Cleaning and Maintaining Your Oxygen Concentrator

Cleaning and Maintaining Your Oxygen Concentrator

Keeping your oxygen concentrator in top working condition not only ensures effective and safe oxygen delivery but it may also extend the lifespan of your unit. Cleaning and maintaining your portable oxygen concentrator is an important step in owning and caring for your unit. By following a few simple steps and guidelines you can easily keep your concentrator in pristine, “like-new” condition!

How to Clean The Outside of Your Oxygen Concentrator

How to Clean The Outside of Your Oxygen Concentrator
Like all electronics, your oxygen concentrator is going to collect dirt, dust, and come in contact with substances that could make them sticky. Luckily, it’s easy to clean the outside of a portable concentrator, especially when you begin developing the habit of maintaining your unit early on in oxygen therapy!

When cleaning your unit, it’s important to avoid any harsh detergents, instead opt for a mild dish soap such as Dawn and a little bit of warm water. Harsh detergents can and will cause any protective outer coatings on the unit to wear and chip away.

Before you begin cleaning your oxygen concentrator you must unplug the unit from all power sources. Then dip a soft wash rag in a mixture of warm water and gentle soap. Make sure to squeeze out your rag, you’ll want it merely damp not soaking wet. Now, wipe down the concentrator, scrub if need be but take caution around the sensitive vents of the unit. When you’re satisfied, thoroughly rinse out the rag and wipe down the unit again to remove any soap residue. Finally, you can either wipe down the unit with a soft, dry, lint-free towel, or let it air dry on its own. Make sure your concentrator is completely free of moisture before turning it on and resuming use.

How to Clean Your Gross Particle Filter

How to Clean Your Gross Particle Filter
The “gross” particle filter is the filter that cleans the air coming into your oxygen concentrator. While this filter can very easily get dirty and gross, the “gross” describes the large particles it captures such as dust, dirt, pollen, mold, and any pollution that may be in the air. Because a portable oxygen unit takes the air around you and converts it into clean breathable oxygen, this filter may require frequent cleaning depending on your surroundings. As a general rule, we suggest cleaning your gross particle filter about once a month. Keeping your gross particle filter(s) clean can increase the longevity of your unit and may prevent you from needing a replacement unit in the future.

The “gross” particle filter is the filter that cleans the air coming into your oxygen concentrator. While this filter can very easily get dirty and gross, the “gross” describes the large particles it captures such as dust, dirt, pollen, mold, and any pollution that may be in the air. Because a portable oxygen unit takes the air around you and converts it into clean breathable oxygen, this filter may require frequent cleaning depending on your surroundings. As a general rule, we suggest cleaning your gross particle filter about once a month. Keeping your gross particle filter(s) clean can increase the longevity of your unit and may prevent you from needing a replacement unit in the future.

Tips for Maintaining your Oxygen Concentrator

  • Use a traditional cotton swab for gentle and detailed cleaning
  • Keep dust off easily by traveling with a microfiber cloth
  • Use a travel case or backpack to decrease exposure to outside elements
  • Frequently clean any travel cases, straps, and backpacks to eliminate additional debris
  • Keep the area around the cannula nozzle free and clear of any contaminants

The Don’ts of Oxygen Concentrator Maintenance

  • Use Hard Detergents or Soaps
  • Use Rough Cloths, Towels, etc.
  • Leave Water on the Unit
  • Submerge Your Unit in Water
  • Use Water Inside Your Unit
  • Turn on Your Unit Before It Is Completely Dry
  • Leaving Your Unit on While Cleaning