Coronavirus: Disinfecting Your Scrubs

Because the entrance line of protection towards the coronavirus pandemic, nurses and medical doctors are constantly positioned in a situation the place they could be uncovered to the COVID-19 virus. Whereas routine hand washing and the usage of hand sanitizers and private protecting gear (i.e. robes, masks and gloves) are extraordinarily efficient strategies of stopping additional contamination, there’s one medical accent that’s being routinely ignored: scrubs, the common uniform of the healthcare skilled.

Every day, medical professionals throughout the nation don a clear pair of scrubs as a part of their preparations for the day’s work. Whereas the cotton-blended scrub materials is supposed to be breathable and promote unencumbered motion, the reality is that the garment’s fibers can harbor pathogens that may simply be unfold from affected person to affected person. Moreover, if the medical skilled opts to put on their scrubs to work after which returns house in them, the possibilities of spreading germs to family and friends members is dramatically elevated.

What may be achieved to stop this situation from occurring? What steps can medical professionals take to assist circumvent the unfold of the coronavirus to different sufferers and their household?

On Wednesday, March 18, 2020, NurseBuff.com, a well-liked nursing humor and life-style weblog, posted an informative article to their web site about this precise matter. The article, entitled Easy methods to Disinfect Scrubs: A Nurses’ Information to Sanitizing Scrubs Correctly, outlines an easy-to-follow, step-by-step course of that may be applied to make sure that scrub uniforms are saved germ- and stain-free.

Easy methods to Correctly Disinfect Your Scrubs

1. Hold your soiled scrubs separate out of your common laundry. In case you become common garments earlier than leaving work, place the soiled clothes in a plastic freezer bag. In case you put on your scrubs house, change out of them as quickly as you get house, putting the soiled scrubs in their very own hamper or laundry basket.

2. Wash your soiled scrubs with chilly water and detergent on a standard setting first. It would be best to ensure that your scrubs are stain free earlier than continuing to the subsequent step.

3. Wash your scrubs once more. This time use sizzling water and a coloration protected bleach.

4. After your scrubs have been washed for the second time, place them within the dryer and tumble dry them on the best setting for a minimum of half-hour, killing pathogens.

5. As soon as your scrubs are dried, iron them. The excessive warmth ensures that any remaining pathogens are killed.

6. Retailer your scrubs in a drawer or closet till they’re able to be worn once more.

Moreover, the weblog put up provided greatest practices to make sure that members of the family are shielded from attainable germ publicity in communal areas (i.e. laundry hampers and washing machines). Whether or not you’re a medical skilled that’s working in a COVID-19 affected facility or a clinician that wishes to assist maintain their affected person inhabitants wholesome throughout these tenuous occasions, this text is a particular should learn. A giant due to NurseBuff.com for posting this a lot wanted info!

Premier Medical Staffing Options is extraordinarily grateful to the courageous women and men which are tirelessly working to supply first-rate medical care throughout this nationwide disaster. Your bravery and compassion don’t go unnoticed. Please know that the Premier group is right here for you, 24-hours a day, seven-days every week, for no matter chances are you’ll want.