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From: argh.matey.argh on 27 Jul 2008 10:25
I would like to think things are progressing nicely. One thing I have
found is that cleaning suggestions (frequency) vary widely. Ideally
once a day would be good but for most everyday just isn't doable all
the the time. A nurse suggested that you can really "get by" doing
once a week (not ideal but you can). She did make clear that moisture
is the enemy (bacteria etc) and that you should dry out your
humidifier and mask every day. Anyway I purchased a 5 dollar O2cool
flex fan (with foam blades batt powered) I empty my reservoir every
morning and just turn this little fan on and direct the airflow into
the plenum and within a half hour or so its dry. Use it on my mask
also. I use rechargable batts and they go as long as 90 min. or so.
I'm planning on taking this light wieght item on a oversears trip to
make drying easier. The good thing about this fan is that its light
wieght and can be clipped to anything convieniet to do its job. PS
started using my unit without the humidifier but with the humidifier I
seem to have less ear/eustachion tube issues. Rich
From: Pope Pie (Sy Lehrman) on 27 Jul 2008 14:21
argh.matey.argh(a)gmail.com wrote:
> I would like to think things are progressing nicely. One thing I have
> found is that cleaning suggestions (frequency) vary widely. Ideally
> once a day would be good but for most everyday just isn't doable all
> the the time. A nurse suggested that you can really "get by" doing
> once a week (not ideal but you can). She did make clear that moisture
> is the enemy (bacteria etc) and that you should dry out your
> humidifier and mask every day. Anyway I purchased a 5 dollar O2cool
> flex fan (with foam blades batt powered) I empty my reservoir every
> morning and just turn this little fan on and direct the airflow into
> the plenum and within a half hour or so its dry. Use it on my mask
> also. I use rechargable batts and they go as long as 90 min. or so.
> I'm planning on taking this light wieght item on a oversears trip to
> make drying easier. The good thing about this fan is that its light
> wieght and can be clipped to anything convieniet to do its job. PS
> started using my unit without the humidifier but with the humidifier I
> seem to have less ear/eustachion tube issues. Rich

I set the hose and humidifier to dry most days, unless I forget, and
that seems to be adequate. If you are using distilled water you
shouldn't have much trouble with nasty things growing in the tank and at
home anything that the tank picks up would be floating in the air anyway
so you will probably get it anyway. If you have a tank that cannot be
opened I would clean it with white vinegar every week but if you can
open it you can probably just run it through the dish washer. Wash out
the mask with some soap and water and you should probably be fine.

If there is some infection going around you might want to be more
scrupulous, but ordinarily your home is a sea of bacteria anyway and it
is vain to try for sterility.
From: Sleeper on 29 Jul 2008 02:04
argh.matey.argh(a)gmail.com wrote...

> I would like to think things are progressing nicely. One thing I have
> found is that cleaning suggestions (frequency) vary widely. Ideally
> once a day would be good but for most everyday just isn't doable all
> the the time. A nurse suggested that you can really "get by" doing
> once a week (not ideal but you can). She did make clear that moisture
> is the enemy (bacteria etc) and that you should dry out your
> humidifier and mask every day. Anyway I purchased a 5 dollar O2cool

What would this achieve? Would it not make sense to simply rinse it out when
refilling it?

I've yet to clean my humidifier. It's been running for getting on 2 years now
and shows no signs of any buildup of scunge.

I use demineralised water that I get from work. It's produced by a machine
called a "Milli-Q". We call it 'double 'demin' because it is supplied with
demin. water from our plant's ion exchange based demin. plant.

My only concern is that it may not be sterile. I don't know if that makes any
difference or not as the vapor that's given off from either commercially
available distilled water or this demin stuff would be exposed to airborne
contaminants in either case when the bottles are opened.

Certainly, with the demin water there's nothing in it that will allow anything
to grow. It's as pure as you can get with TDS down to near zero, silica levels
of or at close to zero PPB.

> the plenum and within a half hour or so its dry. Use it on my mask
> also. I use rechargable batts and they go as long as 90 min. or so.

