1. Blood
Hydrogen peroxide is your best tool. Rub it on the stain until it lifts. It works on white scrubs and cotton too.
2. Coffee
Rub beer into the stain and run your normal wash cycle. If you spilled on the way in and have no beer on hand, rubbing alcohol pulls it out too.
3. Pen ink
Rubbing alcohol works well. Apply it and rub the stain out with a little pressure. Hairspray works as a backup.
4. Ointment
Oils and ointments come out with cornstarch. Let it soak up the grease for 15 to 20 minutes, brush the powder away, and launder in cold water. This handles Vaseline too. Dawn dish detergent also cuts oil-type stains.
5. Urine
Add a quarter cup of baking soda to your regular detergent, fill the fabric softener cup with vinegar, and wash normally.
6. Sweat
Mix one tablespoon of vinegar with half a cup of water, blot it onto the stains, and wash.
Keep a Tide To Go Instant Stain Remover Pen in your work bag for the stains you catch in the moment.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you get blood out of scrubs? Hydrogen peroxide is the go-to. Rub it directly on the stain until it lifts, then wash in cold water. Treat the stain while it is fresh, and never put the garment in the dryer until it is gone, since heat sets blood permanently.
Can you wash scrubs at home? Yes, for most settings. The CDC's environmental infection control guidance treats the disease-transmission risk from routine laundry as negligible, so home washing is generally fine. Some surgical or isolation settings require facility laundering, so follow your employer's policy.
Why should you never dry a stained uniform? Dryer heat bonds the stain to the fabric and can make it impossible to remove. Always confirm the stain is gone before the garment goes anywhere near heat.
What removes ink and oil stains from scrubs? Rubbing alcohol (or hairspray as a backup) breaks down pen ink. For ointments and oils, cornstarch or Dawn dish detergent cuts the grease before a cold-water wash.
How do you get urine smell out of scrubs? Add a quarter cup of baking soda to your detergent and fill the fabric softener cup with white vinegar, then wash as usual. Skip the dryer until you confirm both the stain and odor are gone.