People who use a CPAP machine to help them with their sleep apnea will tell you that it is truly a life-changing device with 60-70% of sleep apnea patients opting for treatment by CPAP mask. However, most CPAP users will also tell you that it can be really difficult to clean their CPAP equipment as frequently as the manufacturer recommends.
With so many people feeling overwhelmed by the hectic pace of their daily lives many CPAP users don’t clean their CPAP equipment as frequently as they are supposed to. They figure that what they can’t see won’t hurt them and end up putting their health at risk as they unnecessarily expose themselves to the mold, bacteria, and viruses that are lurking in their dirty CPAP equipment.
Thankfully, the people at VirtuOx developed the VirtuCLEAN CPAP cleaner and sanitizer to make this task quick, easy, and hassle-free. Read our review of the VirtuCLEAN CPAP sanitizer to see if it makes sense for you.
Table of Contents
How Important is it to Clean Your CPAP Machine?
You only need a small amount of water in your CPAP mask or hose to create an environment where mold, bacteria, and viruses can thrive. Letting these things grow and exposing yourself to them could put you at risk for respiratory or other health problems. In fact, research has shown that adults with sleep apnea had a 20% increased risk of being diagnosed with pneumonia than the control group, with the risk factor increasing to 32% for those people who use a CPAP machine. Researchers suggest that one of the possible explanations for this finding is that the CPAP machines are exposing the users to bacterial contaminants that can lead to pneumonia.
Each CPAP manufacturer will have their own set of instructions and recommendations for the cleaning and maintenance of their CPAP machines. However, it is generally recommended that CPAP tubing, mask, and headgear should be cleaned at least once per week, while the humidifier chamber reservoir should be rinsed out daily.
Unfortunately, very often the manufacturer’s instructions and guidelines regarding how often to clean and disinfect CPAP equipment don’t get followed by CPAP users, which can put their health in jeopardy.
Thankfully CPAP users who struggle to keep their CPAP equipment clean have another option.
Introducing the VirtuCLEAN CPAP Sanitizer
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The VirtuCLEAN CPAP sanitizer uses ozone, also known as activated oxygen, to sanitize your CPAP mask, hose, and reservoir without needing to use water, soaps, or chemicals.
The people VirtuOx, the company that makes the VirtuCLEAN, understood that creating a machine that can thoroughly disinfect a user’s CPAP equipment wasn’t enough. They knew that they needed to create a product that was also quick and easy to use if they wanted people to use it. So they set out to make a product that people wouldn’t skip using just because they are having a hectic day.
Not only does VirtuCLEAN do a great job, but its owners can never say that they are too busy to disinfect their CPAP machine and equipment.
Pros
- Easy to Use
- Effective
- No messy soaps or chemicals
Cons
- Ozone smell
- Price
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Review of the Key Features and Benefits of the VirtuCLEAN CPAP Cleaner and Sanitizer
Efficiency
When used as directed the VirtuCLEAN can kill 99.9% of CPAP germs and bacteria in your CPAP mask, hose, and reservoir.
Chemical Free
The VirtuCLEAN is a chemical-free way to clean your CPAP equipment. So you don’t need to worry about making a big mess with water, soaps, or chemicals in order to sanitize your CPAP equipment.
That doesn’t mean that you will never need to do anything else to keep your CPAP clean. The VirtuCLEAN won’t remove any dirt, oil, or solid debris that might be on your equipment. So, for example, it is still a good idea to use some mask cleaning wipes.
Ease of Use
The people who buy a VirtuCLEAN do so not only because they want to have a clean CPAP machine, hose, and mask, but because sanitizing it by hand is too time-consuming and cumbersome, which is why the people at VirtuOx designed the VirtuCLEAN to be very convenient to use.
Only minimal disassembly of your CPAP is needed to use the VirtuCLEAN. All you need to do is disconnect the hose and attach it to the VirtuCLEAN unit.
Below is a video showing how the VirtuCLEAN works.
Adapters
The VirtuCLEAN was designed to fit most CPAP models. However, if your CPAP device has heated or climate-lined tubing, you will need a heated tube adapter to ensure the device can be connected to the VirtuCLEAN properly.
You can get an adapter here.
Activated Oxygen (Ozone)
As we said earlier the VirtuCLEAN uses ozone to sanitize and disinfect your CPAP equipment.
Even though ozone works very well at disinfecting CPAP equipment some people don’t like the smell of ozone and those people with respiratory conditions could potentially have their conditions aggravated by exposure to ozone.
If you are sensitive to ozone or don’t like the smell one thing you can do after disinfecting your CPAP with the VirtuCLEAN is to remove your mask from the VirtuCLEAN bag and run your CPAP for 5 minutes before going to bed. That should help to remove any residual ozone left in your equipment.
Size
Weighing only ½ pound and small enough to fit in the palm of your hand the VirtuCLEAN is a piece of cake to fit in your luggage and take with you when you are traveling.
Battery
When we say that the VirtuCLEAN is portable we are talking about more than its size. Another fantastic feature of the VirtuCLEAN is that it has a rechargeable battery, which allows you to use it away from home even if you don’t have electricity.
The rechargeable battery in the VirtuCLEAN was designed to have a 10-year lifespan and has a charging time of 2 hours.
Customer Service
In addition to the 10-year warranty on the rechargeable battery, the VirtuCLEAN also comes with an 18-month warranty on everything else.
By all accounts when if someone does have a problem with their VirtuCLEAN the vast majority of people are very happy with how easy it is to contact customer support and the service they receive.
Price
The VirtuCLEAN is a convenience device made to help keep you healthy. Like most healthcare-related devices they aren’t giving them away, but VitruCLEAN is competitively priced when compared to other CPAP sanitizing machines.
Plus, if the VirtuCLEAN is able to help you keep your CPAP equipment safe and clean when you otherwise wouldn’t, it is well worth the investment.
Other Options
SoClean 2
The SoClean 2 also uses ozone to disinfect your CPAP equipment. SoClean 2 is significantly larger than the VirtuCLEAN and will require more room for you to place it on your nightstand. Using the SoClean 2 is a simple one-step process that doesn’t require any disassembly of your CPAP equipment.
The one drawback with using the SoClean 2 is that because of its larger size it isn’t as portable as the VirtuCLEAN. Along these same lines the SoClean 2 doesn’t have a rechargeable battery so bringing it on outings such as camping trips could be more difficult.
Sanitizing Your CPAP by Hand
If you have the time and commitment to follow through with the manufacturer’s schedule for cleaning and disinfecting your CPAP equipment doing it yourself is certainly an option.
You can find all kinds of wipes, soaps, and helpful cleaning tools on Amazon to help you take care of this task yourself.
Final Thoughts
The VirtuCLEAN CPAP cleaner and sanitizer will do a fantastic job at sanitizing your CPAP equipment. It is small, portable, and easy to use. Plus, it doesn’t require you to use any messy chemicals or soaps. If you are having a hard time regularly cleaning your CPAP equipment getting a VirtuCLEAN is a terrific thing you can do to help safeguard your health
You can learn more about the VirtuCLEAN CPAP Sanitizer and buy it here.