Soiled Scrubs Mid-Shift

Obviously, you change, right? What are you doing with your soiled scrubs in the mean time? Are you cleaning them at the hospital? Home?

30 Answers

Specializes in Pedi.
Yikes! I was hoping someone would say they have washing facilities at the hospital! I know that probaby sounds ridiculous, but at the risk of having foreign hazmat in your own personal washer? Yuk, yuk, yuk. I thought maybe there might be a more sterile process than just taking it home and crossing your fingers... Thanks for the replies.

Nope and washing clothes is not sterile. You throw them in the wash as soon as you get home or, if they are that bad, throw them in the garbage at the hospital.

Specializes in Med/Surg, Academics.

Never had to, but you can put them in a personal items bag that is usually given to patients and stuff it in your locker. Wash when you get home.

Specializes in LTC.

I keep an extra set of scrubs in a plastic bag. If I would need to change, I would bring the soiled ones home in the plastic bag.

Specializes in LTC and School Health.
I keep an extra set of scrubs in a plastic bag. If I would need to change, I would bring the soiled ones home in the plastic bag.

Great idea. I'm going to bring an extra set for now on.

I leave a pair of old scrubs in my locker just in case. No washing facilities for employee issues.

Specializes in Short Term/Skilled.
\ said:
Obviously you change, right? What are you doing with your soiled scrubs in the mean time? Are you cleaning them at the hospital? Home?

Whenever it hapoens to me (and it happens a lot) I change into surgical scrubs and take mine home in a bag and wash em by themsekves with hot water soap and a smal amount of bleach.

Specializes in Psych, LTC/SNF, Rehab, Corrections.

Put them in a bag and put them in your car. Wash when you get home.

My scrubs generally don't get soiled unless I'm wearing white. It's true.

It's a rule.

Whenever I wear white? Blood, doo-doo, food, drink, medicine (depakote, cough syrup, etc...) will end up on me.

Specializes in Med/Surg/Tele/Onc.
Put them in a bag and put them in your car. Wash when you get home.

My scrubs generally don't get soiled unless I'm wearing white. It's true.

It's a rule.

Whenever I wear white? Blood, doo-doo, food, drink, medicine (depakote, cough syrup, etc...) will end up on me.

I work outpatient infusion and on the day before Thanksgiving I wore a white apron. We were dressed as pilgrims don't ask.... Anyway, I got several blood drops on that apron! It made me really wonder how much blood I get on my scrub pants. I usually wear black or dark brown. We access a lot of mediports normally, but that day I seemed to have gotten a lot of the IVs, which are messier. So maybe that was it.

When it happen to me, poo in my case, I borrowed a set of scrubs from the OR. I washed mine separate as soon as I got home and ran hot water & bleach through after the scrubs.

Specializes in MR/DD.

If I have to change my scrubs I rinse them in a sink at work, place them in a plastic bag and wash in a washer at home.

I've had to change a few times and just bag the clothes and wash at home. Maybe twice through the washer if I'm feeling especially violated. Unless the hospital has decon facilities for you, if it's in your scrubs, it's likely already on you so laundromat at the hospital doesn't protect you from contamination.

If it was something really gross I would probably wash the scrubs outside my house with the hose and antibacterial soap or just throw the scrubs away.

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