Should Scrub Suits be Laundered at Home?

Some operating room (OR) managers are concerned about self-laundered scrub suits. The two major worries include the possibility that pathogens may be transported into the OR and cause an infection or, on the other hand, the possibility that pathogens might be brought back to people's homes.

There are, however, some that argue that there is no evidence that microorganisms on scrub suits will have any effect on the infection rate or, on the other hand, that dry cloth can carry pathogens into the home. One of the points they bring up is the fact that physicians often wear scrub suits outside of the OR, and sometimes even from hospital to hospital, without ever changing into other clothes.

In addition, they argue that that because personnel in the sterile field wear protective surgical gowns, there should be little to no risk of soiling suits. If scrub suits become Contaminated, then the issue doesn't lie with the scrubs, but instead, better protective attire is needed.

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