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.
