How to Take Care of Your Lab Coats and Scrubs for Long-Time Wear
While some industries and workplaces are lucky enough to have a laundry service do the dirty work for them, many us still have to do the cleaning ourselves when it comes to washing our lab coats and scrubs.
To keep your career wear looking vibrant and in tip-top shape for as long as possible given the wear and tear we know your uniforms go through, here are our top care tips for long-time wear:
Read the Care Instructions
It seems obvious, but think about how many times you just throw everyday items in the wash and don’t think to look at the label because your lab coat or scrubs might be made out of a material that seems “intuitive” to wash or care for.
Well, upon further inspection you might be surprised that you’re using the wrong water temperature or iron setting, which is one of the main culprits for your career wear fading quickly or wearing out earlier than the should be.
Keep Your Lab Coats and Scrubs on Rotation
Rather than washing the same lab coat or couple sets of scrubs over and over again, invest in buying several items or pairs of everything you need so you can rotate what you’re wearing and replace just an item or two at a time as you retire them instead of having to buy a whole new work wardrobe all at once since everything you own is worn out.
This requires more of an upfront investment, but pays off in the long run as you’ll be able to keep your career items lasting longer since you won’t be over-wearing and over-washing the same few items. (Also, now is the perfect time to make that upfront investment of several new items since everything in the Central Uniforms store is currently 10% off with the checkout code, “AUGUST.”)
Stop Using Fabric Softener
We know, we know, it makes your clothes smell super clean and feel nice and soft, but continual use can cause your clothing fabric to become less absorbent, which means you’re clothing isn’t getting as clean as it could be.
And when it comes to washing scrubs and lab coats, we all know we want those garments as clean as possible because, well, you know the stuff that ends up on there. You’ll also want to forgo the fabric softener because softener residue tends to attract dust and lint to clothing, which can accelerate the breakdown of the fabric on top of normal wear and tear.
Spot Treat ASAP
Scrub and lab coat-wearing workers are probably more prone to clothing spots and stains than any other profession, but besides the obvious icky stains, coffee spills are another frequent healthcare worker woe.
Tide To Go pens are a saving grace for white lab coat wearers whether it be coffee stains or pen marks, the earlier you can spot treat the better chance you have of being able to wash it out later. Once you’re home, there are a million ways to get out various stains, and we love this comprehensive list of tricks and tips.
Wash Inside Out
Washing your clothing inside out well help colors from fading as well as keep embellishments such as patches, which many work uniforms have, in tact for a longer period of time.
This also helps protect your clothing from pilling from the heat of the dryer, which can do a number on clothing over time.
Got any other laundry tips you swear by for keeping your lab coats and scrubs in tip-top condition for as long as possible? We’d love to hear them!
