Most medical scrubs uniform fabric are made from a combination of Cotton and Polyester, typically in a ratio of 50/50 or 65/35. This blend of polyesters and cottons provides comfort and durability for healthcare workers, but these fabrics can shrink from repeated washing and drying cycles.
You can expect scrubs to shrink by 1 – 5%, depending on how much heat they’re exposed to, but there are techniques you can apply to your laundry routine that will minimise shrinkage.
Washing and Drying Scrubs
The best way to avoid scrubs from shrinking too much, is to wash them on a lower temperature of around 15-30°C and line dry outdoors or inside on a clothes drying rank. Of course, lower temperature washing is not as effective at cleaning and killing off micro-organisms, but is sufficient to keep your scrubs clean for daily wear, providing they are not heavily soiled or require much sterilisation.
Depending on your position, your scrubs will be exposed to different levels of staining – blood, vomit, dyes, body fluids, medical lotions, and bacteria and viruses. In the case of exposure to any of these liquids or biohazards, you must wash your scrubs at a higher temperature of at least 60°C to remove stains, bad odours, and kill germs.
If you have to wash your scrubs at a higher temperature, make sure to air dry either outside or indoors, if possible. If you need to tumble dry your damp scrubs, use a low heat for the least amount of time, or select “iron dry” or “cupboard dry” setting, as this will prevent scrub fabrics from drying out completely and shrinking excessively.
Working full time in the NHS, hospital, nursing, social care, or vets, could mean that scrubs are large part of your laundry. It’s recommended that you invest in a good washing machine and 9kg heat pump tumble dryer as these will have gentle wash and dry setting to care for scrubs fabric.
Why Scrubs Are Made from Cotton and Polyester
Workwear such as scrubs made from part polyester part cotton are easy to clean, comfortable to wear because of softness and breath-ability. They resist colour fade and keep their shape, providing they are washed and dried with care, following the laundry label guide.
Polyester can help hold colour and increases durability of scrubs, but excessive heat can cause shrinking. Following the manufacturers label and our tips, you can minimise shrinkage and enjoy long-lasting wear of your medical scrubs, however messy your job.
What Causes Scrubs to Shrink
Cotton – it’s soft, yet strong, breathable and anti-bacterial, making it the ideal fabric for scrubs. There’s only one drawback, like wool it will contract and shrink under some conditions.
Cotton is derived from cellulose, a natural substance made up of long chains of hundreds to thousands of units. From a chemical standpoint, cellulose (and cotton) are attracted to water. If you’ve experienced wearing wet scrubs, you know how absorbent it can be.
Scrubs made from a high ratio of cotton absorbs a great deal of water and takes a considerable time to dry naturally. Ironically, this is the reason we use tumble dryers.
When scrubs are washed, they absorb a lot of water, expanding in size. Then, when exposed to the heat of a tumble dryer, they shrink back to their original dimensions.
However, as they continue to dry, they begin to curl, resulting in a smaller size than before. The water molecules also facilitate the movement between cellulose molecules, making them more likely to come together. This effect is particularly pronounced in materials that absorb water well, such as cotton, linen, and wool.
It’s not just the heat that accomplishes this; the tumbling and high RPM spin also plays a role. The tumbling and spinning process causes the fibers to tighten, further shrinking your scrubs.
A combination of high heat and tumbling can have a detrimental impact on your scrubs, shrinking and shortening the lifespan.
Of course, the simplest way to prevent your clothes from shrinking in the dryer is to avoid using a dryer altogether, but that is not always practical. Low heat wash, moderate spin speed of 1,000rpm, and hang out to air dry is the best way to prevent heavy shrinking.