A Complete Guide On Cleaning Philips Oxygen Concentrators


Philips Respironics are one of the most popular oxygen concentrators in the market today, thanks to their compact size, reasonable cost, ease of use, and an undeniably powerful performance. As with any electronic device, it’s important that you perform regular maintenance to keep it working well and to avoid catching any infections from a dirty concentrator.

Clean a Phillips oxygen concentrator by wiping the exterior with a damp, soapy cloth, and wipe dry. Disinfect the device by mixing 1 part bleach (8.25% sodium hypochlorite) with 10 parts water and wipe over the exterior. Soak the oxygen tubing, humidifier and nasal cannula in a disinfectant solution, rinse and wipe dry.

In this post, we explain in detail how you can clean your Philips oxygen concentrators including:

We’ll also cover why your EverFlo oxygen concentrator is beeping.

Let’s begin.

Cleaning a Philips EverFlo Oxygen Concentrator

The Philips EverFlo Oxygen Concentrator is extremely compact, and despite being stationary, it is very lightweight. Cleaning it is fairy easy as well and should be done weekly; simply follow these steps and you should be done in no time.

Cleaning the device Exterior:

  1. Turn your concentrator off.
  2. Unplug your device to avoid any potential electric shocks.
  3. Take a clean cloth (or piece of fabric) and dip it in water. You may add a mild household soap to the water as well.
  4. Make the cloth damp by rinsing it thoroughly. If any water gets into the crevices of your device, it could be damaged permanently. Therefore, always ensure that there are no drops of water actively coming off of your cloth.  
  5. Use the fabric to gently wipe the surface of the device. Be careful to not let the damp fabric reach inside any openings or crevices of the concentrator. 
  6. If there are stains that won’t come off, you can repeat the process again over the area with the stain. Once done, take another piece of fabric and dip it in plain tap water or distilled water. Rinse it well once more, and wipe all the surfaces again to remove the layer of soap from your device.
  7. Wipe the exterior dry with a soft, dry cloth.
  8. Once the whole device is dry, you can reconnect your device and use it again.

Turn off your Philips EverFlo oxygen concentrator

Power button on Philips Respironics EverFlo oxygen concentrator

Disconnect the nasal cannula before cleaning

Remove the nasal cannula from Philips Respironics EverFlo oxygen concentrator

Wipe over the exterior with a damp cloth

Exterior of Philips Respironics EverFlo oxygen concentrator

Disinfecting the Device Exterior:

  1. First, make sure that the device actually needs disinfecting. You are supposed to disinfect your oxygen concentrator only if you are using it for another patient, or if infective materials (like bodily secretions) have spilled on the device. 
  2. To start off, clean the exterior of the device with a damp fabric and mild soap as described above.
  3. Prepare a disinfectant solution. For this, mix 10 parts water to 1 part bleach. Philips recommends using a household chlorine bleach with 8.25% sodium hypochlorite. You may check the label of your bleach bottle to see if it has the recommended concentration.
  4. Take a piece of cloth and dip it in the solution.
  5. Rinse the cloth to make it damp.
  6. Gently wipe all the external surfaces with the cloth.
  7. Wait for 2 minutes. This is to allow the disinfectant time to kill the germs on your device surface.
  8. After two minutes, you may wipe the exterior dry if necessary.

Please understand that you are only supposed to clean the outer surface of the oxygen concentrator. Do NOT try to open the device housing. This is only to be done by professionals, and only if absolutely required. 

Tampering with the interior of your device, whether for cleaning or other purposes, can render your warranty invalid and/or damage your device irreversibly.

Also note that the humidifier, the oxygen tubing, the nasal cannula and the oxygen mask need to be cleaned as per instructions given by their respective manufacturers.

The filter should be replaced by your provider when necessary.

While we will not be talking in detail about cleaning these parts now, Plentiful Air has all the necessary information on how and when you should clean/replace these device accessories available here.

