Medicus Scrub Caps Care Guide
The following NHS guidance on workwear washing was updated and published on 2 April 2020. This covers a number of other areas in workplace uniform good practices that we will break down in other scrub cap articles.
It should be noted while this recommends 60C for washing our caps have been tested on industrial washing sites with cycles over 100C and drying temperatures of 180C. We have also had them tested in autoclaves for washing as well.
5.2 Washing uniforms and workwear
All elements of the washing process contribute to the removal of micro-organisms on fabric. Detergents (washing powder or liquid) and agitation release any soiling from the clothes, which is then removed by sheer volume of water during rinsing. Temperature also plays a part.
Scientific observations and tests, literature reviews and expert opinion as stated in the 2007 suggests that:
- There is little effective difference between domestic and commercial laundering in terms of removing micro-organisms from uniforms and workwear
- Washing with detergents at 30ºC will remove most Gram-positive micro-organisms, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
- A ten minute wash at 60ºC is sufficient to remove almost all micro-organisms. In tests, only 0.1% of any Clostridioides difficile spores remained. Microbiologists carrying out the research advise that this level of contamination on uniforms and workwear is not a cause for concern
How this relates to our Surgical Theatre Hats
Especially when it comes to smaller workwear like Scrub Caps the ease in having a few and taking them home to wash at 60C on a fast 15 min cycle should be enough to eliminate almost all micro-organisms. Even if washing is done centrally within the trust or practice these can have a very fast turn around compared to uniforms.
We have tested our plain caps up to industrial washing temperatures of 180 degrees C when drying.
Learn more about Scrub Caps
We really are focused on providing not only the best service but collecting the most information on scrub caps and the benefits for your organisation and its patients. You can find our main article on everything you need to know about scrub caps here.
Speak to a Scrub Cap Expert
Celebrating Healthcare Heroes Worldwide
Amazing facts about the incredible people who keep us healthy across the globe
Global Healthcare Heroes
There are over 59 million healthcare workers worldwide! The US has 18M, the UK has 1.5M, and the EU has approximately 13M healthcare professionals keeping us all healthy.
Marathon Workers
Nurses walk 4-5 miles per 12-hour shift globally. That's like walking from Buckingham Palace to Tower Bridge, or across Central Park twice!
Precision Masters
The longest surgery ever recorded was 103 hours in Chicago! European surgeons perform over 25 million operations annually, while UK surgeons complete 5 million procedures each year.
Did You Know?
The average doctor makes 35,000 decisions per day - that's one decision every 2.5 seconds during their shift!
Healthcare workers wash their hands up to 100 times per shift to prevent infections - that's 36,500 hand washes per year!
A single nurse can impact over 25,000 patients throughout their career - that's an entire small town!
Emergency room doctors can diagnose and treat over 30 different patients in a single shift across the globe.
The human heart beats about 100,000 times per day - healthcare workers help keep millions of hearts beating strong worldwide!
In the UK, the NHS treats over 1 million patients every 36 hours - that's incredible dedication!
European hospitals perform over 68,000 surgeries every single day of the year!
US paramedics respond to over 37 million emergency calls annually - that's one call every 51 seconds!
The average ICU nurse in Europe monitors 12-15 different vital signs per patient every hour!
UK midwives help deliver over 650,000 babies each year - that's a new life every 48 seconds!
Healthcare workers globally speak over 200 different languages to communicate with patients from all backgrounds!
The average hospital pharmacist in the EU checks over 300 prescriptions per day for accuracy and safety!
Radiologists worldwide read over 4 billion medical images annually - that's 127 images every second!
Mental health professionals globally help over 970 million people manage their wellbeing each year!
Physical therapists help patients take over 2 billion steps toward recovery worldwide every single day!
Healthcare Workers Worldwide
NHS Healthcare Heroes
Hours Care Never Stops
Days of Global Dedication