scrubs and ironing

[CT Pixie]

Ok, I know I am probably not the majority, from how I've seen too many disheveled looking, just starting the shift people, but I iron my scrub tops and bottoms.

My mother-in-law thought she'd help out one night while babysitting and she ironed my laundry basket of "to be ironed clothes". I was appreciative as I hadn't ironed in a while since I have an insane amount of scrub tops and bottoms. Anyway, I put on a pair the other day, went to work and got teased beyond belief. I didn't realize it but my mother-in-law put a front crease in my scrubs..it acutally made the scrubs fall nicer and it had a nice, freshly ironed look. I normally don't crease them, I just iron them to get all the wrinkles out (I despise seeing even the littlest of wrinkles, one of my mom's OCD obessions that I seemed to have inherited). I recall a few classmates who always had a front crease in their scrub bottoms, but I never did it myself.

My question is two fold:

A) Do you iron your scrubs

B) Do you put a front crease in them

[SouthTXRN]

I ALWAYS iron my scrubs. The one thing I've started doing is ironing them inside out. One day I was looking at myself in the mirror and I noticed the front of my scrubs were a lighter color than the back. I looked through the rest of them, and they were all like this. I guess the ironing faded the side I iron on but not the other. I iron on the highest setting with steam to get razor sharp creases. On thing though, and maybe someone can help me out, I've tried using spray starch but always get flakes and splotches on the clothes......any hints?

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

You're using too much starch with too hot an iron, SouthTxRN.

One thing, too, is to use a cloth over dark colors when pressing. It eliminates the shine that old clothing gets when pressed a lot.

[SouthTXRN]

Thanks, Suesquatch, I'll give the starch a try on a lower setting. I really like the way starched clothes look. I've tried the cloth thing also but it's easier to just iron inside out. My scrubs didn't look shiny though, they actually became a few shades lighter on the side i would iron them on.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I wear starched whites. No matter how demented my patient is, s/he knows I'm the nurse.

:)

[CT Pixie, BSN, RN]

I work LTC and ALL my patients, demented or not, all know I am the nurse, and they think they know that because of my whites. :)

I'll admit, I don't wear solid white head to toe but I do wear white scrub bottoms, (ironed and creased), a top that is a majority white (not solid white, but 90% or so) white lab coat and white shoes.

I know whites aren't some peoples idea of a good thing, and thats ok, they can choose to wear whatever color combos they want, but for me and my patients we all love it and I will wear whites. :)

[romynaf]

lol NOOOO WAAAAY :chuckle

I don't have time at all to iron, plus I hate ironing!!!!:zzzzz

[Elektra6, ASN, BSN, RN]

Iron yes, no creases though. I love to iron!

[Iam46yearsold]

I do not iron. My housekeeper does all that for me. And she cleans and cooks also. My life is too busy for all that.

My scrubs are never starched. Also you have less fading of the fabric, when you stay with something all natural. Mine are always all organic cotton, bamboo, or even hemp. all make such lasting fabric. And they are recyclable.

[truthb4lies]

Yes, I always iron my scrubs. For one it looks nice and second I would hate for anyone to think I picked my clothes out of the dirty laundry.

[SuesquatchRN, BSN, RN]

I do not iron. My housekeeper does all that for me. And she cleans and cooks also. My life is too busy for all that.

Hee!

[systoly]

iron - yes

crease - yes

starch - yes

get teased by coworkers - yes

feel better about myself - yes

get all kinds of positive comments from patients - yes yes yes

[sallyrnrrt, ADN, RN]

............. I usually do iron my scrubs, ..... and yes there is front / back crease...spray starch....... prob. my age showing... :chuckle