cleaning nebulizer pieces?

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baco623

New member
What is the best way to sterilize your nebulizer pieces (the mouth pieces and the pieces the meds go into)? I usually just put them in hot water for an hour then rinse them off but I am finding that they don't seem very clean even when I do that. Should I be using a special kind of soap or alcohol solution instead? I head that maybe white distilled vinegar helps??? How does everyone else do it, please let me know, Thanks!! :)
 
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Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
I wash them in soapy water, rinse and then boil for 10 minutes. I've used white vinegar prior to washing when we've had hard water -- when our softener system wasn't working -- to get the calcium deposits, white residue off the nebs. You need to make sure that the nebs are reusable and can be boiled -- I use Pari and Sidestream nebs that can take the heat. Disposable ones and some generic brands tend to melt if you boil them. :)
 
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BikerEd

Guest
This may not be the best way, but his is what I do. I put all the pieces in like a cheese cloth, and put'em in the dish washer. Been doing it that way 26 years or so. Maybe not the best way, but it works for me.

Best of Luck

Ed
 
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cqdiep

New member
50% white vinegar for 1 hour...or use a baby bottle sterilizer (steamer). We use one from Cuisinart Baby.
 
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Gammaw

Super Moderator
I do the same as Ratatosk. Wash in dish soap and hot water with a paper towel. Rinse in hot tap water. Boil thema in a pot of water with some white vinegar for 10 minutes and then use clean tongs to remove them. Place on clean double layered paper towel and cover with another clean paper towel to air dry. The cover keeps air contaminants off.
Some people use a baby bottle sterilizer. I've wondered how well that works. Might be easier! If you do a search on this forum you will find similar discussions. Your respiratory therapist can also give you detailed ways to clean them. And there are handouts you can find on the www.CFF.org site too. But feel free to ask any other questions here too!
 
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Ratatosk

Administrator
Staff member
Some people also use a dishwasher, provided the temp gets up to the proper level. My concerns with the baby bottle sterilizer --- Do they all reach optimum temperature. Know there was talk a few years ago about using the germ guardian and someone tested it out and found it didn't not reach adequate temps for sterilizing. Plus for me, it's just one more thing taking up space on the counter. So I've always used the stove and boiled water.
 
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Nugget1

New member
Just saw the respiratory therapist last week and she said boil all pieces except the mask after EVERY use for 10 minutes (rolling boil, not just simmer). Wipe the mask with alcohol. Replace every 6 months without exception.
 
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Gammaw

Super Moderator
Pari (nebulizer manufacturer) also has instructions on their website. There is a chemical you can also buy especially for the masks. I believe its called Control. Pari customer service recommended it to me once but it costs.
 
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nmw0615

New member
I buy breast pump microwave cleaning bags and use those for daily use. Once a week, I boil them for 7-10 minutes. And completely replace them after 6 months.
 
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