Vacation season’s upon us! Although many of us nurses are way too busy to fly away to Florida or the Bahamas, some nurses get to travel to far away, remote locations—while getting paid for it! I wouldn’t call it a vacation, but… it’s pretty close. These lucky travel nurses get to visit countries so far, I can only dream of going to these places, with scrubs or without.
We know that it’s not easy to keep medical uniforms in good condition. Imagine how impossible it must be for a travel nurse! It’s hard to keep your scrubs in good condition when you spend your days traveling. And when these medical professionals aren’t traveling, then they’re working, just like you and me. The only difference is that they work in the most random places; even in third world countries, sometimes.
Here’s some easy tips that will help these hard-working nurses—and diligent nurses like you, too!—care for their scrubs properly, so they’ll last longer.
Start them off the right way. The first time you wash your new nurses uniform, add a pint of vinegar to the load, to prevent the colors from bleeding or fading.
Treat stains immediately (or as soon as you can!). Stains are very hard (nearly impossible) to remove after they come out of the dryer, so check them for stains before that. The faster you catch the stain, and take care of scrubbing it out, the more likely it is for the stain to come out.
Keep your scrubs at work, if possible. Don’t wear scrub pants as you walk through the sand in Zimbabwe, or even just as you ride the bus home in NYC. And only wear them at work.
Your scrubs deserve special treatment! After a long day, they need extra attention. They do best in a separate, scrubs only load, due to the special care nursing scrubs require for disinfecting.
It’s best to take them out of the dryer halfway through the cycle, and then hang them to dry. This prevents wrinkles, and is an easy way to keep your uniform looking crisp.
Turn them inside out to avoid unattractive pilling. This is also another way to stop the color from bleeding.
This tip sounds basic, but it’s more important than you might think: Follow directions, and pay attention to care labels!
Press your scrubs after each washing. This will help you look fresh and professional, plus the heat of a hot iron adds an extra level of disinfectant, helping to kill germs.
Get rid of sweat stains by soaking the area with white vinegar before the wash. This also deodorizes the scrub shirt.
Be sure to invest in a high quality scrub, like the ones in the Cherokee Infinity line. Those medical uniforms are exceedingly durable, and won’t fade easily!
With all these tips, your uniform is sure to last longer and stay in better condition!
Happy traveling this summer!
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