Someone berated me for asking why they are making "Scrubs bags" for the NHS

[menacingvern]

I signed up to help this person, however all they seem to be making are pillow cases for doctors and nurses to take their scrubs home.
I thought this was really unhygienic as they are going to be made of cotton.

I told her they would have to be lined with some sort of plastic to stop infection and then she called me for everything.
She has people on her page saying "My (dad, mother,son,uncle,gran.....) died I would like the sheets she died in to be made into a nice bag for the NHS workers to know how much they meant to her"
I find this a bit weird, disgusting and a total spread of corona virus.
I may be totally wrong but I would not want to touch a dead persons sheets made into a scrub bag

47bythehairsonmychinichinchin Yeah, but would you want to take it home in a 1. Bag...origin unknown or 2. Dead patients sheets

Lots of hospital patients sleep on sheets that other people have died on.

Isn't it that operating theatre, high-dependency units etc have scrubs provided and laundered, but other more "lowly" medical staff might not (budget cuts) so typically launder their own stuff?

@menacingvern I’m a bit odd and superstitious, I want to know the origin of my stuff so won’t be using any donated scrub bags.

Btw, on the questions of "officially requested", my local HC Trust is canvassing people with sewing machines to make scrubs via official channels and providing materials and patterns...

58NoSquirrels Is that not a different thing. I thought when I got into the argument originally that I was cutting out material to be sewn into scrubs. Then I found out it was big gym kit bags

@menacingvern I really feel your last comment is insensitive in the current climate

I work in theatres and scrubs are provided. As are in endoscopy. A&e, itu and hdu all wear tailored scrubs with names abs departments in and they wash them at home. Maybe they mean them?

Our uniform wearing staff are being told to wear their own clothes to work and change in and out of their uniforms at work. A couple of wards have been turned into staff changing and showering areas.

Scrubs, the plain clothes worn by medics when dealing with patients, are being used by an increasing number of NHS staff as part of their personal protective equipment and changed more frequently in order to stop the spread of Covid-19, so volunteer sewers around the country have come together to make up the shortfall

They are not only making scrubs in a range of sizes, but also scrub caps, scrub bags so the clothes can be transported and washed safely by staff at home, and headbands to alleviate the pressure of face masks

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/13/volunteers-stitch-together-make-scrubs-for-nhs

My mum saw the crocheted mask elastic holder things and asked about making them. I told her not to bother. No way infection control would allow them at the moment.

I’d imagine people would be grateful for the bags though.

I absolutely hate having to go to work in my own clothes at the minute. Two sets of clothes get contaminated instead of just one.

08bythehairsonmychinichinchin I am sorry I have had to self isolate with my dad away from my 4 year old and it has taken a bit of a toll.

I honestly thought we were getting patterns to make long sleeved scrubs when I read the fb page. Then I saw it was for bags and I did not understand the need for them. Thanks for sharing both points of the discussion xx

May you and everyone stay healthy xxx

It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me either OP.

Surely a single layer of cotton surrounding potentially contaminated garments is not going to contain the contamination. If cotton fabric was an effective barrier we'd all be sewing cotton facemasks. But we're not. Because they're essentially useless since the virus can pass right through the fabric... so how on earth is this a sensible idea? Surely if there are traces of the virus on the clothes inside then whatever the bag comes into contact with will potentially have virus deposits on it too??

Also totally agree that of it IS effective then all staff need to do is take one of their own pillowcases to work with them? There are plenty of spares being distributed of anyone is short of a couple! Pillowcases are also better because they allow the clothes to work their way out of the bag during the wash cycle for a more thorough clean. Some trusts have apparently said they won't accept the bags because scrubs shouldn't be washed inside them. Of course they could be taken out first and then everything could just be shoved in the machine but then you're once again having to touch potentially contaminated items so the less you have to touch them the better.

I strongly suspect that most people know that these really aren't necessary but it gives then a purpose so they feel like they're helping and I think on balance that's a good thing so of they want to crack on then that's fine!

Btw, I've been busy making scrubs to donate so I'm still doing my bit. I just thought these were probably a better use of my time and fabric than the bags!

Our local hospital has allowed a nurse to collect drawings by local children for the wards, I had to sit on my hands for that.

I know there was a scam going around but this was a local, on Facebook and she posted from her own account.

There is a hospital in London that has organised volunteers to make scrubs in a sterile environment, using appropriate material that has been provided by a tailors. The volunteers cut and sew on machines to a design made by a specialist and then the surgical gowns are boxed and delivered straight to the hospital. Still looking for volunteers if anyone’s interested

Contact is [email protected]

Hospital is in SW10 (Chelsea)

WorriedMummyNow So much love to you for taking your time to do that. Stay safe xx

DH is wearing scrubs at the surgery where he works. They all are because a) they can change out of them and b) they can be washed at very high temperatures. It counts as part of their PPE.

that is what i thought @Ptangyang
that the scrubs were washed in the hospital

but i guess if you are wearing a uniform rather than scrubs, you own your uniform and wash it yourself

scrubs take up a lot of material, bags less material.
i gave away some new pillow cases for someone to turn them into bags,
my friend just brings her uniform home in a plastic bag, puts the uniform in the wash, disposes of the plastic bag.

If I wear scrubs they stay at the hospital and get laundered there...I don’t wear them every day, so when I just wear my uniform I have to bring it home and wash it on a high wash - a bag would be useful I think but I would probably need 2 as my trousers are dark and tunics are white lol

In my trust the infection control policy is very clear. Uniform to be taken home in a plastic bag which is binned, scrubs do not leave the hospital and are washed by hospital laundry. I agree a cotton bag to take uniform home is not hygenic

I use a scrub bag, donated by crafters, to take my uniform to work and back.

Some insensitive comments on here and insulting to the people trying to help.

My friend crocheted me a little coronavirus nurse complete with scrubs and mask, and though totally unnecessary, very thoughtful. She sits in my window with a rainbow banner. The doll, not my friend.

It's difficult circumstances for everyone going out to work, whatever the job, so I'm taking comfort where I can.