up of condensation. I have a lemon and water spray solution which is very inexpensive that I purchased from the CPAP supplier. It makes cleaning so much easier and the smell isn't as harsh as some soaps.
Tubing - The spring coil tubing is rinsed with hot water weekly. I also have two of these in case one breaks or if I don't get around to rinsing the tubing right away.
Filters - Our home produces a lot of dust so I like to check the filters every couple of days. The spongey one is washed weekly and changed every 4 - 6 weeks depending on frequency of use.
Headgear - The headgear holds the mask in place and is contact with hair which has products on it. This can build up on the fabric so I like to wash it at least once a month with hot soapy water and hang to dry.
Humidifier - I don't use the heat feature on my humidifier so it gets rinsed daily to every few days with hot water. I often use the lemon spray I mentioned earlier. It gets put in dishwasher once a week.
Machine - Because we have lots of dust. Every few days I take a Swiffer to it and it gets vacuum dusted once a week.
I like to break the tasks up so I'm not doing everything on the same day. That way it feels like less time is being spent on cleaning a machine I'm already not keen on.
