How do you wash your scrubs?

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I start nursing school in August and just bought my scrubs. This is probably silly, but I noticed on the tags that they are machine wash cold. Is this the standard for scrubs or is it the particular brand that I bought? Washing in hot water would kill any bacteria brought home from the hospital, but I don't want to ruin my scrubs by washing in hot. My scrubs are navy, so I can't add bleach, either. How do you wash your scrubs?

I really don't think its necessary to be so paranoid about germs. Most of the people I have encountered (in person) act like major germaphobes purely for show.

After our first clinicals, one girl claimed she went home, took three showers, and sprayed her entire body with Lysol. Please.

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Hot water and a hot dry setting.

If they are gross enough, a capful of bleach. The bleach is diluted enough to make me feel better, but not enough to leave bleach stains. I let the basin fill a bit and then add the bleach and then my scrubs.

I don't care if they fade because I like to replace my scrubs fairly often.

I keep my older scrubs at work for an "emergency" change.

Also, I like my (hole-less) crocs because I can wash them in the machine with bleach too.

My job leaves me pretty nasty by the end of the shift!

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Hot water and a hot dry setting.

If they are gross enough, a capful of bleach. The bleach is diluted enough to make me feel better, but not enough to leave bleach stains. I let the basin fill a bit and then add the bleach and then my scrubs.

I don't care if they fade because I like to replace my scrubs fairly often.

I keep my older scrubs at work for an "emergency" change.

Also, I like my (hole-less) crocs because I can wash them in the machine with bleach too.

My job leaves me pretty nasty by the end of the shift!

I add a little bleach to almost every load because I like the smell. You comment made me wonder: How much bleach in a washer will kill the germs? I suppose I could Google that!

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I add a little bleach to almost every load because I like the smell. You comment made me wonder: How much bleach in a washer will kill the germs? I suppose I could Google that!

Ha!

I have NO clue, but like you, I like the smell.

I have heard that people tend to use more bleach than they really need to kill germs, so hopefully, I'm killing germs!

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Ha!

I have NO clue, but like you, I like the smell.

I have heard that people tend to use more bleach than they really need to kill germs, so hopefully, I'm killing germs!

I saw something on the news the other day about how using too much bleach actually lessens the germ killing abilities. Don't know how true it is, though.

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Specializes in being a Credible Source.
After our first clinicals, one girl claimed she went home, took three showers, and sprayed her entire body with Lysol. Please.
Supposedly, at least two nurses at work have wiped themselves down with the sani-wipe things that we use for hard surfaces.

I'm thinking that they're probably at higher risk for cancer or neurological problems from absorbing the methylethylnastystuff through their skin than they were from the MRSA on their skin. I'm stunned how few folks even wear gloves when using those things - despite the clear warning on the side of the container.

And your shower queen is probably at higher risk for cracked skin d/t excessive washing and hence an actual infection rather than simple contamination.

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Supposedly, at least two nurses at work have wiped themselves down with the sani-wipe things that we use for hard surfaces.

I'm thinking that they're probably at higher risk for cancer or neurological problems from absorbing the methylethylnastystuff through their skin than they were from the MRSA on their skin. I'm stunned how few folks even wear gloves when using those things - despite the clear warning on the side of the container.

And your shower queen is probably at higher risk for cracked skin d/t excessive washing and hence an actual infection rather than simple contamination.

I'm going to have to agree with ya. I've seen students wipe themselves with the Sani-Wipes.

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Specializes in med surg, geriatric, clinical, pool.

I guess you could buy an autoclave! Just kidding. I always washed mine, which are all white, in warm water and some bleach as bleach kills most everything.

Most germs can't live once introduced to air, dryness, and cold. And take your shoes off outside and wash your hands. Shoes have got to be the dirtiest things. I even do that with other shoes. Just don't like the idea of stepping in bodily fluids then on my floor! Yuck!

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Never had fecal matter on anything but your scrubs?!...consider yourself lucky. I notice you are a student, give it time, I guarentee one day you will experience some sort of body fluid land on you. I've worked in health care with direct patient contact for 25 years, I've had all kinds of body fluids on me...blood spatters, urine, fecal matter, mucous..you name it I've had it on me. No matter how careful and diligent you may be with taking precautions, there are times it will happen. You cannot walk around gloved, gowned, cap, eye goggles etc the entire shift. I worked at a time when gloves were not used. And one day, one of your patients may projectile vomit, spit at you, touch you with hands that have been places hands shouldn't be

I never suggested for you to stop using bleach..have at it. I was simply stating that bleach and hot water is not needed in order to kill anything you may bring home that might be on your scrubs. I have to ask..do you change before you get in your car? Do you change your shoes? If not, are you bleaching and using hot water on your car door handle or steering wheel, seats and gas and break pedals?

Oh gosh!! I do more than half of what you have listed. Everything but the brake pedal. I change at work and have go to work shoes and in the hospital shoes. I think I am most there.... Germophobic. :eek:.

I wasn't this way until I took micro and had to grow my own cultures and ID what was growing on door knobs etc. Sometimes I have to take a big cleansing breath and just let it go. I remind myself that the human race survived generations without bleach and pine sol.

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Specializes in L&D.

I wear blue scrubs in L&D...

I get fluid exposures frequently, despite reasonable precautions.

I wash my scrubs & underwear worn at work separately from my other laundry in cold or warm water... never hot.

(Separately, , especially when I had small children, to protect my patients from the germs children and dogs at my house might pass to them!)

I dry them in the dryer, and hang them up as soon as the dryer stops.

(others I work with also iron them, feeling "cleaner and more professional" after the additional heat)

been doing ICU/L&D nursing 35 years.

no sequelae from doing home laundry I am aware of.

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..OK I have had scrubs for over 13 years and you can hardly tell they are that old...I wash mine in HOT water and depending what is on them when I come home..I wash them again and then I shower under HOT water as well...oh yeah and get a second pair of shoes..just in case someone pees on them...I cant tell you how many times that has happened to me...welcome to the profession

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I know this will sound crazy, but I actually spray my scrubs with lysol before I even enter my car. I actually do this between patients so that I don't spread germs from one house to another. (I do hospice care - pre-nursing)

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