Laundering of surgical scrubs has been a topic of hot debate. Historically, healthcare providers typically sent out loads of surgical scrubs to be washed and laundered by laundering services. However, the downturn of the economy has led some providers to turn to home-laundering as a means of saving money. Joan Blanchard, MSS, BSN, RN, CNOR, CIC, who serves as the Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' liaison to the CDC Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee, shares her insights on the issue.
Q: What is AORN's stance on laundering of surgical attire?
Joan Blanchard: AORN has been a proponent of using approved commercial laundry services that use standardized laundering processes. AORN has never changed its stance from not recommending home laundry.
Q: What are some potential downfalls of home-laundering of scrubs?
JB: One main concern with home laundering is forgetting to wash your hands between meal preparation and doing your laundry. For example, let's say you're home cooking and working with meat or fish. There's a risk if you are not washing your hands thoroughly before proceeding to do your laundry. You may be contaminating your laundry, including surgical scrubs, with salmonella or hepatitis A.
Conversely, you could be contaminating your food with pathogens coming from your laundry that includes dirty surgical attire and underwear if you are not washing your hands before preparing your meal. Those types of enteric pathogens, such as E. coli, could transmit to your food and put you at risk of a GI infection. You may never connect the two, but that's where you could be at risk of a GI influenza-type reaction or indigestion.
Home-laundering is a fairly recent undertaking, and the trend may have started because of the belief that it is more cost-effective. However, research suggests the clothes you launder at home that you wear back to work could be as dirty as clothes you came home with from the healthcare facility. Home laundering is not monitored for quality, consistency or safety.
Q: What are the benefits in using a facility-laundering service?
JB: What we're finding is some laundry groups are moving toward accreditation by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council. The cost per laundry facility to be accredited is approximately $10,000, and the guidelines are rather strict. So if a facility-laundry service is following the council's standards, their laundering processes are likely very well-done. Healthcare facilities are joining laundry cooperatives, which makes it more economical.
Learn more about AORN.
Q: What is AORN's stance on laundering of surgical attire?
Joan Blanchard: AORN has been a proponent of using approved commercial laundry services that use standardized laundering processes. AORN has never changed its stance from not recommending home laundry.
Q: What are some potential downfalls of home-laundering of scrubs?
JB: One main concern with home laundering is forgetting to wash your hands between meal preparation and doing your laundry. For example, let's say you're home cooking and working with meat or fish. There's a risk if you are not washing your hands thoroughly before proceeding to do your laundry. You may be contaminating your laundry, including surgical scrubs, with salmonella or hepatitis A.
Conversely, you could be contaminating your food with pathogens coming from your laundry that includes dirty surgical attire and underwear if you are not washing your hands before preparing your meal. Those types of enteric pathogens, such as E. coli, could transmit to your food and put you at risk of a GI infection. You may never connect the two, but that's where you could be at risk of a GI influenza-type reaction or indigestion.
Home-laundering is a fairly recent undertaking, and the trend may have started because of the belief that it is more cost-effective. However, research suggests the clothes you launder at home that you wear back to work could be as dirty as clothes you came home with from the healthcare facility. Home laundering is not monitored for quality, consistency or safety.
Q: What are the benefits in using a facility-laundering service?
JB: What we're finding is some laundry groups are moving toward accreditation by the Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council. The cost per laundry facility to be accredited is approximately $10,000, and the guidelines are rather strict. So if a facility-laundry service is following the council's standards, their laundering processes are likely very well-done. Healthcare facilities are joining laundry cooperatives, which makes it more economical.
Learn more about AORN.