How do you wash your scrubs?

MissMoo25, BSN, MSN, RN, APRN, NP · Aug 17, 2015

Wash mine with other clothes, I feel like I shouldn't but well. I don't do laundry for about a month so it's whatever by the time I get to it.

loriangel14, RN · Aug 17, 2015

I wash mine in the machine with all my other clothes.

AnthonyD · Aug 17, 2015

Mine get washed in their own load, but no special treatment other than that.

I did read an article somewhere that washing in hot water doesn't do anything to help disinfect any type of clothes. The water isn't hot enough, and the cycle isn't long enough to kill microbes. So I save a little money and energy and wash warm or cold.

allnurses Guide · Aug 18, 2015

Hello All!
I was just wondering how you all wash your scrubs? I usually throw them in the laundry with my other clothes but was told by my charge nurse that I shouldn't do that. I have blue scrubs but I would like to find a way to disinfect them in the wash. Would using some bleach be okay with colored scrubs? I read that a half cup of bleach in the wash water with colored clothes should be okay but I just wanted to hear how you all wash your scrubs. Thank you.

I don't have any white scrubs - I work in LTC which has high incidence of C-diff, MDRO, ESBL and MRSA so I throw my scrubs in a Plastic lined hamper and wash them separately with a hospital grade disinfectant that I got at a janitorial supply store. I do my hospital shoes once a week in the same manner (They sit out on the front porch between washes). Before I do household laundry I cycle the washer with hot water and bleach. It may be over-kill but it's what I do. I am not a germaphobe by nature but I wouldn't invite them into my home if I could help it.

Hppy

GLORIAmunchkin72 · Aug 25, 2015

I used to wash them in cold water and liquid detergent but I had to change to how I wash them in order to avoid liquid detergent stains on the scrubs. First I ran warm water, add detergent, AGITATE WELL, then add the laundry.

AnthonyD · Aug 26, 2015

I used to wash them in cold water and liquid detergent but I had to change to how I wash them in order to avoid liquid detergent stains on the scrubs. First I ran warm water, add detergent, AGITATE WELL, then add the laundry.

That's what I do too.

Stitch3296 · Sep 1, 2015

Strip as soon as I get home,separate laundry basket. Wash separate as well using color safe bleach.

Samm06, BSN, RN · Sep 10, 2015

I read somewhere that you should wash your scrubs in hot water to get rid of bacteria and stuff.

CountryMomma, ASN, RN · Sep 10, 2015

My scrubs get washed with the rest of my non-delicates in cold water with tide sport and downy. Then into the dryer on med heat. No bleach, pine-sol, or ammonia. My shoes sit next to the door - I only wear them to work and back so they'll last longer. I do wipe the soles with cavi-wipes at the end of my work week, or if I've been in an icky room.

SmilingBluEyes · Sep 19, 2015

My front-loader washing machine has a "SANITIZE" cycle. I wash my scrubs and shoes alone, in that cycle and dry them til they are super-hot. It's often in the dryer, with the heat, that bugs die. Works for me. And I never use bleach.

RNsRWe, ASN, RN · Sep 20, 2015

Cold water wash with anything else ready for a cold water wash. Color-safe bleach to keep colors from fading as much as possible...and never put them in the dryer. Hang to dry. My shoes I leave at the front door, I don't walk around the house in them, because whatever is stuck to the floor in my hospital (or Wal-Mart, etc) I don't happen to want on my wood floors where my family walks barefooted.

When I worked the floor I didn't roll around on patient bedding anyway. On days I had isolation patients (and therefore was gowning up) I made sure to strip in the laundry room, stuff went into the wash immediately. But cold water, and same rules as before.

After a decade of doing this, my scrubs are not only clean, but look just about as good as the day I bought them. No fading, no shrinking....and clean. Pretty sure I have no more "germs" on my clothes after washing and drying than anyone else out there has!