2020 is a special year, the whole word are under the Corona virus. Due to Covid-19, healthcare products are in huge demand, specially face mask, gloves and sanitizer. Many countries and cities lock down, no unnecessary outside, the most busy place must be hospitals, everyday have new cases, the numbers are still increasing everyday. Hospital staff must protect themselves well in case of infection, today i am talking about one of hospital wear medical scrubs fabric.
What is medical scrubs use for?
Medical scrubs refers to a type of protective clothing used in the medical and health field. Commonly they are nursing uniforms worn by nurses, white lab coats worn by doctors, and surgical gown worn by doctors during surgery. In fact, medical clothing is a special kind of clothing. For clothing with functional requirements (anti-radiation, anti-static, etc.).
Do you know which is the best scrub fabric? which composition is the best material for nursing scrub? what characteristic must include in scrub fabrics?
Medical fabric requirements
1. The fabric of medical uniforms must have high temperature resistance.
This kind of clothing is not simply washed and dried, it needs to be used after high temperature sterilization. If the fabric cannot stand high temperatures, it is not suitable for medical clothes.
2. The medical scrubs fabric requires a certain anti-corrosion performance.
Sterilization is not a simple high temperature sterilization, but disinfectant (84 disinfectant) is added when washing clothes, because the disinfectant itself has a certain degree of corrosion, Otherwise it will seriously shorten the life and usage of the clothes.
3. Anti static ability.
Especially the surgical gown need static electricity, otherwise the hair or lines adsorbed on the cloth will affect the operation.
4. Antibacterial properties.
Because the environment of the hospital itself is a place with germs. If there is no antibacterial properties, the clothes are easy to attach and breed bacteria. On the one hand, it is easy to infect bacteria, also easy Infect the virus to others.
5. Moisture wicking and breathable.
Especially in cases where the operation time is relatively long. If the clothes are not breathable, the doctor is prone to sweating, and the sweat will not affect the results of the operation.
6. Durable and easy to clean.
Healthcare uniforms come into contact with bodily fluids, germs, and hazardous materials, so they must be able to withstand frequent washing and disinfection without losing their shape or color.
7. Safe and non-toxic.
Medical professionals and patients may have sensitivities to certain fabrics or chemicals, so the fabric used for healthcare uniforms must be free from harmful substances that could cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.
8. Meet industry standards for safety and infection control.
Some fabrics are treated with antimicrobial agents to help prevent the spread of infection and disease, while others may be designed to resist the penetration of liquids and bloodborne pathogens.
About medical scrubs fabric, we can divide it into 2 categories according to the fabric of clothing, natural fabrics and non-natural fabrics.
1. Natural fibers: the common natural fabrics are cotton, linen, silk, etc., but considering the working environment and cost of medical clothing, cotton scrubs are more suitable for the production of medical clothing, and cotton and other fabrics are used for better cost control.
Cotton blend, typically blend cotton fabric have good moisture absorption and breathability. Polyester cotton will have good durability. After special treatment in the production process, the fabric can have radiation protection properties.
2. Synthetic fibers: synthetic fiber do not mean that they are inferior to natural fabric in all aspects, more and more scrub brands are currently produced with non-natural fabrics. Because synthetic fabric have strong elasticity, friction resistance, wrinkle resistant and lower price point, most of the commonly used medical clothing fabrics are semi synthetic fabric, including nylon, polyester, acrylic, spandex fibers, etc.
Medical clothing made of non-natural fabrics are brighter in color, with good drape and width. The most important thing is that the production cost is low. Of course, such fabrics are also widely used in other other garments. However, the shortcomings of non-natural fabrics are also obvious. Some chemical fibers have poor heat resistance and moisture absorption.
Also we can divide medical fabric with these 2 functions, Fabric resistant to Chlorine bleach and No chlorine bleach resistant fabric.
Many hospitals will choose the fabric resistant to chlorine bleach, as we know, working in hospitals are dealing with many different people everyday. Because of their special profession characteristics, doctors and nurses need to touch patients to seek medical treatment, surgery, etc.
The medical uniforms will be exposed to various stains such as alcohol, disinfectant, human stains, blood stains, food oil, urine, feces, medicine stains, etc. Therefore, the medical scrubs need special washing and care, wash must be sterilized by high temperature and stain-removing. That’s the reason why most hospital use Fabric resistant to Chlorine bleach.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Medical Scrub Fabric
When choosing the right medical fabric, there are a few important factors to consider. These include:
- Comfort: Medical professionals often work long hours and need to be comfortable throughout their shifts.
- Durability: Scrubs need to withstand frequent washing and use, so it’s essential to choose a fabric that can handle wear and tear.
- Functionality: Medical professionals need scrubs that allow for easy movement and provide adequate coverage.
- Breathability: A breathable fabric will keep you cool and comfortable throughout your shift, preventing overheating and excessive sweating.
Now that we’ve covered the essential factors to consider let’s look at the most popular types of medical scrub fabrics and their unique features.
Most popular medical fabrics resistant to Chlorine bleach
Polyester/cotton blend
The most use and popular fabric in medical uniforms. Compare to other composition it’s budget friendly and stable, have more color options. Because some percentage of polyester, the fabric is more durable and prevent wrinkles, the water retention of cotton polyester fabric blend is well improved, after washing the size and fitting stay same.
Usually have these composition as below for Fabric resistant to Chlorine bleach.
65% Polyester 35% Cotton
60% Cotton 40% Polyester
80% Polyester 20% Cotton
Disadvantages of polyester/cotton blend
Not resist stains, specially oil stains, and it is easier to generate static electricity during wearing, so it is not suitable for anti-static surgical gowns. If you need scrubs with better sweat absorption and breathable, you can choose a fabric with higher cotton composition. If you require on washing durability and easy to care, you can choose fabric with a higher content of polyester fiber.
Cotton
The advantages of cotton fabric, such as comfort, breathable, moisture absorption, heat dissipation, and environmental protection, no stimulation to human skin. especially suitable for the hot summer. Cotton also have good anti-static good for surgical gown.
Disadvantages of pure cotton:
Colors are darker, wrinkle easily and after washing can not keep original shape. Price is higher.
Polyester
Polyester fabrics not comfortable at all, not suggest to use, but it’s cheap still have market.
Rayon
Rayon is a soft, lightweight fabric that is often used for medical scrubs. It is comfortable to wear, and its moisture-wicking properties make it an excellent choice for medical professionals who work long hours.
Fabric resistant to Chlorine bleach, the color more dark the price is more high, usually the fabric supplier not make color Black.
In market also selling many medical uniforms with Fabric not Chlorine bleach resistant. The fabric has wide selection, cotton, polyester, cotton/polyester blend, Polyester/Rayon blend.
Many clients also ask fabric with stretch for scrubs, more comfortable not too loose or tight, fabric usually with composition of spandex/Lycra.
Fabric weight for the medical scrubs
Fabric weight represent the fabric thickness, the more grams means the fabric more thick. According to the season and environment choose different thickness fabric. The best weight for medical scrub fabric from 150 grams to 260 grams.
The choice of fabric for medical clothing depends on its specific use, different fabrics have different functional properties.
The end
If you want to custom your medical scrubs please feel free to contact us. Custom in fabric, color, logo and sizing, get them done today!
