Cleaning your CPAP
without damaging it

Once a week

Pick a set day, ideally in the morning, so everything has all day to dry.

Filters follow their own schedule, which depends on the model. See how long a CPAP lasts for the details.

What water goes in the humidifier?

Whatever your tank's manual says. For the ResMed AirSense 11, the standard tank takes distilled water only, while the cleanable tank for the same machine accepts drinking water. If in doubt, use distilled water (or demineralized water with no fragrance or additives).

Tap water leaves mineral deposits in the tank. ResMed says to remove that white residue with diluted vinegar, and to replace a tank that leaks, is cracked, or has turned cloudy or pitted.

A word about automatic cleaners

You see them everywhere online: devices that promise to disinfect your CPAP in minutes, with no water, using ozone or ultraviolet light.

The FDA is clear: no device is cleared or approved to clean, disinfect or sterilize a CPAP. Only one has been authorized, and for a much narrower purpose: reducing bacteria on certain specific masks and tubing, on top of your regular cleaning, never instead of it.

The main risk is to you, not the machine. The FDA says it has received reports from CPAP users of asthma attacks, headaches and shortness of breath after using ozone devices. It adds that ozone can leak into the room during the cycle, and that levels inside the equipment can stay above safe limits several hours after cleaning ends. And that is the circuit you then breathe through all night.

The same source makes two more points: ozone and UV light can break down tubing and masks, and the FDA has received no data showing that either one cleans the inside of CPAP tubing.

As for manufacturers, ResMed says its limited warranty excludes ozone damage since February 1, 2020, and notes that its manuals call for warm water and a mild detergent only. During the 2021 recall of some of its machines, Philips wrote that ozone may contribute to breakdown of their foam, and that no ozone or UV cleaner is approved for its machines or masks.

Even with good care, parts wear out

Silicone ages even when you clean it properly. ResMed doesn't give a fixed lifespan for a mask: it depends on how much you use it, how you care for it and how you store it. Instead, the manuals list signs to look for.

Four useful tips

• A soft brush for the small holes. ResMed says to pay special attention to the vent holes with a soft-bristle brush. For the inside of the tubing, a long, flexible bottle brush helps remove what water alone leaves behind.
• If your tubing is heated (ClimateLineAir on ResMed machines), it has wiring inside: follow its manual, and never put it in the dishwasher or washing machine.
• Bring your CPAP if you go into the hospital, along with your mask, and tell the staff. A machine with your settings may not be available there.
• Include your CPAP on your list of treatments, at the doctor's office and at the hospital. It isn't a medication, but it is a treatment, and people don't always think to ask.

Warning signs

• A smell that lingers after washing: it is often the tubing, not the mask.
• Black spots in the tubing or tank: stop using the humidifier and get the part replaced.
• A tank that has turned cloudy or pitted, or cracked tubing.
• A cushion that feels sticky, looks dull, or leaves a deep mark in the morning: it is near the end of its life.
• Leaks that start even though nothing has changed in your settings.

In any of these cases, talk to your sleep center. Under the NIHDI (INAMI/RIZIV) convention, the center supplies your mask, filters and tubing, and replaces them free of charge when they are defective. There is one exception: damage caused by misuse, loss or poor maintenance can be billed to you. The center can also swap a mask that doesn't suit you, even if it isn't damaged. Everything is explained on the CPAP convention page. Your center's direct CPAP follow-up number, when we have it, is on its listing.