How to Wash Your Nursing Medical Scrubs

Nursing scrubs, also commonly called medical scrubs, are worn every day and absolutely have to be washed every day – for probably more reasons than I would be able to list. Anytime an article of clothing is worn and washed on a day-to-day basis, it is going to fade, look worn out, and/or start to “pill.” Your scrubs are not like the rest of your wardrobe. You probably own fewer sets of nursing scrubs than civilian clothing, but you probably wear that hospital uniform more often than any other article of clothing, giving those scrubs a lot more ‘wear and tear’ than most people’s work clothes. Here are just a few tips on how to keep your scrubs looking newer for longer.1. Purchase high quality scrubs. Anytime you purchase any article of clothing, not just your nursing scrubs or medical uniform, if the fabric is not high quality, it will pill, wrinkle, stain, and wear faster than if you had purchased a better quality product. Stay away from those scrubs that are advertised for $4.99. They may as well be disposable scrubs. You can wear them once or twice before having to replace them, and therefore you end up spending more on the cheap scrubs than you would have on the designer scrubs.2. Separate your scrubs into categories and do not co-mingle those categories in the washer. Whites, darks (your navy scrubs and black scrubs can be washed together), reds (you can also wash pink scrubs with red scrubs), light colors that are not white and do not fit into any other category, and finally your “other colored” scrubs (green scrubs, turquoise scrubs, etc.) Not only will this prevent ‘bleeding’ and unintentional dyeing, it will also prevent pilling.3. Always wash your medical scrubs in cold water. Cold water will trap the dye in the fabric so that it stays in the fabric where it belongs, thus less fading and bleeding. Warm water will promote that dye to leak out, which will automatically fade your scrubs. You do not want your black scrubs to slightly resemble grey scrubs after just one or two washes.4. Add a tablespoon of white vinegar to the water before you add any detergent or clothing. Vinegar prevents “bleeding” of fabrics. It is also a great disinfectant, so you kill two birds with one stone. 5. Wash your scrubs on the delicate cycle. Your medical uniform will last about ten times longer if you always wash it on the delicate cycle. Feel free to wash all of your clothes on the delicate cycle.6. Use a mild liquid detergent (Gain always seems to work well.) Let the water get sudsy before you put your scrubs in. Feel free to throw in a little bleach with the whites only. Do not buy that Oxy stuff. It is murder on fabric.7. Do not add liquid fabric softener. Just don’t do it. Dryer sheets are fine.8. And finally, if you have time to line dry or flat dry your scrubs, they will last longer. But, if you live in the real world with the rest of us, throw those bad boys in the dryer on the lowest setting possible. Your scrubs shouldn’t shrink after they have been washed once or twice, so always start with a lower heat setting and you can increase it the next time you wash and dry your nursing scrubs.Should you get stains on your hospital scrubs (or should I say ‘when you get stains on your hospital scrubs’) will be discussed in another article, where we will discuss the fabric type, color, and the stain type and severity. A quick tip: you can get blood out with hydrogen peroxide.Follow the washing tips above and your scrubs will look better for longer.