Home- versus hospital-laundered scrubs: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the presence of pathogens on scrub attire that had been either laundered at home or in the hospital.


METHODS
Quasi-experimental research design with a convenience sample. The left front shoulders of home-laundered scrubs (n = 30) and hospital-laundered scrubs (n = 20) were cultured during the first 2 hours of a single workday. For the home-laundered scrubs, data were collected concerning home washing procedures, water temperature, pets in the home, and donning procedures.


RESULTS
No pathogenic growth was found on either the hospital- or home-laundered scrubs. In addition, no relationships were found between home washing procedures, water temperature, pets in the home, and donning procedures.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this pilot study suggested that scrubs laundered both at home and in the hospital were free of pathogens, and that differing home washing procedures made no difference. Further investigation is necessary with larger numbers of subjects.
Jurkovich
Priscilla
P
Boulder Community Hospital, Boulder, CO 80304, USA. jurkovich@comcast.net
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic; D006358:Hot Temperature / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D007846:Laundering / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011481:Protective Clothing / Q000382:microbiology*