Do Scrubs Carry Germs Home? What the Research Says

The short answer

Yes, scrubs pick up bacteria during a shift. Expert guidance from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) reviewed the research and found that every type of work clothing studied, from scrubs to neckties to white coats, can become contaminated with germs such as Staphylococcus aureus and MRSA.⁵

What research hasn’t shown is that those germs on clothing cause infections. The same guidance notes that no clinical study has shown a healthcare worker’s clothing passing germs on to a patient.⁵ So contaminated scrubs are a reason for good habits, not for alarm.

What the studies found

A few studies give a sense of how common contamination is:

• Uniforms at the end of the day. In a 2011 study of 135 nurses and doctors, more than 60% of uniforms grew potentially harmful bacteria: 65% of nurses’ and 60% of doctors’. Eight of the cultures grew MRSA.¹
• Scrubs in intensive care. A study that took 720 samples from the scrubs of 90 critical-care workers found disease-causing bacteria on 30% of them. Caring for patients with wounds was linked to higher odds of contamination.²
• New germs during a single shift. A trial that followed 40 nurses through 12-hour shifts found their clothing picked up new disease-causing bacteria during 16% of shifts, and the hospital room itself was a key source.³
• Coats and ties. A 2021 review of 23 studies found MRSA on up to 79% of long-sleeved white coats and up to 32% of ties in some studies.⁴

These studies measured bacteria on fabric. None of them measured whether nurses’ or doctors’ families got sick.

Where the germs come from

Clothing picks up germs the same way hands do: through contact. In the intensive-care study, caring for patients with wounds raised the odds that scrubs were contaminated, and giving patients a bath may also play a part.² Scrubs were less contaminated when workers were caring for at least one patient on contact precautions, where gowns and gloves are worn over clothing.²

Patients aren’t the only source. In the 40-nurse trial, the hospital room itself was an important source of the new bacteria on nurses’ clothing.³ Bed rails, carts and other surfaces near the patient all count. That’s why wearing a gown when your workplace calls for one, and keeping your sleeves and front away from surfaces, are sensible habits.

Do antimicrobial scrubs help?

Scrubs made with antimicrobial fabric are marketed as a fix. The best test so far didn’t find a benefit. In the trial of 40 nurses, researchers compared two kinds of antimicrobial scrubs with standard scrubs, and the type of scrub made no difference to how often clothing became contaminated.³

Fabric can’t replace the basics. Clean hands, and a clean set of scrubs each shift, do more than any special material.

How to wash scrubs at home

Many healthcare workers wash their own scrubs. SHEA’s guidance says that when work clothing is laundered at home, a hot water wash, ideally with bleach, followed by a cycle in the dryer is preferable.⁵

• Check the care label first. Use bleach only if the fabric allows it.
• Use the hottest water the fabric can take, and dry scrubs fully in the dryer.⁵
• Wear a clean set every shift. If you wear a white coat, keep at least two so one can be in the wash.⁵
• If your workplace offers hospital-laundered scrubs, use them. The 2021 review favored in-house laundering as part of reducing MRSA on clothing.⁴

Our guide to laundry and staph covers towels and bedding too.

Habits that help

Most of what keeps germs from traveling is simple and routine:

• Change out of scrubs before you leave work if you can, and bring them home in a separate bag.
• Follow your facility’s policy on wearing scrubs outside work.
• Clean your hands when you leave, and again when you get home.
• Wash scrubs soon, rather than leaving them in a pile with other clothes.
• Remember the other things that travel with you, like your phone, badge and stethoscope.

For a full routine, see Nurses and MRSA: protecting yourself and your family after a shift.

When to see a doctor

Clothing is rarely the problem, but skin infections still happen. See a doctor if you or someone at home has:

• A bump or sore that is red, swollen, warm, painful or full of pus⁶
• A skin infection with a fever⁶
• A skin infection that doesn’t improve within 48 hours⁶
• Skin infections that keep coming back

Get urgent care or call 911 for fever with fast-spreading redness, confusion or trouble breathing. Keep sores covered and don’t squeeze them.⁶