distilled water for CPAP

Dubb

Mouseketeer
Joined
Jul 23, 2008
I searched this forum, but all topics were older.

Do we know if distilled water is available at resort shops? All Star Sports, to be specific.
 
I didn't see it when we stayed at POR so I was happy we had placed a grocery order and bought it that way.
 
They had distilled water at the Grand Floridian. It was behind the counter.
 
I know at many Deluxe Resort stores it is behind the counter. I think that is true everywhere but I don’t know about All Stars for sure
 
Why don’t you give the hotel a call and ask them? We did
 
For the duration of your vacation, using regular bottled water is unlikely to cause problems. I once went 6 weeks using tap water without a hint of mineral scaling on the humidifier pan. Don't use Florida tap water though, omg that would be gross.
 
Why don’t you give the hotel a call and ask them? We did

When you call a WDW resort, you aren't talking to someone at the actual hotel. You are speaking to someone in a call center who may have never been to WDW, and they don't always have accurate information. Unfortunately, they sometimes give out incorrect information rather than tell the caller they don't know. There are enough DIS members that can give information from first hand experience that you can likely get a better answer here.
 


What @cobright said, above is true.

We used to either lug along (if we were traveling by car) or go to great lengths to assure that we had distilled water for the Hubs CPAP machine when we traveled.

Finally, one night we arrived at the hotel, only to find that he thought *I* had put it in the car... I thought *he* had put it in the car... and we were both too tired to go out and try to find some.

So, I grabbed an unopened bottle of drinking water, and he used that. The next morning, he cleaned the unit as usual, said he noticed no difference overnight, and so now when we travel, we used bottled drinking water, as that is typically readily available. Never had a problem yet doing so.

We are far more concerned about keeping his CPAP safely zipped in the suitcase during the day, and our toothbrushes safely put away in their little travel cases prior to housekeeping coming into the room every day; I don't want aerosol cleaning products to float around and land on either the toothbrushes or the CPAP!
 
My husband fills smaller water bottle at home and keeps it in the case with the machine. You can bring this through security. They "test it" at security. No big deal. Just takes a couple of extra minutes.
 
A recent thread on the resorts page taught me that it’s “behind the counter” at moderate resorts, too. I’m willing to extrapolate that it’s abailable like that at all onsite resorts.
 
At Pop Century we had to ask for it in the food court and they went to the back to get it for us. I'm pretty sure all the resorts carry it, you just have to know where to ask.
 
I searched this forum, but all topics were older.

Do we know if distilled water is available at resort shops? All Star Sports, to be specific.

Hello, I called today to inquire on this topic for a client traveling to AKL in December. They are bringing their CPAP machine with them from home. Guest Services confirmed that distilled water is NOT available at the resorts. It was in prior months, but no longer available. Best bet is Amazon Prime, Garden Grocer, or the local Publix. Hope this helps!
 
I usually don't have to use the water attachment on my C.P.A.P. machine. So I remove it. I guess that I am lucky not to need to use water for the humidity.

Distilled water is good to use. You could probably do what others have suggested and buy the gallon of distilled water online when you arrive.

I would also be okay with using tap water or bottled water temporarily while without distilled water on vacation.

I lot of areas sometimes have to boil their home water whenever their county or city pumping is damaged and being repaired.

At the Pop Century Resort food court, they have a boiled water tap near the coffee that folks use to make their own tea, etc and that can also be used. It would be the next best thing to distilled water.

The following is what I used to teach patients when training them to use their new C.P.A.P. machines. It is just an opinion. Some patients that have been using their machines for decades ask if they can still use their old way of cleaning. They usually tell me their process and I usually say that is fine. After all, they have been doing it for decades and they have their own routine of doing things.

And just to let you know, this is only my opinion. Just keep cleaning your C.P.A.P. equipment like you always have. The main thing is that you are keeping it clean.

Remember, whatever is humidified in the C.P.A.P. container goes into your lungs as very small particles.

But I have had a very, very few patients bring their old C.P.A.P. machines in for repair and I can tell that they have "never" cleaned their masks nor machine.

Their mask may have been covered in stains of pink and green and tan. Just nasty.

Sometimes the pink color is from Serratia Marcescens. It is a species of rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Serratia Marcescens is considered a harmful human pathogen which has been known to cause pneumonia. Serratia bacteria also have many antibiotic resistance properties which may become important if the incidence of Serratia infections dramatically increases.

Sometimes the green color is from Pseudomonas bacteria tend to live and breed in water, and damp areas. The warmer and wetter it is, the better the conditions are for the bacteria to multiply causing Pneumonia, coughing, and congestion.

And I am talking about folks that have never cleaned their masks, hose, or water chamber.

The majority of folks don't have to worry about this.

A shower or bath is a great way to start your day. But a refreshing dip and a good hygiene routine are just as important for your C.P.A.P. as it is for you.

Proper upkeep of your CPAP machine can help ensure the device functions properly. It is vitally important to keep everything as clean as possible, as hoses/tubing and masks can be a prime breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

The thorough cleaning of your CPAP machine can be divided into daily and weekly cleaning, she said.

