Home » Blogs » How Safe is Washing Scrubs at Home?

Healthcare facilities frequently insist that staff members buy their own scrubs. Employees buy their own scrubs and wash them at home, regardless of whether they are doctors, nurses, or support workers. That might not, however, be the safest plan.

According to a recent German study, cleaning medical scrubs at home does not stop the spread of germs. Specialists and professionals disagree on whether the domestic washing can effectively eliminate microorganisms from scrubs. The CDC and NHS also strongly advise against washing scrubs at home because doing so increases the risk of contaminating other family members.

In order to comprehend the significance of proper laundry as well as the risks associated with cleaning medical uniforms at home, let’s examine what we are actually up against here: the bacteria that hide on the surface of post-shift scrub suits and white coats.

According to multiple studies, germs get accumulated on medical uniforms through contact with hospital surfaces and patient interaction. And what exactly did they discover lurking in their pristine-looking uniforms’ sleeves and pockets? They discovered Acinetobacter baumannii, Klebsiella pneumoniae, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) among various other germs.

Simply put, this study shows that scrubs are a breeding ground for bacteria. Through contact with other people in public places or when the contaminated cloth comes into contact with furniture or other home goods through the washing machine, these disease-carrying germs run the danger of spreading.

So how effective is home cleaning of scrubs in reducing the health concerns posed by MRSA and other alike bacteria?

The hazards associated with bringing used, filthy, and potentially infected work clothing home exist. Scrubs that are washed at home will still come into contact with a variety of different objects and people before they are placed in the washing machine. After all, a single healthcare professional can only enforce so much seclusion before it becomes unreasonable.

How inadequate and risky is washing medical apparel at home?

• Some well-intentioned people argue that higher temperature and time are the only factors that matter when washing medical uniforms at home. Sadly, this is insufficient, and a subsequent study has refuted this. The study discovered that even after prolonged washing at high temperatures, there were still alarmingly high quantities of germs present on the fabric. Additionally, home laundering lacks the numerous washing cycles that are typically provided by commercial medical laundry services.

• Scrubs and other medical uniforms should never be removed from healthcare institutions unless they are sealed and contained to prevent the spread of any infections that may have adhered to them. This entails running the risk of coming into contact with anything, including other commuters, children’s things, and any other clothing washed at home in the same machine as the medical uniforms. This leads to a greater risk of cross-contamination.

• When medical uniforms are laundered at home, they are not given any particular storage, leaving them open to any germs that may be present in the house. This increases the likelihood that the uniforms will get contaminated at home or during travels, which could further increase the cross-contamination risk and jeopardize patients.

• There are safeguards put in place to prevent cross-contamination in a designated laundry facility for medical uniforms and linens. When necessary, uniforms are even segregated and properly labeled. After washing, the washing machines are completely cleaned to get rid of any remaining bacterial residues. Such segregations and complete cleaning of machines is not always possible at home.

We recognize that it is a cost-saving measure for hospitals and other healthcare facilities to require staff workers to purchase their own uniforms and wash them at home. This is where the self-sanitizing features of Thermaissance Smart Scrubs come into play.

Thermaissance Smart Scrubs have been proven in a clinical trial to significantly reduce the bacterial, fungal and viral contamination. The self-sanitizing technology works 24/7 to fight against various germs. Washing such antimicrobial scrubs at home also prevents the cross-contamination and keeps your family safe.

Thermaissance Smart Scrubs have been scientifically proven to be effective against various gram-positive, gram-negative, and highly resistant bacteria such as MRSA, VRE and CRE. The antimicrobial efficacy remains over 99.99% even after 100 machine washes. These scrubs do not shrink, do not form lint and do not lose their color even after 100 such washes.

Trust Thermaissance! We have the best of expert experience in manufacturing healthcare uniforms.