David Repasky - CPAP Advocate & Specialist
Written and edited by David Repasky. David is a CPAP Patient Advocate and Equipment Specialist who brings a unique and vital perspective to the field of sleep apnea treatment. Since his own sleep apnea diagnosis in 2017, David has been on a personal journey that has transformed into a mission to help others navigate the challenges of CPAP therapy. His firsthand experience as a CPAP user, combined with his extensive knowledge of equipment and therapy practices, allows David to offer invaluable insights and support to those embarking on their own sleep apnea treatment paths.
Our content undergoes rigorous expert review, evidence-based research, and regular updates for accuracy.
The Lumin CPAP cleaner from 3B Medical continues to be one of the best CPAP cleaning machines available. As you may already know, routinely cleaning your CPAP device is important for both your own health and the longevity of your CPAP equipment.
Unlike ozone-based cleaners, the Lumin uses a UV light to sanitize your mask, accessories, and CPAP water chamber to kill 99% of bacteria, pathogens, and fungi in just five minutes!
Today, we're going to review the Lumin to help you decide if this is the right fit for your CPAP cleaning regimen. We'll discuss the benefits, how (and when) to use it, as well as how it compares to other CPAP cleaning machines on the market such as SoClean.
Let's hop into our complete review of the Lumin CPAP cleaner so you have everything you need to know about UV sanitization!
Lumin CPAP Cleaner Review Summary
The Lumin uses a powerful UV light contained inside a chamber to kill bacteria in just five minutes. The light is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, and similar to the UV devices used to disinfect medical equipment in operating rooms and ambulances.
Here’s How the Lumin UV Cleaner System Works:
A specialized mercury-arc germicidal lamp inside the device emits a high-energy light within the UV-C spectrum. This light, according to manufacturer 3B, is “very close to the peak of the germicidal effectiveness curve of 265nm, the most lethal wave to microorganisms.”
What does this mean for you? Cleaner equipment without the mess or hassle—and no place for any bacteria to hide!
Benefits of the Lumin CPAP Mask Cleaner
Why consider adding a Lumin UV Mask Cleaner to your CPAP cleaning regimen? We took a look at customer feedback and found the following benefits:
- Safely Cleans Equipment With a UV Light System
- Quick, Five-Minute Cycle
- Disinfects Non-CPAP Items
- Easy-to-Use Design
- No Replacement Parts Needed
- Does Not Use Activated Oxygen or Ozone to Disinfect
Cleans what you can't see. During the cold, flu, and allergy seasons, keeping your CPAP mask and water chambers clear of pathogens is especially important to reduce the risk of catching an infection.
Helps with rashes and skin breakouts. Keeping your mask clean and sanitary prevents bacteria from seeping into your pores and causing unpleasant skin conditions like rashes and acne breakouts.
Saves time. Five minutes is all a cycle requires to disinfect your CPAP mask and chamber with UV light. And the best part? You can use your equipment immediately afterward. Ozone-based cleaners often require 10 minutes or more to disinfect, and some require users to leave their masks in the chamber for a waiting period of up to two hours. The Lumin UV system does not require a waiting period—you can disinfect and use your mask right away!
Sanitizes non-CPAP items. You can use the Lumin to sanitize other small household or personal hygiene items, including eye masks, swim goggles, eyeglasses, toothbrushes, hearing aids, dentures, orthodontic retainers, mouthguards, and even pens and pencils. For busy households, the device can do double-duty as a disinfecting hub.
Prevents damages to your CPAP equipment. Testing shows that when used for five minutes a day, the Lumin’s UV light sanitizes your equipment while keeping it in tip-top shape. In over 150 hours of testing—up to five years worth of daily sanitizing—the plastics and silicone remained intact.
Another benefit of the Lumin is its ability to sanitize other household items including toothbrushes, hearing aids, glasses, jewelry, and car keys.
How to Use the Lumin
The Lumin is easy to use and doesn't restrict you to only sanitizing your CPAP equipment and accessories. Any non-living items that you can fit inside the Lumin tray can be sanitized such as your toothbrush.
To use, simply pull out the Lumin tray, place the item inside, close the tray, press the power button, and let the UV light on the Lumin go to work! The Lumin operates on a five-minute cycle and when it's finished, it will beep to indicate the cycle is finished. Your items inside are now disinfected and safe to be removed and used immediately. Simple and easy!
