A travel nurse spends most of her life in scrubs. However, a set of scrubs gets dirty and covered in germs much quicker than traditional work wear, like a pair of slacks or your favorite blazer. Most nurses wash their scrubs after each wear, causing them to break down faster than other profession's work clothes as well. It's important to know how to keep your scrubs clean and in good condition to ensure you get the most out of your investment. Here are some tips for cleaning your scrubs and maintaining them as long as possible:
Limit the wearing of your scrubs
Many nurses travel to and from work in their scrubs, unless they're going somewhere that requires a different outfit straight from work. However, this is a great way to spread germs that you picked up in the hospital or clinic or bring bacteria from the outside world into a sterile environment. Minority Nurse suggests only wearing your scrubs when you're at work – meaning you should change into them when you start your shift and change out of them before you leave.
Pre-treat your scrubs
It might be tempting to take off a dirty set of scrubs and toss them directly into a hot washer, but you need to make sure those stains will come off first. A great way to do that is to pre-treat them before washing them. Do this by using an on-the-spot stain remover or making a solution with hydrogen peroxide or baking soda to soak your scrubs in first. The sooner the better – even if you don't plan to wash your scrubs until laundry day, working on that stain right away will make it easier to get out.
Check them out before drying
Sometimes, a whirl in the washing machine isn't as effective as you'd like it to be. If you find that a stain hasn't come out after a wash cycle, it certainly won't fade after going through the dryer. Examine your scrubs before drying them, and treat any stains again. The heat from the dryer will further set the blemish and make it even more difficult to get out. After all of the marks have been removed, consider ironing your scrubs before wearing them to work. This will give you a more polished look while travel nursing and also rid the clothes of any lingering germs.