Time For Something New

It is very important that you all stay healthy. Try not to touch your face, cough into your sleeve, don’t forget to wash your hands, and keep your portable oxygen concentrator clean. Now we know you don’t let other people use your POC (or at least we hope you don’t) but it’s still a good idea to keep your POC clean and maintained so that that can work perfectly for as long as possible.

How long your POC lasts depends on how often it’s used and how well it’s maintained, but most POC will last about 4 to 7 years. Like every piece of medical equipment, you have to take care of it in order for it to last a long time. Also like every piece of medical equipment, especially ones that are used often, they get dirty, and you have to clean them.

How to clean Oxygen Concentrator:

Dirt and dust can gather on your POC’s exterior housing and no one wants that.

Make sure you unplug your POC before cleaning
Clean your POC by wiping it down with a damp cloth with a little bit of mild liquid detergent (and when we say a little, we mean a little, like a drop of soap).
After that, rinse off the cloth and wring it out until its damp and wipe off the soap residue
Then use a dry cloth to wipe it down.
Wait until it is completely dry before using it again.

Cleaning your Cannula and Tubing:

It’s recommended that you change your nasal cannula and tubing every 30 days. To clean them:

First, you submerge your nasal cannula and/or tubing in soapy water
Use a cotton swab to remove dust and dirt around the nozzle.
After soaking them in the soapy water, you’re going to want to add then to a bath mix 10 parts water to 1 part vinegar blend.
“NO, NOT VINEGAR!” YES, VINEGAR! Vinegar mixed with water creates a gentle disinfectant that will kill any remaining bacteria.
All you have to do is add the nasal cannula and tubing to the mixture and move it around a little to rinse it thoroughly.
After that hang them up to air dry but keep them out of the sun.
It’s best to wipe down your cannula down daily to make sure there is no bacterial buildup.
It’s the same thing if you use a mask.

Cleaning Filters:

You’re going to want to replace your filters every 3 to 6 months. You clean your filter the same way you clean your cannula and your tubing.

You submerge the filter in soapy water
Use a cloth to wipe away any dirt and particles.
The only difference is that you rinse the filter in clean water and not vinegar.
YAY, NO VINEGAR!
And then it’s best to let it dry overnight.

It’s very important to take good care of your POC and supplies, but sometimes things happen, like a puppy that just hasn’t been fully trained yet and likes to chew on everything, so you should always keep 2 or 3 extra cannulas and tubing on hand and an extra filter just in case. You should also replace your cannulas and tuning if you’ve been sick.

Whether or not you follow these tips could be the difference between having a well-working oxygen concentrator machine for seven years and your oxygen concentrator machine breaking down prematurely. And if your POC’s time is up or that little furball strikes again, come and visit us here at Go2POC. We’re happy to help.

March 25, 2020 | View: 1094 | By: Monica Hall