I use hygenic alcohol based wipes on the mask. That seems to do good enough job.
No back crud has formed on it.

As it's winter too, i have problems with condensation in the pipe and mask due
to the bedroom getting chilly. Someone suggested a sock for the hose. knowing
how they like to gouge us with anything medical, I might try a roller bandage
from my first aid kit. Will see how that goes, see if it reduces the water
buildup. Nothing worse than having cold water drip onto, or into your nose as
you sleep and waking you up.

Well, actually there are worse things I s'pose, like getting a terminal disease,
being forced to listen to doof doof music or watch self righteous opinionated
and sanctimonous pricks who seek to counsel people on television.


--
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough
people to make it worth the effort.
From: argh.matey.argh on 29 Jul 2008 06:25
On Jul 29, 2:04 am, Sleeper <slee...(a)snoresville.cot> wrote:>
argh.matey.a...(a)gmail.com wrote...> > I would like to think things are
progressing nicely.  One thing I have> > found is that cleaning
suggestions (frequency) vary widely.  Ideally> > once a day would be
good but for most everyday just isn't doable all> > the the time.  A
nurse suggested that you can really "get by" doing> > once a week (not
ideal but you can).  She did make clear that moisture> > is the enemy
(bacteria etc) and that you should dry out your> > humidifier and mask
every day.  Anyway I purchased a 5 dollar O2cool> > What would this
achieve? Would it not make sense to simply rinse it out when>
refilling it?> > I've yet to clean my humidifier. It's been running
for getting on 2 years now> and shows no signs of any buildup of
scunge.> > I use demineralised water that I get from work. It's
produced by a machine> called a "Milli-Q". We call it 'double 'demin'
because it is supplied with> demin. water from our plant's ion
exchange based demin. plant.> > My only concern is that it may not be
sterile. I don't know if that makes any> difference or not as the
vapor that's given off from either commercially> available distilled
water or this demin stuff would be exposed to airborne> contaminants
in either case when the bottles are opened.> > Certainly, with the
demin water there's nothing in it that will allow anything> to grow.
It's as pure as you can get with TDS down to near zero, silica levels>
of or at close to zero PPB.> > > the plenum and within a half hour or
so its dry.  Use it on my mask> > also.  I use rechargable batts and
they go as long as 90 min. or so.> > I use hygenic alcohol based wipes
on the mask. That seems to do good enough job.> No back crud has
formed on it.> > As it's winter too, i have problems with condensation
in the pipe and mask due> to the bedroom getting chilly. Someone
suggested a sock for the hose. knowing> how they like to gouge us with
anything medical, I might try a roller bandage> from my first aid kit.
Will see how that goes, see if it reduces the water> buildup. Nothing
worse than having cold water drip onto, or into your nose as> you
sleep and waking you up.> > Well, actually there are worse things I
s'pose, like getting a terminal disease,> being forced to listen to
doof doof music or watch self righteous opinionated> and sanctimonous
pricks who seek to counsel people on television.> > --> A positive
attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough>
people to make it worth the
effort.>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Thats
what I mean, there's as many suggestions as there are people. 
Distilled water though initially sterile, does not remain sterile
indefinitely.  Its not a disinfectant.  Colonies of bacteria etc. 
start building up as soon as exposed.  Your system as well continues
to introduce new colonies of stuff into the water as it runs.  The
suggestion to dry it in the morning makes good sense as it reduces
("reduces") the colonies that have established in the previous 24. 
Life loves water, take away the water and its harder.  Nothing
especially in your home is sterile, but "cleaning" reduces the number
of bacteria and hence the chance of infection, illness etc.  I would
not use alcohol wipes on my gear as it would overtime breakdown some
of the plastics.  It is a solvent after all.   Rich
From: Tiger_Lily on 29 Jul 2008 21:14
argh.matey.argh(a)gmail.com wrote:
I would
> not use alcohol wipes on my gear as it would overtime breakdown some
> of the plastics. It is a solvent after all. Rich

yup

i soap up a face cloth, and wipe the mask, then rinse it with clean water

2 face clothes, about 1 min of effort and it works a treat :)

--
kate
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