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How to take care of your medical scrubs – practical tips
As a healthcare worker, you need to remain professional in any situation. However, the unique nature of your duties means that you simply cannot avoid contact with bacteria and viruses, which accumulate not only on your skin but also on your clothes. How to keep your medical uniform impeccably clean and long-lasting? You need to take proper care of it. You must pay attention to what you wash your medical scrubs with, how you dry them and how you treat them after washing. In this article, we will follow each step of men’s and women’s medical scrubs care and show you how to remove even the most stubborn of stains.
How to wash medical scrubs
How to wash nursing and hospital scrubs? Should I wash my scrubs separately? How often to wash scrubs? These are questions many of you ask. It’s not just about the washing as such but also about disinfection. Maintaining caution while washing scrubs is the key to keeping medical uniforms in shipshape condition. Below, you will find the most important steps you need to remember about.
How to wash medical scrubs – practical tips
- Remove any belts and accessories from the uniform.
- Separate the medical scrubs from your regular clothes. This way, you will prevent germs from spreading.
- Sort your clothes by colour. Dark scrubs should be separated from the light-coloured ones. White clothes should also be washed separately.
- Consult the scrubs’ labels to find information about the type of fabric, recommended washing temperature and the detergents you can use for washing.
- Always wash medical scrubs at the highest temperature available for a given fabric. According to the NHS, washing your clothes for 10 minutes at a temperature above 60°C should help you get rid of practically all the microbes from the fabric.
- Turn dark clothes inside out before putting them into the washing machine.
- Empty the pockets and fasten all the hooks, loops and zips that may collect dirt during the washing.
- If your clothes are made of delicate fabrics, put them into a special mesh bag or even a simple pillow case to protect the fabrics from the damage that may occur during the washing and spin-drying or tumble-drying.
- Use special detergents to wash and disinfect your scrubs and remove all the bacteria and other microorganisms.
- To protect the fabric from fading, soak your medical uniform in a bowl of cold water mixed with half a glass of vinegar before you put the uniform on for the first time.
- To avoid accidental colour-bleeding over other clothes, add some vinegar to the rinsing or put a special colour-catcher sheet in the washing machine drum.
How to dry scrubs – practical tips
Just like in the case of any other type of clothing, before hanging out your laundry, shake your medical scrubs well to stretch the deepest creases.
Fresh air is an excellent bacteria killer, so dry your scrubs outdoors whenever possible. If you dry medical uniforms this way, not only will they dry quicker, but they will also smell fresh. Remember to turn dark clothes inside out to avoid fading. Before you dry medical scrubs, make sure all the stains and dirt have disappeared completely. If you notice a stain on the fabric, start removing it at once.
How to iron scrubs?
It’s best to iron medical scrubs when they are still a bit wet. If there is some print or embroidery, turn it inside out. Iron delicate elements through a damp cloth.
How to clean white scrubs? If you want your lab coat to remain white as long as possible, clean the bottom of your iron with a damp cloth before each ironing. Remember to descale your iron using a special substance or vinegar and demineralised water alternately.
Ironing will make your scrubs look clean, neat and tidy and it will also help in removing bacteria. High temperature kills bacteria quickly – as long as there are any left in the fabric. That’s why it’s a good idea to spend some time ironing, even if the uniform is not creased.
How to remove stubborn stains effectively – well-tested methods
Due to the nature of medical work, men’s and women’s scrubs are particularly prone to various types of dirt and stains. From surgeons in the operating rooms, to GPs and nurses, to hospital kitchen staff – all of these professionals are affected by stains of various origins. Here are some well-tested methods of removing a variety of stains. What matters most is quick reaction. Keep in mind that fresh stains are the easiest to remove.
Clean clothes show your professional attitude to work
To enjoy the perfect look of your medical scrubs for a long time, remember about these important care principles. If you take the guidelines above into account and follow them while washing, drying and ironing as well as removing stains, your medical uniforms will stay with you for longer, and your professional attitude will be visible in every aspect of your work.
If you’re looking for professional medical uniforms, choose products by renowned manufacturers whose women’s and men’s scrubs are made of the best-quality fabrics. Take a look at the stylish outfits produced by these acclaimed brands: Maevn, Sunrise Uniforms and Vena.