Many people used the words clean and sanitized interchangeably, but they do mean two different things. For an object to be considered clean means the food and other debris has been removed, but to sterilize your CPAP, it says that those surfaces have a reduction of pathogens. There may still be microorganisms present, but they are at safe levels. For an object to be sanitized it first must be cleaned as sanitizers cannot penetrate debris. For some things, the difference between clean and sanitary doesn’t have a huge effect, like having clean windows versus sanitized windows. But when it comes to kitchenware you prepare and eat food off of, the clothes you wear, or your medical equipment; those are the types of things you want to be sanitary.Basic Home Items that Sanitize

Basic Home Items that Sanitize

While bleach is popular for sanitizing you have to be careful as it is a dangerous human-made chemical and can react with other compounds. Some don’t know that there are some non-toxic solutions as well that can sanitize.

  • Baking Soda is a deodorizer and scouring agent meaning you can use it for scrubbing stuck on items.
  • White Vinegar is a disinfectant and deodorizer, the smell quickly dissipates but if it is bothersome, you can add a few drops of essential oils to add a pleasant smell. White vinegar should not be used for the CPAP mask or hose because it’s slightly acidic, but it is okay for the humidifier chamber. 
  • Lemon juice is an anti-bacterial, deodorizer, and is an excellent homemade cleaner that works well with some of the other homemade cleansers.

Man Made Sanitizing Products

While it is nice to have the option to use more natural home items to clean and sanitize your device, sometimes an industrial or human-made sanitizer is better for the job. Klenzyme is a liquid is special for cleaning the medical appliances in hospitals, such as surgical instruments. Some other products include MediZyme or Manu Klenz, but these are hospital grade sanitizers.

Do not use bleach, alcohol, or cleaning solutions containing alcohol. Furthermore, avoid cleaning products that include conditioners or moisturizers because they will leave a residue. When cleaning your mask at home, ivory liquid soap is good to wash the machine with warm water. Using a special spray and wipes for cleaning the CPAP mask is good, Citrus II is a well-known brand for cleaning CPAP machines. Also, Control III Brand Germicide is an EPA approved cleanser that helps with sanitizing, it has no smell, and is not irritating to the skin.

Machine Sanitizers

One of the newer methods of cleaning and sanitizing CPAP machines have come alone in the last 10 or 15 years. That is the CPAP cleaner and sanitizer machines.

There are a few on the market but only a handful that are well known and stand out, these include SoClean, VitruClean, and Lumin brand machines. They are all CPAP sanitizing machines that clean and disinfect the device for you. Though between the three VirtuClean is the one that has the least restrictions. SoClean needs an adaptor for some CPAP machines to clean them. And the Lumin machine can clean anything that can fit inside of it but not necessarily all CPAP machines. But the VirtuClean can clean all CPAP machines and accessories by attaching to your device without any adapter needed. It also doesn’t require any filters that need replacing every couple of months, and it is one of the quicker machines sanitizing in just a thirty-minute cycle.

Any of the ways listed above are good ways to sanitize your CPAP machine after you have cleaned it. A lot of it is patient preference and what works best for your home life and how busy you may be. Some people don’t have the time needed to clean it by hand and need more of the self-sanitizing machines that don’t require much upkeep. The tradeoff is the cost of the device, but on the other end, the cheaper ways to sanitize your CPAP need more physical work. Though through all of this it is important to remember to wash your equipment before disinfecting as a sanitizer cannot get through debris, and the only way to get that off is cleaning.