Get in the habit of wiping down your mask (including areas that come in contact with your skin) using a damp towel with mild detergent and warm water. This will remove any oils, dead skin cells and sweat on the mask that can affect the quality of the seal. Gently rinse with a clean towel and let the mask air-dry.

If your C.P.A.P. unit has a humidifier, empty any leftover water instead of letting it sit in the unit all day and then leave the lid open to air dry. Bacteria loves inclosed wet areas versus open and dry areas.

Refill the humidifier with clean, distilled water right before bedtime for optimal use.

If you’ve been sick, it’s smart to wash your mask, tubing, humidifier, and filter daily until your cold, flu or virus symptoms are gone. That can help reduce the amount of time you spend under the weather.

Your mask and tubing need a full bath once a week to keep it free of dust, bacteria, and germs.

Clean the C.P.A.P. tubing, nasal mask, and headgear in a bathroom sink filled with warm water and a few drops of ammonia-free, mild dish detergent. Swirl all parts around for about five minutes, rinse well and let air dry during the day. Hang the tubing over the shower rod, on a towel rack or in the laundry room to ensure all the water drips out.

The mask and headgear can be air-dried on a towel or hung on a hook or hanger.

You should also wipe down your CPAP machine with a damp cloth. The towel shouldn’t be too damp or wet, as water could get into the machine.

Clean the washable filter by removing it and rinsing it in warm tap water. Squeeze it under the water and squeeze to make sure there is no dust. Then blot down the filter with a towel. Some air filters are not washable and you can just put a new one in when it gets dirty or try to wipe the accumulated dust.

But don’t wash your machine’s disposable white filter, if one is present; those are disposable and should be replaced once a month.J just like your house filters, if the white filter is dirty, it should be replaced sooner than once a month.

If your C.P.A.P. has a humidifier, that also needs to be cleaned weekly.

Empty any remaining water and then wash the water chamber in the sink with warm soapy water. Rinse well and drain out as much of the water as possible. Let the chamber air-dry in an open position before placing it back into the CPAP unit.

Every other week you should disinfect the humidifier. Do that by soaking it in a solution of one part vinegar to five parts water for 30 minutes, thoroughly rinsing and then placing in your dishwasher’s top rack for washing. And keep it clean by using only distilled water to prevent mineral deposits that can build up and cause damage to your machine.

With a little upkeep, your CPAP can continue to help you breathe better for a long time. Just a few minutes a day can help keep your CPAP running efficiently for years to come.

Every patient is sometimes taught a different way to clean their C.P.A.P. equipment and that is okay. Some folks still use the same instructions from twenty years ago when they received their very first machine. And that is okay.

This is just a more updated way of cleaning your C.P.A.P. equipment.

I am a retired Registered Respiratory Therapist now, but I still have my credentials.

What am I doing standing on this soap box??? Too much caffiene for me!


.
 
Last edited:
Amazon Prime Now (if you are an Amazon Prime member); Garden Grocer; Instacart (delivering from Publix, CVS and others); and Turner Drugs are all options for delivering distilled water. They all have different minimum order requirements and delivery fees, so do your research to determine which would be your best option.

Before using any of them though, I would check with your resort hotel's store and ask the CM there if they sell distilled water or if there is another location that does, as that would be the cheapest option. Unless they have changed recently, as the poster suggests, the resort stores have sold distilled water by the gallon, but it is usually NOT on the shelves, it is "behind the counter" (sometimes literally, other times, it is in the back storage area and the CM has to go retrieve it) and you have to ask for it.

Personally, I would NOT trust what a CM on the phone told me about availability of distilled water at the resorts, as phone CMs are notorious for giving incorrect information.

SW
 
My DH has a CPAP, and while uses distilled whenever he can, he has used bottled drinking water in a pinch. He says it's OK for the machine if it's just once in a while.
 
I was at Pop Century in June. I asked in the food court about distilled water. They said they used it for cooking allergy-free foods, but only had an opened gallon left at the time. I was told that they would make sure to have a fresh gallon for me to purchase the next day, and they did. I was just fine not using the water for the night.
 
The hubs cleans his daily - once he got the routine down, it doesn't take that long at all - and he has actually had far fewer sinus infections than he used to get before the machine (I presume it's all that lovely humidity all night LOL) not to mention, he actually *sleeps* now.

I usually don't have to use the water attachment on my C.P.A.P. machine. So I remove it. I guess that I am lucky not to need to use water for the humidity.

Distilled water is good to use. You could probably do what others have suggested and buy the gallon of distilled water online when you arrive.

I would also be okay with using tap water or bottled water temporarily while without distilled water on vacation.

I lot of areas sometimes have to boil their home water whenever their county or city pumping is damaged and being repaired.

At the Pop Century Resort food court, they have a boiled water tap near the coffee that folks use to make their own tea, etc and that can also be used. It would be the next best thing to distilled water.

The following is what I used to teach patients when training them to use their new C.P.A.P. machines. It is just an opinion. Some patients that have been using their machines for decades ask if they can still use their old way of cleaning. They usually tell me their process and I usually say that is fine. After all, they have been doing it for decades and they have their own routine of doing things.

