Having moisture in your CPAP hose can be a very uncomfortable and annoying problem. Using the machine while it is in there, will not likely hurt you; however, it may make your therapy less effective. Many hoses cause an effect called rainout where water gets in your hose and on the outside of the tube because of the heated humidifier and the ambient temperature in your home. If this is the case for you and you are getting the moisture in your hose when you are wearing it, one of the best solutions available on the market today is a heated hose.
That all being said, if you are having issues with your hose still retaining moisture after washing it, like so many other CPAP users, there is an excellent solution for this. To dry it out this time. Attach the hose to your CPAP machine with the humidifier turned off if possible. Do not reattach your headgear and let the air from the device run through the tube for a while. You will soon find that your CPAP hose no longer contains all the water droplets.
To prevent this type of situation from happening again in the future, I would recommend looking into a different method of cleaning your CPAP equipment. Though old fashioned soap and water are some of the least expensive cleaning methods, it is also the messiest, time consuming, and inefficient processes with the lowest sanitization levels. You should check out a few different CPAP cleaners. There are many automated devices on the market today. Here is a list of a few of the top selections:
- The Lumin and the Lumin Bullet
- This is a CPAP disinfecting machine that utilizes the germicidal properties found in ultraviolet light. You clean your CPAP mask and headgear by placing it in the light chamber and pressing a button. You disinfect your hose by placing the Lumin Bullet on the tubing and pressing a button. Both units will render your gear more than 99% germ-free with no water, no mess, and very little time. Your equipment will be ready to use the moment the cleaning cycles are complete with no resting period or dry time needed. One of the greatest things about the Lumin series is that you can sanitize other items like toothbrushes, hearing aids, eyeglasses, and dentures with it.
- SoClean and VirtuClean
- These units are very similar in the fact that they both use ozone or activated oxygen to clean your CPAP equipment. The SoClean is made to stay attached to your CPAP, allowing you to place the headgear into the chamber each morning and use a set cycle with the touch of a button. This makes it simple to clean and sanitize your CPAP every morning. The VirtuClean is a little different because you have to attach your hose and mask each time you use the cleaning device. That being said, the VirtuClean is smaller and does not need to be plugged in; therefore, it is more travel-friendly. Both units eliminate over 99% of unwanted particles and germs, leaving your machine and its equipment ready to use after the cycles are complete with no dry time needed.
As you can see, if you are having water retention problems with your hose because of cleaning, remember the best way to get it dry, is not to have gotten it wet in the first place. If you have already gotten it wet, try the drying method suggested above. Learn more about CPAP cleaners and how they are the right solution for cleaning your equipment.