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Use of Ozone Disinfectants to Sterilize Cloth and N95 Masks in the Protection Against COVID-19
Many people still ask – can I use CPAP cleaner to clean N95 masks? With the shortage of n95 protective masks, is it prudent to reuse existing masks. Indeed, many local hospitals are doing so without posing a risk of high infections. Nonetheless, masks get dirty, moisture-saturated, and possibly infected with bacteria, mold, or with the novel COVID-19 virus. Therefore, the concern of cleaning n95 mask has risen.
How to Clean N95 Mask
Sterilization is the procedure in which all types of life such as fungi, bacteria, viruses, and spores are removed, killed, or deactivated off an object, surface, or fluid. There are numerous approaches to achieve such results depending on the item that needs sterilization. Some of the method of sanitation includes boiling, high pressure, microwave, use of chemicals, incineration, filtration, dry heat, and ionizing irradiation
In the case of sterilizing covid 19 protective masks, is it not right to use extreme heat. Therefore, one would be sterilizing using chemicals and using them in a way that take full advantage of safety and sterilization. Besides, these sterilizing agents would be based on the chemistry that oxidative processes involving low molecular weight molecules when used under tested methodologies, kill all bacteria, mold, and viruses. That may be the reason why the search for the best cpap cleaner is on the rise.
Vaporized hydrogen peroxide is one approach that can be taken in sterilizing masks. Liquid hydrogen peroxide is changed to vapor form. The vapor is then injected into a chamber vacuum. The decontamination leads to the formation of minimal toxin byproducts as the peroxide is broken down into water. Equipment for such sterilization is available in some hospitals. It is noted that water would also be essential for the system to avoid potential explosions with hydrogen peroxide radicals.
Ethylene oxide is another technique for sterilization that also is present in some settings. Ethylene oxide is a cyclic ether and is flammable and highly explosive. Even though it is an effective method, it has a long cycle time, is relatively expensive and connected with side effects to exposed humans.
Activated Oxygen Cleaners
Activated oxygen, often referred to as ozone, is another method for sterilization used in some Soclean CPAP Cleaning Machines for objects that cannot endure high temperatures or extreme heat. The method is also called ozone sterilization. Ozone is a naturally occurring gas where three atoms of oxygen are combined instead of the usual two. This chemical can also be made from normal air by ozone generators that are often used as room disinfectants and food sanitizer. They are also used as a disinfectant in several municipal water supply systems.
Ozone, used in various brand of cpap cleaning machines, has been proven to kill bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa. In the case of viruses, activated oxygen diffuses through their protein coat, into the nucleic acid, damaging and killing the organism. Ozone eliminates the unsaturated lipid envelope of the virus by destroying existing multiple bond configuration. The nuclear content of the virus cannot stay alive without an intact lipid envelope. COVID-19 virus is an enclosed virus. At higher concentrations of oxidation, the exterior protein shell of the virus is also destroyed. Some of the viruses that have been vulnerable to activated oxygen include poliovirus and human rotavirus, Norwalk virus, Parvoviruses, and Hepatitis A, B, among others