Clean Zone CPAP Cleaner
Clean Zone uses ozone to disinfect your CPAP machine, saving you the time and labor it would take to wash your machine by hand.
Clean Zone CPAP Cleaner Review: Is It Right for You?
The Clean Zone cleans CPAP machines using activated oxygen that’s meant to kill up to 99% of germs and bacteria.
A device like this presents an easy way to clean your CPAP machine. The traditional way to clean your CPAP device includes daily and weekly cleanings with soap and water. This can become labor-intensive and time-consuming.
Clean Zone promises to remove the labor-intensive part of owning a CPAP machine. Our review of this device will help you understand if its mix of features and pricing are a good fit for your needs.
How the Clean Zone Works
Cleaning your CPAP machine with this device is simple. The Clean Zone has two adapters that will fit most CPAP machines.
To use Clean Zone, remove your mask from your CPAP tube, attach one of the adapters to the tube, then plug the adapter into the cleaner.
Press the power button. The device will beep once and then begin a 30-minute cleaning cycle. During this cycle, your Clean Zone will circulate activated oxygen through your CPAP tube and into the reservoir. As the air moves through your device, it kills off bacteria and germs.
These bacteria and germs can give you skin rashes and skin infections if left unchecked. Also, germs and mold can build up in your CPAP machine’s water reservoir, increasing the likelihood you could get sick.
At the end of the cycle, the machine shuts itself off automatically. At any time during the cleaning cycle, you can press the power button to turn off the Clean Zone.
You also have the option of cleaning your entire machine in a sanitizing bag that comes with the device. Using this cleaning method allows you to clean your mask as well as the outside and inside surfaces of your reservoir.
The Clean Zone uses a rechargeable battery you can charge with a USB cord Clean Zone includes with your device.
The device can clean A-PAP and BI-PAP machines, too.
Activated Oxygen: Scientific Efficacy and Side Effects
Ozone is what’s known as an “unstable” molecule. This means that one of its three oxygen atoms is prone to break off. That molecule can then attach itself to things like bacteria, change their chemical make-up and kill them.
Ozone stabilizes in about two hours, at which point it no longer disinfects.
Jose Acosta, a certified respiratory therapist with The CPAP Shop, told us that ozone’s disinfecting powers are used in a variety of ways.
“The method of using activated oxygen for disinfection has been used commonly for water purification, in the handling of fruits and vegetables, and even in hospitals,” Acosta said. “It kills 99.9% of all germs and bacteria on the surface without the use of chemicals or water.”
There is substantial research to show that ozone treatments can kill many types of bacteria including MRSA, a bacterium commonly found in nursing homes and hospitals. Furthermore, in 2003, the FDA approved the use of ozone machines to sanitize medical devices.
What makes this research so promising is that it means there’s a good chance Clean Zone will give you the convenience and the effectiveness you’ve wanted for your CPAP machine.
Ozone CPAP machine cleaners are widely accepted as a safe way to clean your machines. While ozone in large doses can be dangerous (respiratory irritation), the Clean Zone ozone emissions are below the FDA-required limit of 0.05 parts per million.
Though you shouldn’t experience any side effects, take note of any breathing irritation or coughing you experience during a cleaning cycle, especially if you have a pre-existing lung condition.
Pricing and Return Policy
One Clean Zone device costs $99.99 plus $8.95 for shipping. Clean Zone ships via UPS and will take up to 30 days to arrive.
For $10 more, you can add CPAP cleaning wipes to your order. You can use these wipes to clean off debris like oil and dirt that could harbor bacteria.
If you need to make a return, you have 60 days to make a return. Call customer service at (800) 340-3418 to start your return.
When you send your device back to them, you’ll need to include inside the box the following information:
- Name
- Address
- Daytime telephone number
- Email address
The return address is Clean Zone, Top Dog Direct, 2243 Straightline Pike, Richmond, Indiana, 47374.
How Clean Zone Compares to Handwashing Your Machine
Efficiency
Clean Zone’s main benefits over handwashing a CPAP machine is that it requires a few seconds of setup and you can use the device immediately after a 30-minute cleaning cycle.
A hand wash requires you to use soap, water and, when needed, a long brush you can use to scour the inside of your breathing tube. You’ll need to let your CPAP machine dry, too. The entire process can take more than an hour.
Clean Zone saves you a considerable amount of cleaning and drying time. This is important if you tend to procrastinate and don’t wash your machine until later in the day.
Cleaning Effectiveness
You should consider effectiveness, too, as one of the goals of cleaning a CPAP machine is to prevent bacteria and germ growth.
This is where ozone machines are on equal footing with handwashing, according to an interview Harvard Health did with Dr. Lawrence Epstein, a doctor at a Harvard-affiliated hospital.
Epstein told Harvard Health that ozone cleaners work but that he is “not aware of any comparative trials to say the machines are better than hand washing.”
So, while your Clean Zone provides a convenient, non-messy way to clean your CPAP machine, it likely isn’t any more or less effective than handwashing the machine.
The Bottom Line
Clean Zone uses proven ozone disinfecting methods to clean your CPAP machine without the hassle of handwashing its parts every day. In our opinion, this device provides a lot of value for CPAP owners. However, there are situations in which it may not be right for you.
Who Clean Zone Is Good For
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You Are Forgetful: If you have a hard time remembering to clean your CPAP machine, the Clean Zone’s 30-minute clean cycles are a lifesaver. You can forget to clean your machine all day, remember around bedtime and turn a cleaning cycle on. You’ll have to wait 30 minutes. However, that wait time is shorter and less labor-intensive than handwashing the machine and waiting overnight for it to dry.
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You Care About Convenience More Than Price: The Clean Zone’s $99.99 price tag is well worth it if you’re tired of handwashing your device every day and you want a neat, quick alternative.
Who Clean Zone Isn’t Good For
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You Have a Tight Budget: At more than $100, the Clean Zone requires an up-front cost that you may not be able to afford. If you have to skip a Clean Zone purchase because of your budget, remember that there isn’t any evidence indicating ozone treatments are any more effective than hand-washing. While you’ll sacrifice cleanliness, you can still keep your machine clean.
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You Have a Sensitive Respiratory System: While the Clean Zone puts out ozone levels below FDA limits, the FDA says you could still be at risk of coughing and respiratory irritation. “Some healthy people are more sensitive to ozone,” the organization says. “They may experience health effects at lower ozone levels than the average person.”