Cleaning a Philips SimplyGo Oxygen Concentrator

Cleaning the SimplyGo device exterior and the battery is simple and straightforward with these steps:

  1. Turn the device off and unplug it. 
  2. Make sure you do not remove the SimplyGo covers. You are only supposed to clean the parts that are directly accessible, without opening the device’s interior in any way.
  3. Remove the battery from its casing (see image below).
  4. Take a piece of cloth or fabric and dip it in mild household soap. Philips specifically recommends “Discide Ultra Towelettes” on its manual, but other household soaps should work well, too. 
  5. Use the fabric to wipe the entire device exterior, EXCEPT the battery bay, which is the slot where you put your battery.
  6. Use a dry piece of clothing to clean the battery slot and the battery as well. The point is to ensure there is no dust buildup around the batteries.
  7. Put the batteries back in. 
  8. The device is now clean and ready to use again.

Cleaning the Carrying Case and Mobile Cart

  1. Make sure the carrying case and mobile cart actually need cleaning. This would be the case if they look visibly dirty or soiled. 
  2. Take the SimplyGo oxygen concentrator out of the carrying case.
  3. Now, one option is to put the carrying case in the washing machine and then airdry it. Just make sure to use a mild laundry detergent.
  4. Another option would be to wash it by hand. It is recommended that you use warm water and a mild dish soap/detergent.
  5. To clean the mobile cart, simply wipe off any dirt or grime with a damp fabric dipped in soapy water.

Cleaning the Power Supplies and Electric Cord

  1. Disconnect all the cords and turn the power off.
  2. Wipe the surfaces of the cord with a damp cloth dipped in mild soapy water.
  3. Let the cord air dry completely before re-connecting it back. 

Remove the battery from the SimplyGo oxygen concentrator

Philips Respironics SimplyGo oxygen concentrator battery and battery bay

Wipe over the exterior with a damp cloth

Philips Respironics SimplyGo oxygen concentrator

Replace the SimplyGo oxygen concentrator in the carry bag

Philips Respironics SimplyGo oxygen concentrator and bag

Cleaning a Philips SimplyGo Mini Oxygen Concentrator

Cleaning the Philips SimplyGo Mini Oxygen concentrator is practically identical to cleaning the SimplyGo model. Simply follow these steps:

  1. Turn the device off and disconnect it from the power source (see image below).
  2. Remove the device from its carrier.
  3. Wipe the exterior clean with a cloth dipped in mild soapy water. 
  4. Use another damp cloth dipped in plain water to wipe the surface off again.
  5. Let it air dry completely before connecting.

To clean the battery,

  1. Unplug the device and remove it from the carrier.
  2. Remove the batteries from the main housing (see image below).
  3. Use a DRY piece of cloth to remove any dust, dirt or grime buildup in the battery bay/slot.
  4. You may use the same cloth to wipe the battery. 
  5. Replace everything back into place before running the concentrator again.

To disinfect the device (when you use it between different patients),

  1. Clean the device first as indicated above.
  2. Philips recommends specifically using the product “Discide Ultra Towelette” to disinfect the exterior of the device. (Manufacturer of the Towelette : www.palmerohealth.com
  3. Wipe the device dry before using it again.

Turn off and unplug the SimplyGo Mini

Philips Respironics SimplyGo Mini oxygen concentrator power adapter

Remove the battery from the SimplyGo Mini

Philips Respironics SimplyGo Mini oxygen concentrator battery and battery bay

Wipe over the exterior with a damp cloth

Philips Respironics SimplyGo Mini
oxygen concentrator

Cleaning a Philips Millennium M10 Concentrator

Cleaning your Philips Millennium M10 oxygen concentrator is practically identical to cleaning the exterior of other Philips oxygen concentrator models and is quick and easy. This model of concentrator has the additional step of cleaning the filter, which you will instructions for in the section below. For cleaning the main body of the concentrator, simply:

  1. Turn the device off and disconnect it from its power source.
  2. Wipe the exterior down with a damp fabric dipped in mild soapy water.
  3. Let it air dry, or wipe it with another damp cloth dipped in plain water.

The general rules we have discussed so far apply here as well, meaning:

  • You should never use harsh disinfectants on your device, 
  • Never attempt to open the device while cleaning,
  • Never use wet fabric for cleaning, nor let any liquid enter the cracks or orifices of the device housing.

