Medical Scrubs
Scrubs are a set of pants and top that are normally worn by medical practitioners and healthcare workers in both public and private settings as well as personnel exposed to infectious or biohazardous materials.
Scrubs are simple in design (to reduce the likelihood of hidden contamination), easy to wash, able to withstand high temperatures (in order to be suitable for use in sterile environments), and cheap to replace if damaged or stained by biohazardous materials.
3 types of scrubs are generally available, disposable non-woven, classic poly cotton scrubs and premium or 'designer' scrubs.
Disposable non-woven scrubs
Disposable scrubs are manufactured from non-woven materials which have high filtration ability and are also resistant to water. These are however only meant to be used once if there is possible exposure to infection materials and not washed and re-used. In some cases they can be washed between 10 to 15 times at most if they have not been used in a biohazardous environment. The gsm rating of the material used varies between 25gsm to 70 or 90gsm. Lighter gsm materials have a higher tendency to tear but are cheaper than their thicker counterparts.
Reusable classic medical scrubs
Classic medical scrubs are normally made from poly cotton fabrics which can be rewashed a number of times at high temperatures and reused. These are the most commonly used scrubs in the public healthcare sector and come in a variety of colors. Fabrics also differ but are generally poly cotton which is cool and comfortable for use in healthcare and hygiene settings.
Classic medical scrubs for doctors, nurses and other health professionals are available from Acomed here: Classic Medical Scrubs
Premium / 'Designer' Scrubs
Premium scrubs or designer scrubs are scrubs made with more a more fashionable design and/or premium materials while still fulfilling the primary requirement of being more resistant to hidden contamination and easy to wash at high temperatures. These are commonly used by private healthcare as well as cosmetic and spa practices to enhance the image of the organisation and present a more professional look. The materials used may also increase the lifespan of the scrubs.
Many institutes also choose to embroider their names and titles on their scrubs for identification, while others choose to use a color differentiation system for departments and staff responsibilities.
