The Best CPAP Cleaning Accessories
CPAP machines are devices used to help people with sleep apnea, which is a sometimes life-threatening condition that causes your throat muscles to tire, closing the airway to your lungs. CPAP machines work to provide you with oxygen all night long by keeping this airway open, making them essential for those who suffer from severe sleep apnea. The thing is, these devices tend to become filled with bacteria over time if they're not regularly cleaned. There are a number of different ways to keep your CPAP machine clean, and in this piece, we've outlined the most effective and affordable products to help you do so.
RespLabs CPAP Travel Wipes
Wipe it away
It’s no secret that CPAP masks can develop bacteria buildup quickly. This buildup problem is far more than just an unpleasant smell you need to worry about. CPAP mask bacteria can cause respiratory illnesses and sore throats. With RespLabs’ CPAP travel wipes, you can wipe away worrisome bacteria in seconds. RespLabs offers these convenient wipes in 20-packs or 112-packs, making it easy to stock up if you need to take a long trip. These wipes are alcohol- and lint-free, and they’re unscented, which means you don’t have to worry about replacing bacteria with a harsh-smelling alcohol odor. This is a quick, easy, and affordable way to clean your CPAP mask on the go.
Pros:
- Affordable and easy to use
- You can buy in bulk
- Alcohol-free and unscented
Cons:
- You cannot clean the CPAP hose with these wipes
CleanSmart CPAP Disinfectant Spray
Simple spray
With some CPAP cleaning products, it might be difficult to reach those hard-to-reach areas for deep cleaning. This is not an issue with CleanSmart’s CPAP disinfectant spray, which kills 99.9% of germs on contact. Just spray it all over your CPAP mask and into the hose and allow the disinfectant to spread along every surface as you rinse it with water. The spray won’t leave behind any harsh alcohol or ozone fumes, and it leaves no residue behind after cleaning. We highly recommend this CPAP disinfectant spray for anyone looking for an economical way to keep their CPAP mask and hose sanitized.
Pros:
- Kills 99.9% of germs
- You can clean both the mask and hose with it
Cons:
- Not the simplest cleaning method available
Care Touch CPAP Tube Cleaning Brush
Scrub and save
When people think of cleaning a CPAP machine, it’s usually the issue of sanitizing the mask that takes precedent. While keeping a CPAP mask clean is obviously important, cleaning the hose is just as vital to maintaining a safe and sanitized device. Care Touch’s CPAP tube cleaning brush offers an easy and affordable way to reach into the hose and scrub out any lingering buildup that’s lodged inside. This cleaning brush can extend up to seven feet in length, providing you with more than enough surface area to reach inside every crevice of your CPAP hose. Care Touch’s cleaning brush is also soft to the touch, which means you don’t have to worry about overly stiff bristles damaging the hose.
Pros:
- Provides an easy and affordable way to clean the CPAP hose
- Features soft bristles that won’t damage the hose
- Extends to seven feet long but folds up for easy storage
Cons:
- As the brush reaches deeper into the CPAP hose, cleaning becomes more difficult
Babyfeel UV Light Sanitizer
Deep cleaning
CPAP cleaning technology has come a very long way since the inception of the CPAP machine. We feel that the industry may have reached the nexus of innovation with this highly convenient and technologically marvelous UV light sanitizer from Babyfeel. It allows for total sanitation of your CPAP device through the use of selectively generated UV rays. You heard that right — no more wipes, soaps, rinsing, or drying. This cleaner can completely sanitize your device without it ever touching soap or water. What’s more, you can use this UV light sanitizer to deep clean any number of things that need sanitation. Sure, it’s more expensive than other options, but for those looking for the easiest cleaning experience, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better choice than this.
Pros:
- Cleans your CPAP device with nothing but UV rays
- Highly convenient
- You can use it to clean other things as well such as retainers and dentures
Cons:
- Depending on the length of your device’s hose, it may be hard to fit inside the box
- Fairly expensive
Purdoux CPAP Cleaning Soap
Easy on the nose
There are many products in the CPAP cleaning industry that utilize harsh chemicals and alcohol to sanitize masks and hoses. Purdoux’s CPAP cleaning soap does things in a decidedly greener way. This cleaning soap ditches the alcohol, bleach, and moisturizers, and instead features natural sanitizing agents like mint and green tea. The soap is specifically designed to sanitize silicone surfaces without robbing them of their durability or elasticity.
Pros:
- Sanitizes CPAP devices without alcohol or bleach
- Sweet-smelling
- Cleans silicone without ruining it
Cons:
- Difficult to clean hoses with it
Frequently Asked Questions
How common is sleep apnea?
Recent estimates are that sleep apnea affects about 25% of men and 10% of women in the USA. Sleep apnea develops in people of all ages, although elderly and overweight people are more at risk. However, with a CPAP machine and other medical techniques, the symptoms of sleep apnea can be controlled and kept at bay.
What is the easiest way to clean my CPAP machine?
UV sanitation requires virtually no work from you other than putting your CPAP mask and hose into the box and waiting for the UV rays to do their work. With that said, products that utilize UV sanitation are often quite a bit more expensive than others.