How to Clean Your Scrubs

Medical scrubs are never free from stains. The key is in knowing different stain types and pre-treating them even before washing. The common stains on the medical uniforms include: 

• Blood Stains- Physicians dress gets blood stains at times. If so, soak in cold water. Avoid using plain soap. Hot water sets deeper the blood proteins, making it difficult to remove. Flush the blood from the fabric as much as possible with cold water. Use laundry detergent of heavy-duty to break the enzymes apart. Allow the detergent to work for 5 to 10 minutes and wash to make it functional. 
• Liquid Medications- These meds have dye added. Mostly the medical students face this situation. Mix oxygen-based bleach high-quality and cold water to keep the stained garment submerged. Soak for longer time, even up to 8 hours. It will remove the dye and keep the color safe. Wash as usual. 
• Vomit, Feces, and Urine: They are protein stains and requires treatment with cold water first. Remove away the solid matter using a disposable spoon edge or tongue depressor or knife for safety. Do not rub using a cloth, the stain becomes deeper. Flush under running cold water and treat before washing using heavy-duty detergent. Add baking soda ½ cup, it helps in reducing odor. 
• Ointments- The stains are oil-based and so hot or warm water is a must to remove stains. Use a dull-edged tool to remove solids. Apply heavy-duty detergent as antimicrobial on any IguanaMed dress and allow 5 to 10 minutes. Wash as usual after flushing using hot water. 
• Iodine: The laboratory technicians may have iodine spilt on their dress. If so, soak in warm water for 20 minutes using some heavy-duty detergent or enzyme-based presoak product. Wash with detergent in warm water and remove the discoloration. Mix oxygen-based bleach fresh solution and tepid water, if the stains remain. Submerge the garment and let it soak overnight or for four hours and launder as usual. 

How to Wash Your Scrubs

Washing scrubs to ensure that they are completely clean means using cold water. It helps in safeguarding the finish and reduces fading caused due to abrasion. Ensure the pieces are on low setting for tumble dry and protect from fading. 

Add white distilled vinegar half cup to rinse water. It helps soften the fabric and there is no need for commercial softeners having chemical base. IguanaMed scrubs have spandex or cotton 65% and polyester 35% require washing with warm water and to dry on heat cycle. 
 
Things to consider: 

Considering the demanding and rigorous medical care nature, the medical scrubs have a high probability of getting exposed to viral and bacterial infection. It means bacteria disinfection is much essential. 

• People handling infected or contaminated scrubs do not catch the disease, the probability is low, yet keep the dirty scrubs from other clothing until washed. The scrubs are safe after wash for use. 
• A compromised immune system within household means they should do the laundry chores wearing disposable gloves. Also advise them to keep their face away from the soiled scrubs. 
• Add chlorine bleach and disinfect white scrubs during the wash cycle. Dilute bleaching agent using water and pour into the bleach dispenser or the drum. Directly, do not add on the modal fabric the bleach.  

Note: The bleaching agent oxygen based are not useful while doing at home laundry, especially to disinfect scrubs. For textured or colored scrubs of the healthcare workers, it is acceptable to use pine oil as a disinfectant. It is effective in hot and warm water. Add pine oil in the wash cycle beginning. It is an effective disinfestation requiring pure pine oil to 80 percent. On IguanaMed scrubs, especially the colored scrubs you may use phenolic disinfectant. 

  Remember:

• Do not wear the scrubs outside the workplace. It is a must to keep it disinfected and clean, so that it helps avoiding germs and contamination. It also ensures you look professional. 
• After washing, until next wear, keep in an airtight container the scrubs. It keeps contaminants and germs away. 
• Pre-treat scrubs with white distilled vinegar and cold water. It helps in disinfecting scrubs, retains the colors, and extends the scrubs life. 
• Strictly avoid washing scrubs with other laundry. It keeps the clothing safe. However, wash twice to ascertain disinfecting scrubs properly. 
• In the first wash cycle- Use laundry soap, cold water, keep the cycle to normal or regular and the load cycle to extra-large or large. 
• In the second wash cycle- Use laundry soap, hot water, and color-safe bleach, keep the cycle and load cycle the same as the first wash cycle. 
• To dry the scrubs keep it for 30 minutes at the highest heat setting. It kills the bacterial. 
• Soak hard-to-clean stains in hot water, scrub with mild soap, rinse the stain, and scrub using hydrogen peroxide. 

  If you are unable to remove from scrubs the stains, you can dump the old scrub and purchase a brand new pair (from IguanaMed). Check out our collection and see why our scrubs are the best!