Care Instructions

HELPFUL HINTS

READ garment labels for care instructions

SORT garments by color, type of fabric (fabric content), garment construction (delicate vs. Heavy fabrics), and amount of soil. Remove all items from pockets

TREAT soiled or stained garments before washing (see emergency care section for treatment options). Pretest stain remover on an inside seam to avoid damaging the colors. Garments with untreated or still present stains that get put through the dryer will not come out. Stains left untreated on a garment for a day or more will be very difficult, if not impossible to remove.

USE correct water temperature and wash cycle for type of fabric and amount of soil. Refer to the water temperature guide if garment does not contain care label. Follow package instructions for laundry care product and refer to owner’s manual for information on your washing machine’s special cycles.

DO NOT use bleach, especially chlorine-based bleach, it can damage or yellow fabrics

DRY per manufacturers care label. Do not overload dryer. To reduce or prevent wrinkling, remove clothes immediately from dryer. Clean lint filters after every use.

WATER TEMPERATURE GUIDE: Water temperature affects general care, cleaning, wrinkling, and dye loss of garment. If care label does not state water temperature, you can follow these general guidelines or refer to our “care instructions by fabric content” section; Detergents clean better in warm or hot water. Rinse all wash loads in cold water to save energy and prevent wrinkling (this will not affect the cleaning process). Laundering with hot water can shorten the life of your uniforms, we recommend not using hot water unless absolutely necessary.

TURN your garment inside out before washing, drying and ironing to minimize wear on the outside and to prevent color loss. When line drying, put bright colors in the shade.

BE CAREFUL not to over dry when machine drying. Over drying can cause wrinkling, puckering, harshness and excessive shrinkage. You can prevent over drying by tumble drying only to the damp stage, then hang on a clothes hanger for final air drying.

RESET YOUR WASHER: Although all scrubs may look alike, being conscientious of how you wash each load is important. Loads with bleach or bleach alternative may leave residue in your wash basin. As a result, it is important to rinse out your washer between cycles. This will prevent fading or unnecessary discoloring of garments in loads to follow the use of such products.

TO REDUCE WRINKLES remove your scrubs from the dryer while they are still warm and smooth them out

SHRINKAGE: Natural fibers (like 100% cotton garments) shrink when washed. Please read the hang tags to determine how much shrinkage to expect. The greatest shrinkage happens lengthwise. With garment content like a 65/35 Poly/cotton blend, expect about 1%-2% shrinkage. With garments containing 100% cotton, expect to see 2%-5% shrinkage. All 100% cotton fabric shrinks at different rates and for the life of the garment.

WHEN PRESSING your scrubs, do not use the “hot” setting. A hot iron can melt synthetic fabrics

FABRIC SOFTENER can break down the garments fibres, thus shortening the life of your scrubs.

CARE INSTRUCTIONS BY FABRIC CONTENT

65%Polyester/35% Cotton: Machine wash in warm water with similar colors. Use non-chlorine bleach when needed. Tumble dry on low. Medium iron if needed.

55% Cotton/42% Polyester/4%Spandex: Machine wash in cold water with similar colors. DO NOT bleach. Tumble dry on low. Cool iron if needed.

95% polyester/ 5% Spandex: Machine wash in cold water with similar colors. DO NOT bleach. Tumble dry on low. Cool iron if needed.

51% Polyester/46% Rayon/ 3% Spandex: Machine wash in cold water with similar colors. DO NOT bleach. Tumble dry on low. Cool Iron if needed.

100% Cotton: wash in cold water and either line dry or tumble dry at the lowest setting to avoid excess shrinking. Add half a cup of vinegar to the wash water for the first washing to help set the color and avoid premature fading.

LAB COAT CARE

NEVER use bleach on a lab coat that is monogrammed. Bleach will cause the monogramming to fade. Bleach may also cause plastic buttons to turn yellow.

WASH in cold water and line dry. You may still get 1%-3% shrinkage with 100% cotton. These will also need to be ironed as wrinkle free 100% cotton lab coats do not exist. Washing in warm or hot water and machine drying will cause the coat to shrink at least a full size and maybe even more (for 65/35 blend lab coats, washing in warm water and regular heat is fine).

STAIN REMOVAL on a blended lab coat is not a sure fire thing. By keeping the stain moist (until you get to a washing machine) and applying stain remover is your best bet. Stains on a 100% cotton lab coat will likely need the attention of a dry cleaner ASAP but you can always try the same removal technique as the blended lab coat.

EMERGENCY CARE

GREASY SPOTS (i.e. Salad dressing, fat, oil or cream): Pre-treat with a liquid detergent or spot remover.

RED WINE: Sprinkle salt on the stain, add some water and rub. Put in normal wash as quickly as possible.

BALLPOINT INK: Spray with hairspray, then flush with water. Put in normal wash as quickly as possible.

OTHER FOOD OR BEVERAGE SPILLS: Dip a napkin in club soda and sponge the spot

PROTEIN BASED SPOTS (i.e. milk, cheese, ketchup, or mustard): Add presoak to the wash water before adding the uniform. Garment should be given a cold water soak, then a normal wash.

GREEN VEGITABLES, TEMPURA PAINT, BEETS, COLOR BLEEDING, SOFT DRINKS CONTAINING DYE, CHERRIES, BLUING, CARROTS, FELT TIP PEN INK: Gently rub liquid detergent into the stain, thoroughly rinse and soak in solution of all fabric powered bleach and water. If stain does not come out, try a solution of liquid chlorine bleach (if it is safe for the fabric). Garment should then be put through a normal wash

DEODERANT: Apply heavy duty liquid detergent, and then wash in warm water. Aluminum or zinc salt build ups may be impossible to remove.

PERSPIRATION: Apply heavy duty liquid detergent or soak in warm water with a presoak product for 15-30 minutes before putting in a normal wash.

LEAD PENCIL: Lift excess off with art-gum eraser without hard rubbing. Apply prewash aerosol product and rub in heavy duty detergent. Rinse in warm water, and then put through a normal wash.

RUST: Requires a commercial rust remover

Information adapted from Barco, Cherokee, and Landau care instructions