We know what you're thinking—what about cleaning my CPAP hose? Don't worry 3B thought of that too.
The Lumin and Lumin Bullet
A Perfect Combination for Total CPAP Sanitization
While the Lumin is great for sanitizing your CPAP mask and water chamber, it cannot sanitize the inside of your hose or nasal pillows. Thankfully, this has been resolved with the introduction of the 3B Medical Lumin Bullet UV Hose Cleaner. A smartly designed hose cleaner that safely and effectively uses UV light to sanitize and remove 99.9% of bacteria in under two minutes!
With the Lumin Bullet, you simply sanitize, and you’re ready to use. A small metallic probe that generates UV light is guided through the hose using two powerful magnets to provide you with a mess-free CPAP cleaning solution. To learn more about the benefits, click over to our Lumin Bullet review.
The Lumin is not made to sanitize your hose, making the duo a great way to achieve total CPAP sanitization without using harmful chemicals like ozone or activated oxygen.
Lumin CPAP Cleaner vs SoClean
Between the Lumin and SoClean, you may be curious which is better; though the devices may look similar, they operate very differently.
| Lumin UV Cleaner Technology | SoClean Activated Oxygen Technology (Ozone-based) |
| Lab-tested to reduce 99.9% of bacteria and viruses | 99.9% reduction of various pathogen species |
| Compatible with most CPAP masks | No need to buy an additional cleaner for CPAP tubing |
| Easy to use and cleans in 5 minutes | SoClean machine parts require replacements every six months |
| Can be used for cleaning other household items | Ozone-based cleaner (read below) |
UV vs. Ozone – Why Choose Lumin Over SoClean?
If you’re looking for a non-ozone CPAP cleaner, consider the Lumin UV cleaning technology. Lab-tested to reduce 99.9% of all bacteria and viruses and compatible with nearly all CPAP masks, the Lumin sanitizing system uses powerful germicidal ultraviolet light to destroy the DNA of a variety of harmful microorganisms in just five minutes.
As of publication, there has never been a Lumin sanitizer recall. Though the Lumin is a trusted and robust disinfectant and sanitization solution, it does have some limitations. While it is an ozone-free CPAP cleaner, the Lumin does not eliminate the need to regularly wash your CPAP mask with mild soap and warm water.
It's important to note that the FDA has not approved any CPAP cleaner to date. While both UV and ozone-based cleaners are not approved, including the Lumin and SoClean, there seems to be more concern regarding the use of ozone as stated by the FDA's website:
The FDA has received reports from people who use CPAPs that they experienced unexpected asthma attacks, headaches, and breathlessness after using devices claiming to use ozone gas to clean their CPAP. Not only can ozone leak out of the CPAP equipment into your home during cleaning, but ozone levels inside of the CPAP equipment can be above safe limits even several hours after cleaning is completed.
Like the Lumin, SoClean works with most CPAP models without the use of water or chemicals. Instead, the SoClean, which also kills 99.9% of germs and viruses, uses activated oxygen, also known as ozone. It's important to note that ResMed, a leading CPAP manufacturer, has stated "As of February 1, 2020, ResMed has indicated that ozone damage will void the CPAP manufacturer's warranty. Therefore, it is recommended that SoClean not be used with ResMed CPAP machines."
Because of our concern with ozone cleaners, we intentionally do not carry or promote the use of ozone cleaning products like the SoClean 2 and SoClean 3, which may exacerbate certain respiratory conditions like sleep apnea and asthma through ozone exposure.
There’s a lot to consider when determining—between SoClean vs Lumin—which CPAP cleaner is best for you. As you contemplate the Lumin CPAP Cleaner vs SoClean, keep in mind the importance of regularly washing your mask, hose, and other accessories with warm water and mild soap to ensure maximum cleanliness regardless of which system you choose.
You may be debating the SoClean vs Lumin whether you’ve just recently been diagnosed with sleep apnea or have been on your CPAP journey for years; either way, we encourage you to make cleaning your CPAP equipment a priority.
Final Thoughts
The Lumin CPAP Mask Cleaner is well-liked by customers for its ease of use, impressive five-minute cleaning time, and ability to effectively disinfect CPAP parts and non-CPAP items like toothbrushes and mouth guards.
If you’re interested in a mess-free, quick solution, the Lumin may be just what you're looking for!
