scrubs and ironing

Nurses Uniform/Gear

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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

Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.
After a military career, I've gone to just getting them clean. I will iron if they stayed too long in the dryer and got too wrinkled.

Heck, I just flip the dryer back on to shake out the wrinkles most days. :chuckle

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Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

Yes, I am ironed, starched, creased and have clean shoes. My socks match my scrub top (I work in peds. so if I have on pink Tinkerbell top, I have pink Tinkerbell socks). I still look fresh (the clothes anyway) at the end of the day. Just the way I was raised. I used to have to iron the pillowcase, starch my dad's handkerchiefs, etc. Makes me feel better and well put-together.

Cindy

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Specializes in Peds Critical Care, Dialysis, General.

BTW, I do have many OCD tendencies. Good that I work Peds ICU, huh? I can be as OCD as I like.:heartbeat:coollook:

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Iron & crease - yes, yes!

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No and No.

If I was going to iron I would have it done by the cleaners with lots of starch...

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Specializes in Hospice/Palliative Nursing.

I can not put them on my body unless they are starched and creased! :D It's usually done the night before. A pet peeve of mine is wrinkled clothing!

I also hate it when people only have like 2 sets of scrubs and wear the every other day... OCD kicking in...as my son would say. LOL

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Wow I didn't know so many people iron their scrubs, I've actually never even thought of it. I usually just wash and dry and fold them very carefully and end up with fold lines on my scrubs but oh well the folds go away by the end of the day.

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Specializes in Family Practice, Mental Health.

:nurse:

I used to iron my scrubs faithfully for YEARS. I wouldn't be caught dead without visible pleats on my sleeves and pant legs (pleats down the front of the leg). I actually wore a white dress too, with white pantyhose and white shoes to work. Occasionally, I would wear a blue sweater if I was cold.

I vividly remember many a mad dash to work after doing ironing at the last minute if laundry had gotten behind. I would've rather been late to work by two or three minutes, than show up to work in a wrinkled uniform.

Then I started being able to afford nicer and then even more nicer clothes-dryers. You know, the ones with wrinkle guard, and the wash machines with the steam cycle.....

Now I just pull my scrubs out of the dryer right away, hang them up and I am perfectly happy with the finish on my scrubs. I don't have a pleat down the sleeves, but they still look nice.

I don't think I've used my iron more than three or four times in the past five years. GOOD RIDDANCE I say. LOL

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Specializes in ortho, hospice volunteer, psych,.
no and no.

if i was going to iron i would have it done by the cleaners with lots of starch...

sounds like my great aunt fran! she had a masters in nursing (unusual for her day) and some of us used to wonder whether or not she starched her undies, seamed stockings, corset and slip as well.

she ran a pedi orthopedic clinic for decades and brooked no nonsense whatsoever... i have the nurses' sweatshirt that shows a short blonde nurse holding a wicked looking syringe and saying, "bend over." that was aunt fran! she sent her uniforms out to the chinese laundry for:eek: "lots of starch":eek: and starched they were. not sure about what my dad would have called her nether garments...:D

sharpeimom:paw::paw:

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

Half the time I don't even comb my hair.

But I work nights and all my patients are asleep all night

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Specializes in Emergency Dept. Trauma. Pediatrics.

Ok I have a question since my scrub days start in August. I have only ever used the dry cleaner for jackets or my Down Comforter. Can I take my scubs there to be cleaned like I would do at home and they will iron and crease them as well???

Probably a silly question and I see the cleaners mentioned a few times, but for like regular wear can this be done?? I always thought the Dry cleaners were for the special items that you can't wash at home.

I would MUCH RATHER take my scubs there once a week rather than do it myself because I would like them ironed and creased and I suck at ironing.

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Specializes in ED, ICU, PSYCH, PP, CEN.

yes you can do that. My son is too lazy to wash and iron his white cotton work shirts so he takes them to the cleaners every week.

You will be the best dressed nurse in the place.

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