Hi all
Well, I am beginning to not loathe my machine quite as much after 8 weks of use!
I have a cleaning question: At the hospital I was given a huge pack of clinimed skin care wipes by the resp nurse and told to wipe out my mask each day with those. I wasn't informed about cleaning the tubing or the humidifier, but having had a bad bout of pneumonia 19mths ago I've become very wary of breathing in bad bugs. So, I did some hunting around and read I should clean the tube once a month with white distilled vinegar 50:50. The humidifier chamber should be cleaned once weekly in warm, soapy water.
Having done so, and hung the tube over the shower rail to dry all day, come evening I discovered it still reeked, and was making me heave when I turned on the machine, despite a good rinsing out.
So, then a friend suggested using Milton as it is safe to use on baby's bottles etc. I bought some, washed my tube and mask as before. But that evening it stank like the local swimming pool! I got up and rinsed and rinsed but was still a bit freaked out about breathing in chlorine fumes.
I am so fed up with all this palaver. I struggle to do a lot of physical stuff because of my paraplegia etc and this is just an added pressure...
Can anyone tell me how often they clean their bits of equipment, what they use, how they dry parts etc? I'd be grateful for tips.
Also, tell me if I sound paranoid. I try not to but when you only have 28% of your lung capacity available a straight forward chest infection can be the end of you...
Well, I am beginning to not loathe my machine quite as much after 8 weks of use!
I have a cleaning question: At the hospital I was given a huge pack of clinimed skin care wipes by the resp nurse and told to wipe out my mask each day with those. I wasn't informed about cleaning the tubing or the humidifier, but having had a bad bout of pneumonia 19mths ago I've become very wary of breathing in bad bugs. So, I did some hunting around and read I should clean the tube once a month with white distilled vinegar 50:50. The humidifier chamber should be cleaned once weekly in warm, soapy water.
Having done so, and hung the tube over the shower rail to dry all day, come evening I discovered it still reeked, and was making me heave when I turned on the machine, despite a good rinsing out.
So, then a friend suggested using Milton as it is safe to use on baby's bottles etc. I bought some, washed my tube and mask as before. But that evening it stank like the local swimming pool! I got up and rinsed and rinsed but was still a bit freaked out about breathing in chlorine fumes.
I am so fed up with all this palaver. I struggle to do a lot of physical stuff because of my paraplegia etc and this is just an added pressure...
Can anyone tell me how often they clean their bits of equipment, what they use, how they dry parts etc? I'd be grateful for tips.
Also, tell me if I sound paranoid. I try not to but when you only have 28% of your lung capacity available a straight forward chest infection can be the end of you...
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