Benefits of UV Light To Clean Your CPAP

When you’re prescribed a CPAP machine it’s usually to relieve some health concerns, like trouble breathing caused by sleep apnea. However, these medical issues may be exasperated or new ones may arise if you use the wrong CPAP cleaner, like the ones that contain harmful ozone. Ozone has been shown by the FDA to irritate the lungs and respiratory system, making it extra harmful for people with respiratory illness. This is why 3B Medical created the Lumin and Lumin Bullet that cleans with UV light. But what are the benefits of UV light?

UV light is short for ultraviolet light that is derived from ultraviolet radiation, a natural form that is present in sunlight. Most UV-C light filtered and absorbed by the Earth’s trusty ozone layer is invisible to the human eye. This is the type of light used in UV sterilization technology like the Lumin.

What makes UV light unique is that within a specific range of its wavelengths, between 200 and 300 nanometers, are categorized as cleaning agents. This means that they are capable of inactivating or killing microorganisms, such as bacteria, viruses, and fungus by rendering them incapable of replicating. This characteristic has heavily influenced the widespread adoption of UV light as an environmentally friendly, chemical-free, and highly effective way to clean a multitude of things.

Benefits of UV Light for Cleaning

According to LaboratoryEquipment.com, the use of UV light for cleaning purposes is not a new idea. UV lights have been used for decontamination since the mid-20th century, with beginnings even earlier when sunlight was investigated for bactericidal effects in the mid-19th century. It’s used to clean drinking and wastewater treatment, air decontamination, fruit and vegetable juices, as well as a myriad of home devices, everything from toothbrushes to tablet computers.

The use of UV light for cleaning is environmentally friendly because it leaves no residue, toxic gases, or chemicals. UV light systems are currently in use to decontaminate ambulances, emergency service vehicles, and other high touch areas. The use of UV lights has recently grown within the healthcare industry to provide cleaning of room surfaces because it is so effective. 

Healthcare facilities, which specialize in patient recovery and rehabilitation, are continuously looking for more thorough ways of cleaning these at risk, high touch areas. This is why they have implemented strict cleaning practices to eliminate potentially harmful bacteria and other microorganisms through the use of UV-Decontamination robots. These robots offer hospitals full-room sterilization, are fast and efficient and are able to eliminate far more bacteria than is humanly possible.

Cleaning with UV light is far more effective than other methods, such as soap and water, because UV light kills a wide array of harmful organisms. UV light has been shown to kill 99% of bacteria that can cause infection and illness and is the safest cleaning option on the market. Unlike chemical approaches to cleaning, UV light provides rapid, effective inactivation of bacteria. When bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms are exposed to the cleaning wavelengths of UV light, they are rendered incapable of infection.

Undoubtedly, one of the key benefits of UV light cleaning is that it’s non-toxic, perfectly safe for the entire household. That’s a far cry from the harsh chemicals that are sometimes used in cleaning products, like ozone which has been proven to cause respiratory irritation if used incorrectly. UV light decontamination is safe because it is a physical process, not a chemical one.

A UV light can even destroy mold and mold spores. Other cleaning methods might not be capable of that or they may leave a damp environment where fungi can thrive. Since some CPAP machines use humidity and warmth so that the air isn’t cold and drying out your mouth and nasal passages, it can be a breeding ground for bacteria that will then be transferred to you. Since UV decontamination is a dry method, no soap or water needed, you can be sure that it will take care of the existing mold and prevent its growth in the future.

Lumin CPAP Cleaner

Don’t put yourself at risk by using CPAP cleaners that may be harmful to your health. 3B Medical created the Lumin CPAP cleaner to respond to a loudly voiced need for a safe and simple way for CPAP patients to clean their masks in a safe and effective way, without risking harmful ozone exposure. Our goal was to provide the only method to clean CPAP masks and water chambers in a very quick and completely safe manner.

Just as using a CPAP machine is integral to your health so is your maintenance of it. By using one of the Lumin devices you are guaranteed a fast, efficient, and easy way to clean your CPAP.