How to clean a Millennium M10 Oxygen concentrator filter

Cleaning your oxygen concentrator filter is an important part of regular maintenance for any Millennium M10 user. These simple steps should help you do it:

  1. Start by removing the filter cap. It is located towards the side of the main device.
  2. Remove the filter from its slot (see image below).
  3. The next step is to inspect the filter properly. In a well lit area, carefully look for any holes, tears or other forms of damage. If found damage in any form at all, it is time to replace the filter, and cleaning alone will not do you any good.
  4. If not damaged, you may proceed to clean the filter itself. For this, simply put the filter in warm water and gently wash it. The official manual does allow you to use detergents, but please make sure that it is mild and cleaned thoroughly afterwards.
  5. Gently squeeze the filter and let the water come out. 
  6. Let the filter air dry. Make sure it is completely dry before you install it back into your device, since excess moisture may damage your oxygen concentrator or alter its functioning.
  7. Check the filter once again for any possible damage in the filter during cleaning.
  8. Gently replace the filter back into the device and put the filter cap back on.
  9. You may now turn the device on.

Turn off and unplug the Millennium M10

Power button on Philips Millennium M10 oxygen concentrator

Wipe over the exterior with a damp cloth

Millennium M10 Oxygen System

Remove the filter from Millennium M10

Filter bay on Philips Millennium M10 oxygen concentrator

How to clean a Philips EverFlo Oxygen Concentrator Filter

You can clean your Philips EverFlo Oxygen Concentrator Filter by gently washing it in a warm solution of water and a mild soap, and then air drying it.

Generally, there are two major types of filters in your Philips EverFlo Oxygen Concentrator:

  1. A Bacteria Filter
  2. A HEPA filter

The bacteria filter, located within the housing of your device, is designed to last a lifetime. This means that you are NOT required to clean it regularly, as long as you are using it for the same patient.

The HEPA filter is basically a specialized pleated sheet with microscopic pores. HEPA filters, by design, are not supposed to be cleaned, either. In fact, contact with water may damage your HEPA filter.

Sometimes, your EverFlo oxygen concentrator may have a third type of filter put in. Called an intake filter or an accessory foam filter, it helps catch some of the larger grime, dust, and other particulates from your air and prevents it from entering your machine. 

If your device has this filter, it will need to be cleaned every month to once every two months, depending upon the amount of dirt that is collected. For this, follow these steps:

  1. Turn off the device and unplug it.
  2. Remove the filter. It is usually located at the back end of your device.
  3. Place the filter in a bowl with warm water and a small amount of mild household soap.
  4. Gently wash the filter.
  5. Squeeze the filter gently, and transfer it to another bowl containing just warm water. Wash it again to make sure the soap is gone.
  6. Let the filter air dry.
  7. Wait for it to be completely dry before re-installing.

Why is my Everflo oxygen concentrator beeping?

An Everflo oxygen concentrator beeps (and/or has lights illuminated), when there is something wrong with the power supply, the oxygen flow system, or that there is a system malfunction.

Usually, EverFlo concentrators have alarms that beep together with one or more blinking lights. In order to find out what the issue is, you need to look at both the alarm sound and the light together.

There are three main lights on any EverFlo device: Red, Yellow (‘Check system’ light), and Green (the power light). 

Under normal working conditions, the green light should be continuously on, and there should be no alarm sounds.

Whenever there are issues, however, these lights will be on and the alarm will beep in different combinations. Unfortunately, these combinations are not really intuitive to understand.

Details about what the lights and the beep mean are given in the table below. You can find a more detailed version of this table in the device manual, which you can also access here.

A guide to the Philips EverFlo oxygen concentrator alarms and indicators. Including the yellow, red and green light and audible alarm combinations.
Philips EverFlo oxygen concentrator alarms and indicators

It is therefore absolutely important that you have access to your user manual at all times in close proximity to your oxygen concentrator. We also recommend that you keep the contact information for your care provider close. 

Theresa Orr

Theresa Orr holds a PhD in Earth Science and specializes in determining past climates from rocks using geochemistry. Her passion for clean water, soil and air drives her to provide easy to understand information for everyone to read.

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