Blood, chemicals and stains, oh my!
There's no denial that soon after purchasing those fresh and oh so clean scrubs, something will spill and stain them. As a nurse or any medical professional, you spend your day dealing with the inevitable, body fluids, dyes and more of all kinds, so what are the magic secrets to getting all those stains out?
Sometimes you just don't have the freedom to rush to a sink and start soaking the stains, but when you can, get to the sink and start the stain removal process ASAP. Acting quickly will help from keeping the stains from settlings in.
Begin by blotting off all excess fluids and rinsing with the correct water treatment based on the type of stain. Knowing the best practices for removing the common medical stains will save you many scrubs over the long haul. We've gathered just a few of the most common scrub stains and what to do to get them clean again!
Blood Stains: Start by soaking in COLD water. Avoiding hot water will help from keeping the blood settling in further. Rub in a bit of heavy duty laundry detergent, one with enzymes (Tide, or many other common household brands are perfect for this!). Let the detergent sit for 10 minutes, and then wash as normal. Before you dry your scrubs, make sure to check for any stain remainders, and treat again if needed. Blood can be one of the trickiest stains to remove.
Special Tip: Blood stains can easily be removed with the salvia from the person's whose blood is on your scrubs. If it's your own blood, toss a little spit onto the scrubs and let soak in before washing as normal.
Medications: Many medications are mixed with an added dye – you'll need a color safe bleach solution for getting the dye removed from your scrubs. Soak the garment for up to 8 hours in the beach and wash with WARM water as normal.
Vomit and Feces: Much like blood stains, these should also be treated as quick as possible with COLD water to help break down and wash away the stains. Avoid rubbing with a cloth or any other objects to keep the stains from being pressed deeper. Again, flush with a steady stream of cold water and spot- treat with a laundry detergent before washing. Got a funky odor along with the stain? Add in ½ cup of baking soda or distilled white vinegar to the wash.
Ointment: The dreaded oil based stains qualify for a HOT water treatment. Again, apply a heavy laundry detergent spot treatment. After letting the detergent soak in for 10 minutes or more, wash through a full cycle in HOT water.
When in doubt and the stains don't come out, sign up for our e-newsletter where we send frequent coupons and other discounts for all UniformsandScrubs.com shoppers.
