How to Clean a Respirator

Respirators keep people from getting dust, dirt and chemicals in their mouth, nose and lungs. A respirator is especially useful for people working in dirty or dusty jobs. Cleaning takes less than 10 minutes and can extend the life of your respirator as well as make the respirator more effective. There are many respirators on the market, made for different purposes and from various manufacturers, so the components attached to each respirator vary greatly. However, the instructions on how to clean those components remain the same.

Things You'll Need

• Bucket
• Mild detergent
• Stiff bristle brush
• Water tap
• Laundry bleach (optional)
• Iodine (optional)

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Instructions

• 1

  Remove the filter, cartridge or canister from the respirator.

• 2

  Remove the components such as the speaking diaphragm, valve assembly or hose.

• 3

  Soak all components in 110 degree Fahrenheit water with a mild detergent (such as dish soap). This water should feel warm but not scalding hot.

• 4

  Check the ingredients on your mild detergent. If it does not contain a disinfecting agent, then add 1 mL of laundry bleach/L of water that the respirator is soaking in, or add 0.8 mL of iodine/L of water.

• 5

  Scrub each component with a stiff bristle brush while it is soaking.

• 6

  Rinse thoroughly under warm running water.

• 7

  Re-assemble the respirator.