Disinfecting scrubs?

[tag2007]

Is there a good way to disinfect scrubs in the washing machine after wearing them all day in a hospital? Not sure if it's necessary and I could be a little paranoid but I feel like just putting them in the washer isn't enough sometimes. Is this not really something I should worry about?

[Sessa RN]

Is there a good way to disinfect scrubs in the washing machine after wearing them all day in a hospital? Not sure if it's necessary and I could be a little paranoid but I feel like just putting them in the washer isn't enough sometimes. Is this not really something I should worry about?

I think every nurse has felt that way at one time or another. I wash mine - alone - in hot water & bleach or oxyclean - depending on the color of the scrub. You should be using PPE for the really nasty stuff you encounter, and 99.5% will be killed/washed away. It's the 0.5% that no one knows how to kill that's problematic. I won't feed any paranoia out there by listing that stuff. Nursing can be a dangerous business, but use your PPE, run a bleach cloth over your shoes at the end of each shift (and keep em away from the family), wash them scrubs, you should be fine.

[mclennan, BSN, RN]

I put mine in the machine and hit the "sanitize" button.

[tag2007]

Thanks sessa, ill just have to relax and do the best I can. If I saw a disinfecting laundry detergent in the store id probably still end up buying it though. lol

[Dmed76]

I add a teaspoon of tea tree oil to the wash. It's a natural disinfectant.

[morte, LPN, LVN]

sunlight.

[science in flowers]

Gse! Or bacout!

[green34]

I've used odoban in the past.

If they are really soiled, chances are you there is a policy at your hospital to change into hospital scrubs and send the clothes to housekeeping for cleaning. I do not know the rate of the scrubs coming back. We also have plastic hot water bags that dissolve in hot water in case we are exposed to bugs.