Scrubs in Public

[ides]

So, on Friday Oscar & I met dh at the hospital and we all walked home together. He usually wears clean scrubs into work and wears the dirty ones home. When he gets home he showers and changes. While we were waiting at a corner for the light to change we were baraged by an old woman shouting at dh for wearing his scrubs outside of the hosptial. I know she's looney, but I did some web searches and there seems to be some controversy about if it's okay to wear them out of the hospital or not due to microbes that might be on there clothing. What's your take on this? Does your SO wear their scrubs home or out of the hospital?

[Pollyanna]

Dh wears them home but not if they have any blood or other fluids on them. That lady clearly had too much time on her hands. Would have been totally funny if your dh stripped down right there, put the scrubs in a trash can and said, "do you feel better now?" Heeheee

[ides]

good suggestion!! I'll pass it on for the next time a loony person attacks.

[MrsK]

So, was she more concerned about him bringing germs into the hospital or bringing germs home to you?

DrK wears his home and puts them right down the chute. We wash everything in hot water. Still, when he was doing his peds rotation, I was *so* sick.

[oceanchild]

I am so not into this germ paranoia business. I imagine if they're covered in bodily fluids they probably shouldn't leave the hospital, but if my husband is bringing home germs, it's not because of his clothing, it's because we kiss or share water glasses or that kind of stuff.

In DH's program, the residents pretty much only wear scrubs at night, and even then they seem to prefer to wear scrub pants with t-shirts.

[Auspicious]

He actually changes into clean scrubs at the end of the day, and leaves his dirty shoes at work, too. Comes home, immediately takes off and hangs up the scrubs, and showers. He wears the "clean" scrubs back to the hospital the next morning, and changes his shoes when he gets there. We're happy to have the hospital do the laundering of the scrubs!

[poky]

I see people wandering around in public in scrubs all the time, here. This area's medical population's probably a larger proportion of the general public than in most areas, though. I've never seen anyone get any grief for it, but it doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I like Auspicious' solution a lot. If/when we get to the point where DH is wearing scrubs every day instead of "business casual" clothing, I'll see if we can't implement that. I don't relish the idea of having to wash scrubs at home.

Poky - if I remember correctly CCF has one of those scrub-nazi systems where you must return a set of dirty scrubs in order to obtain a clean set. UH had a similar program. I never, ever washed work-scrubs at home after med school.

[Bittersweet]

He actually changes into clean scrubs at the end of the day, and leaves his dirty shoes at work, too. Comes home, immediately takes off and hangs up the scrubs, and showers. He wears the "clean" scrubs back to the hospital the next morning, and changes his shoes when he gets there. We're happy to have the hospital do the laundering of the scrubs!

Minus leaving his shoes, that's exactly what DH did during med. school. I'm never sad about having less dirty laundry.

[Thirteen]

DH and his mom (nurse) wash their dirty ones together. Hot water, hot dryer.
When he comes home, he immediately changes and washes up to the elbows in chlorhexadine (sp?). If they have fluids, they don't come home.

For everything else, I'm a big believer in a 1:1 bleach/water solution, and Lysol.
I Lysol a LOT.

...But I'm a freak.

[GrayMatterWife]

Don't worry about crazy lady. I'm sure there's a social grace granted to medical staff walking home. Just don't wear them into restaurants if you're eating inside, I'd say (although people around here do it all the time...).

DH is required to wear his lab coat over his scrubs any time he is not in the OR itself. I think this is a great policy, honestly. It makes them look more professional and covers up any "indiscretions" of bodily fluids that they may have from patients. They are not permitted to substitute a sweater or pullover or something, instead. Must be a lab coat.

And, if he gets caught with blood on the exposure parts of his scrubs outside the OR, he'll get chewed out. They are really into professional appearance. It is considered a complete scandal that DH has a goatee. The chairman hates it.

[BonBon]

I hate busybodies.

That said...DH wears a suit into work, changes into scrubs and work shoes, and when he's done, leaves his scrubs/shoes at the hospital. The only thing I ever wash is his lab coat, and that's only because when the hospital washes it it doesn't always come back.

Do other hospitals not do laundry?!

[madeintaiwan]

They have a scrub system here too. They are only allowed so many scrubs at a time. They can drop in their dirty scrubs and swipe their card for clean ones. Sometimes they are out of DH size, so I just wash them at home. And he tries to do the come home in a clean pair thing too.

[Sheherezade]

Damn. We must be sick here. We have an entire load of scrubs each week. Now, I feel bad for doing the laundry! I've got a scrub collection that you would not believe. All colors, all institutions. Several of the hospitals DH has frequented had the scrub machine rationing policy; obviously, he's figured out how to circumvent that. He only wears "real clothes" when he is in the office -- two days a week. Even on those days, he will wear scrubs if he has a small case in the morning. I think he has gone WEEKS wearing nothing but scrubs.

I never worried much about the germs until now. Since we've survived this way for twelve years + do you think I'm OK? Or should I rock the marital boat and establish a house dress code?

[MrsK]

Sheesh, I must wash at least 5 pairs of scrubs every week. And I hate to admit, DrK has worn them in resturants to/from work or mid-day.