Washing your scrubs

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Specializes in Pediatric Heme/Onc/BMT.

Hello! I'm wondering what people do with their scrubs. Do you have a separate hamper and wash them separately from your non-work clothes? Do you use a particular detergent or settings to get them clean and/or preserve them for as long as possible?

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Specializes in Community, OB, Nursery.

I wash my work clothes separately, just because. I put on hot hot hot water, with color-safe bleach and lots of detergent. That's just me and my OCD self, though. Gotta get those germs....:cool:

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I wear a lot of bright colors and launder mine in Dreft. I do not use color-safe bleach as it makes the colors fade in a short period of time. I use clean-breeze scent downy.

I iron mine with the heavy starch, faultless. It makes them smell so nice and they still stay soft, but have creases in them as well.

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I am picky, picky, picky about my whites.

Cold water with Tide, 1/2 cup of original Cascade, 1/2 cup bleach, a few drops of bluing. Then hot water. Then a cold water rise, then another with Downy.

Ironed with starch.

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Specializes in Operating Theatre and Occ. Health.

Here in the UK, we had a requirement from the Infection Control team - to be washed seperately and on the hottest wash available.

The recommended amount of detergent will do, Elvish - typical case of more not necessarily being better! wink-1.gif

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Specializes in Med Surge, Tele, Oncology, Wound Care.

well I wash my scrubs with the rest of my clothes- everything on very hot, with color safe bleach...

If a scrub set is particularly dirty- it goes alone...

Is this bad?

Maybe I should wash them apart?

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Specializes in Operating Theatre and Occ. Health.

dunno about bad particularly - but i know i wouldn't want to wear stuff that had been washed with scrubs eeew.gif

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Specializes in Med Surge, Tele, Oncology, Wound Care.
dunno about bad particularly - but i know i wouldn't want to wear stuff that had been washed with scrubs eeew.gif

yup feeling kinda nasty right now...i just did my laundry.....ewww!!!

i do use hot water though....ha ha

this forum is great for ideas!

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I have a friend who swears that the dishwasher (no dishes) and cascade kept her nursing cap sparkling clean. I haven't worn my cap in years, but I know it has yellowed a bit, I may try this to refresh it. Granna:nurse:

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I have a friend who swears that the dishwasher (no dishes) and cascade kept her nursing cap sparkling clean. I haven't worn my cap in years, but I know it has yellowed a bit, I may try this to refresh it. Granna:nurse:

Granna, the original Cascade works because trisodium phosphate was removed from laundry detergent years ago, in the 70's. I learned the trick from my dad, who worked for Proctor & Gamble, and had this tricker reported to him by nurses who couldn't get their whites clean enough without the TSP.

If you can buy TSP in your state a teaspoon in the wash will do the trick.

:)

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To each there own, however, I suggest washing work clothes separately. Also, keep in mind that the dryer is one of the key ingredients for decontamination. Heat denatures cell membranes. In addition, I suggest keeping separate shoes at work or take them off at the doorstep before entering the house. I am sure you don’t want to be tracking around MRSA and C diff in your living room. Good question.

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I wash my work clothes separately. I Use hot water and just regular detergent, but I turn them all inside out. I treat any spot with Spray & Wash then turn them inside out and wash. It seems to make the colors last longer.

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