ARTICLE: THE DIRTY ON SOAP AND WATER

(Published September 6, 2019)

Employees must wash hands before returning to work. We see the sign every time we venture into a public restroom―and for good reason. 

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “hand washing is one of the most effective ways to prevent the spread of germs” (2019). However, many people don’t realize that the soap and water itself isn’t what prevents the spread of bad bacteria. In fact, you can dump an entire bottle of soap onto your hands and be no closer to clean. 

That’s right folks, soap and water alone don’t kill germs.

Soap and water work by mechanically removing germs from your hands―but only when done correctly. That is, once you’ve reached your 20 seconds of scrub time and thoroughly washed everything from the webbing between your fingers to the underside of every nail (Harvard Health Publishing, 2007). 

Okay, we can live with that. But what happens when you’re counting on soap and water to clean something besides your hands? Let’s say, your CPAP?

Just as you might guess, your average hand soap or dish detergent is notmade to disinfect. In your dishwasher, for instance, it’s the hot water that disinfects your dinner plates, not the Dawn. Sure, soap and water are a stark improvement over doing nothing at all… but if you want to kill what makes you sick, you need to look elsewhere to do it.

There are a number of other ways to disinfect your CPAP machine: 

Expensive CPAP cleaning machines can do the trick for a few hundred dollars, but they can take hours and use harmful ozone gas. Stronger solutions made with vinegar or bleach can also get your machine squeaky clean, but the fumes are extremely toxic and can damage your throat and lungs when inhaled. 

If you want a solution that’s EPA approved to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria in 60 seconds without harmful chemicals, harsh odors, or the need to rinse, then CleanSmart Disinfectant Spray for CPAP may be the solution for you. CleanSmart utilizes hypochlorous technology―a molecule naturally found in our own immune systems, known as “nature's germ killer”―to safely and effectively kill what soap and water can’t. It’s faster, easier, and more effective, and won’t break the bank like a CPAP cleaning machine. So leave the detergent for the dishes: get a disinfectant that really works.