And just to let you know, this is only my opinion. Just keep cleaning your C.P.A.P. equipment like you always have. The main thing is that you are keeping it clean.

Remember, whatever is humidified in the C.P.A.P. container goes into your lungs as very small particles.

But I have had a very, very few patients bring their old C.P.A.P. machines in for repair and I can tell that they have "never" cleaned their masks nor machine.

Their mask may have been covered in stains of pink and green and tan. Just nasty.

Sometimes the pink color is from Serratia Marcescens. It is a species of rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria in the family Enterobacteriaceae. Serratia Marcescens is considered a harmful human pathogen which has been known to cause pneumonia. Serratia bacteria also have many antibiotic resistance properties which may become important if the incidence of Serratia infections dramatically increases.

Sometimes the green color is from Pseudomonas bacteria tend to live and breed in water, and damp areas. The warmer and wetter it is, the better the conditions are for the bacteria to multiply causing Pneumonia, coughing, and congestion.

And I am talking about folks that have never cleaned their masks, hose, or water chamber.

The majority of folks don't have to worry about this.

A shower or bath is a great way to start your day. But a refreshing dip and a good hygiene routine are just as important for your C.P.A.P. as it is for you.

Proper upkeep of your CPAP machine can help ensure the device functions properly. It is vitally important to keep everything as clean as possible, as hoses/tubing and masks can be a prime breeding ground for bacteria and mold.

The thorough cleaning of your CPAP machine can be divided into daily and weekly cleaning, she said.

Get in the habit of wiping down your mask (including areas that come in contact with your skin) using a damp towel with mild detergent and warm water. This will remove any oils, dead skin cells and sweat on the mask that can affect the quality of the seal. Gently rinse with a clean towel and let the mask air-dry.

If your C.P.A.P. unit has a humidifier, empty any leftover water instead of letting it sit in the unit all day and then leave the lid open to air dry. Bacteria loves inclosed wet areas versus open and dry areas.

Refill the humidifier with clean, distilled water right before bedtime for optimal use.

If you’ve been sick, it’s smart to wash your mask, tubing, humidifier, and filter daily until your cold, flu or virus symptoms are gone. That can help reduce the amount of time you spend under the weather.

Your mask and tubing need a full bath once a week to keep it free of dust, bacteria, and germs.

Clean the C.P.A.P. tubing, nasal mask, and headgear in a bathroom sink filled with warm water and a few drops of ammonia-free, mild dish detergent. Swirl all parts around for about five minutes, rinse well and let air dry during the day. Hang the tubing over the shower rod, on a towel rack or in the laundry room to ensure all the water drips out.

The mask and headgear can be air-dried on a towel or hung on a hook or hanger.

You should also wipe down your CPAP machine with a damp cloth. The towel shouldn’t be too damp or wet, as water could get into the machine.

Clean the washable filter by removing it and rinsing it in warm tap water. Squeeze it under the water and squeeze to make sure there is no dust. Then blot down the filter with a towel. Some air filters are not washable and you can just put a new one in when it gets dirty or try to wipe the accumulated dust.

But don’t wash your machine’s disposable white filter, if one is present; those are disposable and should be replaced once a month.J just like your house filters, if the white filter is dirty, it should be replaced sooner than once a month.

If your C.P.A.P. has a humidifier, that also needs to be cleaned weekly.

Empty any remaining water and then wash the water chamber in the sink with warm soapy water. Rinse well and drain out as much of the water as possible. Let the chamber air-dry in an open position before placing it back into the CPAP unit.

Every other week you should disinfect the humidifier. Do that by soaking it in a solution of one part vinegar to five parts water for 30 minutes, thoroughly rinsing and then placing in your dishwasher’s top rack for washing. And keep it clean by using only distilled water to prevent mineral deposits that can build up and cause damage to your machine.

With a little upkeep, your CPAP can continue to help you breathe better for a long time. Just a few minutes a day can help keep your CPAP running efficiently for years to come.

Every patient is sometimes taught a different way to clean their C.P.A.P. equipment and that is okay. Some folks still use the same instructions from twenty years ago when they received their very first machine. And that is okay.

This is just a more updated way of cleaning your C.P.A.P. equipment.

I am a retired Registered Respiratory Therapist now, but I still have my credentials.

What am I doing standing on this soap box??? Too much caffiene for me!


.
 
This is one that I can help you with, there are a couple of options available:
  • Call the resort ahead of time and they can make sure a bottle is in your room for you when you arrive. I know this because my Dad had this issue when we went, I believe the cost was about $5, but that was much better than going to get it.
  • Order from Amazon Prime Now or other grocery delivery service
Alternatively, you can make your own distilled water by doing the following:
  • Use a clean coffee filter and water with no coffee or other products in the coffee maker.
    • Do this twice, throwing out the first batch just to make sure you get rid of any contaminants
  • It would not be advisable to use this as your primary source for distilled water on a day to day basis, but on a vacation it would do the trick.
 
I forgot I had ever posted this. My resort did actually have gallons of distilled water in the gift shop!
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Latest posts

Top