Sleep apnea is on the rise throughout the United States. In fact, at least 25 million Americans currently suffer from sleep apnea, and many of them require a continuous positive airway pressure (or CPAP) machine to help them sleep through the night.
Are you part of this group? If so, how good are you at maintaining your CPAP? Did you know that you were supposed to do anything to keep your CPAP clean and functional?
If you haven’t been keeping up with your CPAP cleaning and maintenance, keep reading.
Explained below is the importance of using a CPAP cleaner, as well as tips on the right way to use one to get great results.
Why Do You Need to Clean Your CPAP?
There are lots of reasons why you need to make regular CPAP cleaning a part of your routine. Some of the benefits of regular cleaning include the following:
Better Seal
If your CPAP mask is caked with oil, dirt, and grime, you’re going to have a hard time getting it to stay in place.
If you can’t get a good seal between your CPAP mask and your face, this will also hinder its ability to work as well as it should. As a result, you may end up waking up during the night because your airway can’t stay open.
This defeats the entire purpose of using a CPAP, right?
Less Germ Exposure
Think of how many germs have the potential to gather on and in various parts of your CPAP machine. They can breed on the mask, as well as in the tubing and humidifier.
If you want to minimize the amount of germs and bacteria to which you’re exposed on a regular basis, an easy way to do this is by making sure you’re cleaning your CPAP often.
Better Overall Health
Limiting your germ and bacteria exposure can lead to better overall health.
Research shows that people who use CPAP machines are more likely to get pneumonia than those who don’t, likely because of all the germs they’re exposed to each night.
To avoid this and other illnesses, start making cleaning your CPAP a priority.
Why Use a CPAP Cleaner?
It’s important to clean your CPAP on a regular basis, but it’s also important to make sure you’re using the right tools to clean it. The following are three main reasons why you ought to invest in a CPAP cleaner:
1. More Thorough Clean
Using plain old soap and water on your CPAP machine is better than nothing. It’s not that much better, though.
If you really want to clean your CPAP well (and you should since it’s sitting on your face every night), you need to use a cleaner designed specifically for that task.
CPAP cleaners use special mechanisms that eliminate more germs and bacteria than regular cleaning methods.
2. Avoid Damage
If you use a cleaner meant for cleaning a CPAP machine, you’re going to be less likely to accidentally damage your device during the cleaning process.
Since you’re less likely to damage your device while cleaning it, it’ll last a lot longer when you use a dedicated cleaner.
CPAP machines aren’t cheap, so you probably want to do whatever you can to ensure it lasts as long as possible.
Cleaning it on a regular basis and using the proper cleaning equipment are two easy ways to make this happen.
3. Faster Process
You can also get your device clean much faster when you use a CPAP cleaner.
If the idea of hand-washing it is tedious to you, you definitely ought to consider investing in a cleaner.
It’ll make the process much more efficient, but you won’t have to sacrifice effectiveness (in fact, it’ll make for a more effective clean).
How to Choose a CPAP Cleaner
There are quite a few different cleaners on the market today. If you’re overwhelmed by all the choices available to you, be sure to keep these tips in mind:
Know the Cleaning Method
There are a few different mechanisms that cleaners use to clean your device. These include UV light cleaning and ozone cleaning.
Both of these cleaning methods are good options that eliminate nearly all the bacteria and germs that may gather in your device during the night.
They’re both superior to hand-washing with soap and water, too, so you can’t go wrong with either one.
Find Out How Long it Takes
When you use a cleaner, you’re able to clean your device much faster than if you were washing it by hand. That being said, some cleaners are faster than others.
Find out how long, on average, it takes for a specific cleaner to get the job done before you invest in it.
Ensure Compatibility
Make sure you purchase a cleaner that is compatible with the specific type of CPAP machine you have. You don’t want to have to go through the hassle of a return because you bought the wrong cleaner, do you?
Most online stores make it clear which devices the cleaner can work with before you order. You can also reach out to their customer service line if you’re unsure.
Consider Portability
Finally, consider the portability of your CPAP cleaner, too.
This isn’t a necessity for everyone. However, if you travel with your CPAP machine often, you may want to purchase a cleaner that is easy to carry with you as well.
If you do this, you’ll be less likely to slack on cleaning just because you’re on the road.
Clean Your CPAP Today
As you can see, if you use a CPAP machine, you definitely ought to make cleaning it a priority. You also need to make sure you’re using a dedicated CPAP cleaner in the proper way in order to get the best results.
Do you need to purchase a cleaner for yourself? If so, head to our online shop today.
We have tons of different cleaners and cleaning supplies there for you to order from the comfort of your own home. We also offer free shipping on all orders over $75.
Order your tools today so you can get your CPAP sparkling clean as soon as possible!
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- cpap cleaners
- mold and bacteria
- respiratory health