Cleaning your nursing scrubs is an essential part of being a nurse, despite how monotonous it may appear. Since medical scrubs are frequently exposed to stains and bacteria, washing them properly is important for you and your family’s health. Here are tips to help you clean your hospital scrubs online.
- Add white vinegar to warm water while washing scrubs.
Wash your scrubs in warm water as soon as you bring them home. Warm water for residential washing machines is about 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Fabrics can be cleaned at this temperature without suffering from considerable fading or shrinkage. Add a half-cup of white vinegar to the load to maintain the softness of the fabric and help your scrubs maintain their color.
- Treat stains before washing
If you come across any tough stains like blood, ointment, or other bodily fluids, you should treat them first before cleaning your nursing scrubs because if they don’t totally come out, they might set.
For ointments and other oil-based stains, apply liquid dish soap or detergent to clothes that have oil-based stains as a preventative measure. After soaking for 5 to 10 minutes, wash it in hot water.
For the blood, use hydrogen peroxide. Apply a little bit immediately to the stain, then rinse with cold water. Apply again as necessary, and wash your uniforms as usual.
Liquid medication: Some medications have colors added, so occasionally you may get some on your scrubs. To attempt to remove the stain, soak the fabric in cold water and an oxygen-based bleach for one to eight hours before washing as usual.
Bodily fluids: Use baking soda, hydrogen peroxide, and cold water to remove bodily fluid stains, including pee, vomit, and feces. Spray a hydrogen peroxide/water solution with a 1:4 ratio liberally over the stain after sprinkling baking soda on it. Wash as usual after rinsing with cold water.
Iodine: To pretreat iodine stains, mix liquid dish soap, warm water, and white vinegar. Apply the solution again, blot the stain with a dry cloth, and keep blotting until the stain is gone. Afterward, wash your scrubs as usual.
- Clean your nursing scrubs immediately after you get from work
Try to wash your scrubs immediately after work, or at the very least store them away from the rest of your dirty laundry, to prevent transferring fluids or bacteria from your shift to your other clothes. When handling them, put on gloves if they are extremely dirty.
- When washing, flip them inside out.
Turning your scrubs inside out helps keep the fabric in good condition and prevents pilling and fading, just like when you wash your favorite pair of jeans.
- Don’t wash your scrubs with your other garments.
Once clean, your scrubs won’t infect the rest of your wardrobe, but it’s essential to wash them separately to avoid unintentional contamination.
- Before drying, look for stains.
Examine your scrubs for any remaining stains before putting them in the dryer. These stains may become nearly impossible to remove once the fabric has dried.
For the greatest level of disinfectant strength, dry the scrubs on high heat for at least thirty minutes. Drying on the lowest setting should be sufficient if disinfection isn’t a big deal. Additionally, you might want to line dry any garments where shrinkage is an issue, such as lab coats or scrub jackets.
Infographic created by Evergreen Medical Services, Experts in Medical Gas Verification Testing
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