How do you clean Heated Humidifier Hose?

[OpalRose]

Cleaning a heated hose is confusing. This should be a no brainer. The directions say to clean with hot soapy water. The next sentence says do not immerse hose in water. I don't want to get the end wet that attaches to the machine, but can't see how to avoid that. I know this doesn't seem like a hugh deal, but I am a clean freak!

[saltydawg2]

They don't want you to leave it soaking. I submerge it, to fill with soapy water, and swoosh it around in hose for a couple of minutes, drain, run fresh water through it, do the same thing, and hang over something and let it dry. Not clean freak standards, though...

[DeepBreathing]

I've been immersing mine every week for over a year - no problems so far. The main thing is to rinse thoroughly and ensure it's completely dry afterwards.

[Bompa]

Since day one I've soaked all my rigging in warm water and baby shampoo, wash each piece, rinse under warm running water, set on a clean towel and let air dry.
I do this with my heated hose and it doesn't hurt it.
I'm still using the same hose I got almost four years ago.
Mind you, I only use it during the winter months and switch to a normal hose in the summer.

[AshSF]

I have the same machine and heated hose (PRS1 60 series Auto). I just washed it for the first time this week. This is what I did:
1) Take a big bowl, Add water and squirt some dish liquid (I use Seventh Generation Natural Dish Liquid). Make a froth.
2) Detach the heated hose from the machine :-).
3) Submerge the heated hose completely in the bowl. Make sure to take out all bubbles. This will fill up the hose with detergent and water solution. Keep it filled up for 1 minute.
4) Drain the hose into the bowl.
5) Repeat steps 3 and 4, as many times as you please.
6) Take a toothbrush and clean the rubber end of the hose (the side that attaches to the mask).
7) DO NOT use the toothbrush on the side that attaches to the humidifier. It has fragile electric points; and a small rubber ring on the inside that creates the seal and can be damaged by the aggressive action of the toothbrush.
8) Optional: If you want to disinfect with Control III, add that to the hose to fill it up. Keep it in the hose for 10+ minutes to make sure it disinfects everything. Drain it out. Be careful. This solution cavitates more than water when it comes out of the hose. So it may splash around.
9) Run tap water thru the hose for at least 3 minutes. This will clean out the detergent. Run tap water over both ends of the hose to ensure they are cleaned of detergent.
10) Optional: If you have distilled water, add that to the hose so as to fill it up. Swish it around. Drain it. This step will minimize the water stains that the regular water may leave when you are drying the hose.
11) take all water out of the hose by hanging it over the kitchen sink for 2 minutes.
12) Optional: If you want quicker drying, you may want to spin the hose around over your head (the patented PaulaO2 hose drying method - google it on this forum), on both sides.
13) Hang it to dry (not in the bathroom. Better to do it on a cloth hanger anywhere else). Keep it there for at least 12 hours.
14) Take a hairdryer, use it in NO HEAT mode, to ensure that the humidifier end is completely dry. Also use it on the other side so that the rubber end is completely dry.
15) Attach the hose to the machine, run the machine without attaching it to your mask for 1 hour. This will completely dry out the hose AND also take out any residual CONTROL III odor.

AND you are done!

As a precaution, I had another heated tube in spare so I let the hose hang to dry for 48 hours instead of 12. I just wanted to be really sure that the humidifier end is completely dry.

And my AHI and my RDI on clean heated hose dropped to 0.0 last night

My 2 cents. YMMV.

[saltydawg2]

Now THAT is Clean Freak standards!!

[justMongo]

Now THAT is Clean Freak standards!!

Yeah, more steps than cleaning the old Browning .50 cal.

I just take mine to the kitchen sink and have it basically horizontal. I get a flow of warm water running through it; then pour in some white vinegar. Continue to flush with warm water. Then I dump the water in the hose and sling it like a dead cat to get most of the water drops out. Hang up on back of door to dry. YMMV

[trish6hundred]

Hi roe1549,
I just soak my hose in warm, mild soapy water; I put both ends under water and it hasn't hurt the hose. Than I dry it and I'm ready for the week.

[Ghost1958]

Pretty simple really. I just put my thumb over the little contact plug in so water cant get in. Duck the rest of the hose all but the very end with my thumb on it so hose fills with water. raise each end of the hose up and down a few times to run the solution back and forth thru the hose and dump it. Then stick the rubber end of the hose over the faucet turn on the water and let it rinse the hose out while still holding my thumb over the little electric contact end plug.

Never got the plug wet that way. One thing do not do is if the plug does get wet is to plug it into the machine while its wet.

Let it air dry out completely before you plug it back in. I wash my hose about once a week. Its always bone dry in the mornings anyway so I see no need to do it everyday like a regular hose.

[WakeUpTime]

I just take mine to the kitchen sink and have it basically horizontal. I get a flow of warm water running through it; then pour in some white vinegar. Continue to flush with war water. Then I dump the water in the hose and sling it like a dead cat to get most of the water drops out. Hang up on back of door to dry. YMMV

Ditto on that method. Except, I thought I read somewhere to use a 50-50 vinegar-water solution instead of the pure vinegar.

Regarding the cleaning instructions saying not to get the wire part wet, I think they really meant not to reconnect it while wet. That's my take on it anyway. Sometimes I take a cool hair dryer to it at the end of those 10-12 hours on the wire connection part. Then of course, blow out for just a few minutes once reconnected.