Clothing worn in an operating theatre — such as surgical scrubs and gowns — is designed to be laundered using specific protocols to ensure proper sanitation and infection control. It is generally not recommended to launder this clothing at home due to the risk of not achieving the appropriate level of cleanliness required for healthcare settings.

All hospitals have strict guidelines for laundering surgical attire to prevent the spread of infections, including specific detergents, pH testing, specific wash temperatures and other controlled processes.

A Shift Back to Fabric

When it comes to theatre hats, most hospitals have historically used disposable caps and discarded them into the bin — a practice that changed in the 1990s. Before then, all hospitals wore fabric reusable theatre hats which were simply laundered, just like scrubs.

In line with a greener NHS, many hospitals are now opting to go back to reusable fabric theatre hats, moving away from the wasteful disposable hats they have been wearing for 30+ years. Many are doing this to include clinicians' names and roles — which has a proven range of benefits, the main advantage being improved patient safety through enhanced communication and the breaking down of hierarchical barriers.

The Laundering Challenge

One of the many obstacles to this change in practice is laundering the hats. All hospitals have an infection control department, and all have differing opinions and recommendations. Some support home laundering — arguing that if staff take their own underwear home to wash, why should a hat be different? Others feel that the stringent guidance applied to surgical scrubs should equally apply to hats.

A Practical Solution

We have great news: if hospitals are already using Elis as a laundry provider for their surgical scrubs or other clothing, Elis will look to support the laundering of our theatre badge hats too. Our theatre badge hats can also be laundered at home, so no matter what the opinion or guideline, we can provide named reusable theatre hats that will:

Reduce waste and replace all disposable theatre hats — including hats for visitors and students. Improve communication within operating theatre departments. Enhance patient safety. Improve the patient journey. Help to make a greener and safer NHS.