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1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteTo help scrubs keep their fit and color, follow the care label sewn into each garment, sort lights from darks, wash inside out with a suitable mild detergent, and avoid unapproved bleach, fabric softener, and unnecessary dryer heat. No routine can prevent every change: dyes, stretch fibers, finishes, and garment construction all affect how scrubs respond to washing.
Start with the care label on each garment
The sewn-in label is the best guide to the finished garment, including its fabric, dye, elastic, closures, prints, and finishes. Strauss U.K. Limited puts it plainly in its medical-apparel care guidance: “Always follow the care label on the garment.” General advice about a fiber blend is secondary if the label for your particular scrub says something different.
Check the label before the first wash and refer to it whenever an instruction is unclear. Pay particular attention to the permitted wash temperature, bleach, tumble drying, and ironing. A printed, stretch, or performance-treated garment may need different care from another scrub with a similar fiber content.
A practical wash routine
- Sort by color. Wash dark garments separately from light ones to reduce the risk of color transfer. Strauss recommends separating light and dark apparel in its care guidance.
- Prepare the garments. Turn scrubs inside out and close zippers or similar closures before washing. These steps help protect the outer surface and reduce snagging and pilling; they are also recommended by Landau’s care tips.
- Choose a compatible detergent. Use a suitable mild, color-safe detergent if the garment label permits it. Avoid aggressive bleach unless the label specifically allows it. Skip fabric softener unless permitted, especially for garments that rely on breathability or moisture-wicking; softener can affect those properties in some medical apparel, according to Careletics’ fabric-care instructions.
- Set the wash within the label’s limits. Select a cycle and temperature allowed for that garment. For lightly soiled scrubs, a lower temperature within the permitted range may be adequate, but there is no single setting established for every scrub.
- Dry conservatively. Air dry when practical. If the label permits tumble drying, choose low heat rather than making high heat the default. Careletics warns that high heat can damage stretch fibers and reduce the effectiveness of a DWR coating on its treated fabric.
Why temperature advice varies
Fiber content can offer context, but it does not override the garment label. UNDAMED’s 2026 guidance gives typical ranges for several fabric categories while emphasizing that dyeing, fabric weight, construction, elastic, closures, logos, and finishing can change the care needs of a specific model.
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| Fabric or example | Published care guidance | How to apply it |
|---|---|---|
| Polyester, viscose, and elastane; or polyester/polyamide with elastane | UNDAMED describes 30–40°C as typical for these blends. | Use the range only as general manufacturer guidance; follow the actual garment label. |
| Cotton/polyester with a small elastane share | UNDAMED says 40°C is usually appropriate. | Do not raise the temperature based on the blend alone. |
| 100% cotton | UNDAMED describes 40°C as typical and says 60°C may be allowed only when the care label permits it. It also warns that 100% cotton may shrink, lose shape, and fade faster. | Check the label before using a higher temperature. |
| Careletics’ listed fabrics | Careletics instructs users to machine wash cold or warm, up to 104°F/40°C, with like colors, and tumble dry low. | These are instructions for its listed fabrics, not a universal rule for all scrubs. |
Sources: UNDAMED’s 2026 scrub-washing guidance and Careletics’ fabric-care instructions. Their recommendations illustrate why the label for the actual model matters more than a blanket rule such as “always wash scrubs cold” or “cotton can take hot water.”
Compare instructions when you wash different scrubs together
If two garments have different care instructions, use the more restrictive settings for a shared load only if those settings are allowed for both. Check the differences that matter:
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- Maximum wash temperature.
- Whether bleach is allowed and what detergent types are compatible.
- Whether tumble drying is permitted and, if so, the heat limit.
- Any requirements for stretch fibers, prints, or performance finishes.
- Whether a recommendation applies to the specific garment model or only to a general fabric category.
If their permitted care does not overlap, wash them separately rather than risking damage by applying one garment’s instructions to the other.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Keep workplace hygiene requirements separate
Routine garment-care advice does not establish the infection-control laundering protocol for your employer or for a contaminated garment. Follow workplace policy and applicable official guidance. Do not weaken a required hygiene measure to preserve color or shape.
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