Are my pumps breaking because I am washing them wrong?

I just realized everytime my pump starts not holding a pump without dropping in pressure, it is after I washed it.

I run soapy water through the cylinder with the hose disconnected. Should I not be getting the valve wet?

As long as no water is getting inside the hand pump you should be ok. Getting the cylinder and valve wet during washing is not a problem.

How often should it be washed? I usually wash it after 3 uses.

I wash my tubes every week or two. I’ve never washed a pump.

I use an electric pump so I Def don’t get the pump itself wet. Just wipe it down but I wash the cylinder every week or so. Depends on how much I’ve been using it.

Depending on the composition of the soap, you gotta remember that some soaps are made with NaOH (Even though it tends to very small amounts) over time it could damage the plastic or the hose, leading to air leakage.

Atleast it happened to me with some pumps. Because I literally cleaned them everytime I used them (Sometimes twice a day) So nowadays I simply clean it with water and a sponge, gets the job done, zero issues so far.

The pump probably has O-ring seals which were lubricated with some form of grease.

It’s totally conceivable that the soap could dissolve that lubricant and micro-leaks could occur.

If you’re handy, you can probably disassemble the pump and have a look. I imagine it could be relubricated with vasoline.

Most tubes are either acrylic or polycarbonate.
I happen to know from my professional life that those materials can suffer what they call “crazing” from many different cleaning substances including rubbing alcohol. Crazing is essentially microscopic cracks in the material surface which are prone to spreading and worsening.

So, take it easy with cleaning your tubes, y’all.
I just use hot water (heat doesn’t bother the material till your over the melting point) and then let it dry thoroughly. A little UV exposure will take care of any microbes. So if you’re extra concerned, warm your tube in the sun before use, though UV causes crazing too…

I use a little drop of dawn mixed in hot water.

My LeLuv tube has noticeable crazing; it has never been washed with anything but soap and water. It has been through a steam sterilizer a few times, though.

I was blaming the crazing on the heating pad, which sometimes gets uncomfortably hot, but it might be the Red Light Therapy lamp. The lamp runs at 660 and 850nm and the tube is supposed to be >90% transparent at those frequencies.

The problem is, I’d been using the sterilizer, the heating pad, and the lamp for a while before I noticed the crazing, so I don’t know which one of them is the most likely culprit.

So no more soap and wash less frequently. Thank you!

If you’re the only one using it and the only thing you’re washing off is mostly lube then you should be fine just using warm water. Maybe use soap once a month or so for a real good cleaning.

I wash my cylinder after each use, with Dial, or Dawn and warm water. I dry with a towel, I’ve had the same cylinder for a while now, with no problems. Maybe check the O-rings on the cylinder? Usually, if I have issues it’s at the base and caused by hair getting in the way.