How to clean nebulizer supplies?

Ive done the same. My doctors have never discussed this . So I tried the bags theory that you put the pieces in like you do for a baby bottle and it warped all of my pieces. So im back to soapy water rinse air dry. Let me know if any better method. Anyone

There are a few groups that clean their equipment differently. For example, soak in hot soapy water 15 minutes or so, rinse well and then boil (reusable cups and Aerobika parts for 10 minutes adding one minute for every 1000 feet above sea level, others use Instant pots to sterilize after cleaning or baby bottle sterilization after cleaning. Some people wash, rinse and dry, then sterilize their sets at another time ie maybe weekly. I’ve also read that some sterilize their equipment in a microwaveable bag. The initial wash is to clean, rinse well to remove biofilms that attach to our equipment. Then proceed with drying and sterilizing choices. I’m sure others will add comments regarding maintenance of their equipment.

I soak my nebulizer attachments in hot water with just a little dish soap then air dry after each use. After that I put them in a baby bottle sterilizer that sterilizes and dries them.

1 cup white vinegar - 3 parts water - soak 20 minutes - rinse - air dry

@jackie7926 I tried the baby bottle sterilizing bags my aerobics was fine but my aerosol spacer warped.

@nickraosr im not sure what those items are and I’ve never used the bags. I haven’t had any problem with the sterilizer I have.

I use 10 minute boiled tap water (I don’t have water filters) and dawn. Then rinse in the cooled boiled water, set out to air dry. Do I need to boil the water, or could I just use unfiltered tap water? I try to sterilize once a week by boiling supplies for 10 minutes. Not sure if I’m doing everything correctly or not.

I neb once a day and have 4 Pari eRapid handset sets. After each use I take apart the handset and rinse every part under hot tap water, then put them in a mesh colander/bowl with a lid (to keep my cats from fishing out the blue silicone valves, which they think are toys) to dry. On the fourth day, after rinsing as usual, I soak the aerosolizing mesh parts in soapy water for 5-10 minutes while I bring a pot of distilled water to boil. I rinse off the soap, put the mesh parts back with everything else, dump the lot into the boiling distilled water and simmer for 11 minutes. Then I remove everything with tongs and place in a bottle sterilizer I use only for drying, and use the 40-minute dry cycle.

I replace the distilled water every 1-2 weeks.

Until recently I used 2 handsets and boiled every other day; I'm just starting this every-4-days system. So far I am relieved to only have to boil half as often. I'm clawing back time wherever I can.

New at this and I don't know if it's enough but what I've been doing is, I take the breathing thing and the Aerobika apart, rinse or soak in hot soapy water a bit, then take them out and spray all parts inside and out with alcohol (91%) I let that sit for awhile (but it only takes a minute to kill viruses and bacteria) then rinse all out with filtered water. I have a large LifeStraw filter water bottle.
My friend who used to be a nurse says Rubbing Alcohol is toxic to breath and he has suggested soaking all parts in Vodka!

I think many of us change our cleaning over time. One important thing, IMO, is that those with more mucus need to be a bit more vigilant in cleaning. I seldom bring up mucus, therefore rinse rather than scrubbing/soaking in soapy water before sterilizing.
I started with boiling the nebulizer and aerobika. A year or two ago, I got a baby bottle sterilizer and I use it for my silicone nasal rinse bottle, the nebulizer, measuring cup, toothbrushes and the jars I use to hold the sterilized distilled water. I run the bottle sterilizer every day or two. I love it. I also use the sterilizer bag the sinus bottles after second use of day. The bags only sterilize 2-3 minutes which may not be long enough to kill some things, but I figure it’ll clean them and the longer bottle sterilizer will prevent biofilm development.

I use vinegar for the spacer and handheld water pik tubing and little tank, but admittedly do that less than I should (prob should 2x/week but have seen no data). I melted a water pik tank bottle sterilizer, as well as 1 toothbrush, but usu toothbrushes are ok.

My doc said I can try nebbing a few times/week since PFT’s are good/stable and scant secretions. I’m still trying to establish a new routine (harder than I expected) and that’ll change cleaning again.