How to keep Scrubs in Good Conditions?

The scrubs are much more than just a standard uniform. It’s essential to keep your nursing scrubs clean and in good condition, not only for your appearance but also for your safety. Here are our five key tips to keep your nursing scrubs in good condition and prolong their lifespan. 

Start with High-Quality Scrubs: You should always begin with high-quality scrubs to ensure you use durable scrubs that provide comfort and protection. A good-quality scrub will not fade or wear out quickly, and with just a little extra care, you can keep it in good condition. A quick tip is to choose scrubs with high polyester content if you don’t have much time to spend taking care of them. The scrub with high polyester is the easiest to wash and dry. 

First Wash Is Important: get your new scrubs off to a good start by paying extra care in the first wash. One helpful tip is to wash your new scrubs in cold (or warm) water and add ½ cup of vinegar for the first wash. This simple recipe will help to set the color and make your scrubs last longer. With just this simple extra care, you will save a lot of time later by keeping your scrubs in good condition. 

Think about the Way You Wear your Scrubs; your scrubs are for work, so you should keep them at work. It is essential to keep your scrubs clean and disinfected for your safety at work. Therefore, if your scrubs are kept in your lockers or storage rooms at work, you will be less likely to wear them in other places where the scrubs may easily pick up stains and germs, which should not be brought into healthcare facilities.

You should not change into your scrubs until you reach your workplace. Moreover, it is recommended to place clean scrubs in air-tight bags before wearing them to protect them from germs that you may pick up during your shift. Remember to change before doing everyday activities outside of work. 

Special Treatment When Washing Your Scrubs First of all, you shouldn’t wash your Scrubs with other everyday garments. This is for disinfestation and also to prevent scrubs from wear and tear. The scrubs require more thorough disinfecting than a regular shirt or jeans. Your everyday clothes will also harbor other germs that you don’t want your scrubs to pick up; therefore, it's essential to wash your scrubs separately. It is also necessary to wear fresh, clean scrubs every shift. Consequently, it is advisable to have more than one pair, allowing you to wash each set of scrubs together at the end of each week.

If you have visible stains on your scrubs, treat them with a color-safe stain remover before washing. When washing your scrubs, remember to turn them inside out before throwing them into the washing machine. Then, you can start the washing cycle, which is recommended to consist of two washing phases. 

In the first step, wash your scrubs with cold water and regular detergent, as this step is designed to remove all the dirt and dust from your scrubs. After the first wash, recheck the item to see if any stains remain. If you spot any stains, treat them with a stain remover, as stains often contain germs. Some suggest using white scrubs, as it is easier to spot stains on white scrubs. After checking the stains, you can proceed to the second phase. For the stain removal step, you can use a stain remover pen or stain removal solution, which can be easily found in the market. 

The second washing phase is for disinfecting purposes. In this phase, add ¾ cup of color-safe bleach to your washing machine’s built-in bleach dispenser and wash the load with a standard setting with hot water. After completing both washing phases, dry your scrubs on the highest heat setting for at least 30 minutes. This will kill even more bacteria. 

Keep Your Scrubs Crisp and Fresh: Use a hot iron to press your scrubs and make them look crisp. A scruffy appearance, complete with wrinkles, will make you look unappealing and unprofessional in your healthcare workplace. The hot pressing will also kill more germs. And when you finish pressing your scrubs, it is recommended to place them in a clean, dry plastic bag (or an airtight bag) to avoid contamination before wearing them. And then, you can wear your fresh, crisp, clean scrubs when you start your shift. This is to ensure you start your working shift with peace of mind about safety and your professional image.