How to Clean a Neck Brace
Cleaning a neck brace properly is important for the health and safety of the patient. Neck braces become sweaty and start to smell bad after being used for a while and the wearer might not realize it. Some people, in an attempt to remove the smell, try to clean their neck braces on their own and do it wrong. Cleaning a brace the wrong way may end up destroying the brace completely.
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Things You'll Need
- Scrub brush
- Mild detergent (like Woolite)
- Rubbing alcohol
- Mild dish soap
- Radiator or fan
- Febreeze (deodorizing)
- Baking soda
- Vinegar
Instructions
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1
Test to make certain that the pad will not deteriorate during washing (especially with older pads). Hand dampen the brace on an area of the pad where you can easily tell if the pad is deteriorating. An edge in the center of the pad may be the best location to test this. See if the pad reacts or is dissolving by feeling the pad every 20 minutes until dry to check for deterioration.
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2
Hand wash the soft pads using a mild detergent of the type intended for hand washing. Some collars have removable soft parts to make this task easier. Never submerge the soft parts of the collar in the water. Use a clean/new dish brush and the detergent water to surface wash the cloth part of the brace. Keep this dish brush in a special location out of reach of children and mark it as your "brace brush" with a permanent marker when done. Rinse the soap from the brace with fresh water.
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3
Hand wash the plastic parts of the brace with mild dish soap. followed by hand drying. If the brace is made of a hard plastic, apply rubbing alcohol to further disinfect the surface further. Rubbing alcohol is more likely to damage soft plastics, so check with the manufacturer before use.
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Air dry the collar. In some humid locations, this may require you to put the brace near a radiator (be careful not to heat the brace to the point that it damages it). In other locations with drier conditions, a fan may be all that is required to dry the brace.
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Maintain your pads in usable condition. Hand clean the pads once a week or sooner, depending on need. Use Febreeze every other day if it does not cause adverse reactions on your skin or to your breathing.
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Tips & Warnings
Sometimes a brace may be covered for a couple of days with sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) to absorb any smell. A mild vinegar may also be used to remove organic residue in the cloth.
Always check with the manufacturer before you perform any of the steps on your brace. This will give you an idea of how likely you may be to damage your brace while cleaning or if the brace is washable. There is risk in cleaning the pads that some pads may be damaged. Damaged neck braces do not perform properly. If your neck brace is damaged, call your doctor immediately to discuss your options. In some cases, this may be an emergency. Be aware of any adverse reactions that you might have on your skin or breathing that happen after using anything on your collar. If the problem occurs, remove the offending agent from the collar and discontinue use of this agent.
