Happy Threads Irish Blog

• Clinical:  healthcare professionals are not beauticians, so the uniform, scrub or tunic must have a clinical look
• Comfortable:  you are wearing them all day and they should be designed for the active role of a healthcare professional
• Cotton:  a minimum of 50% cotton will give the garment the breathability needed
• Contemporary:  a smart contemporary uniform suggests an up-to-date practice or clinic
• Cut:  men and women are not the same shape, a unisex product is not designed for the female form. It is also important that the uniform is available in different leg lengths and that all sizes can be catered for.

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It seems that it is the end of the road for Crocs and Croc-style clogs in hospitals in the UK at least.

The rubber clogs are extremely popular in hospitals, they are easy to clean and comfortable, however they do not offer sufficient protection against sharp objects.

According to the telegraph the policy has outraged many nurses who find crocs extremely comfortable, it is also easy to wipe blood from the clogs.

This ties with a uniform policy implemented by the Welsh Government that states “that footwear used in medical and clinical areas should be an enclosed/full shoe, which provides adequate support and a stable, non-slip sole.”

Help is at hand in the form of the Algeria Debra Professional Shoe.

The Algeria Debra shoe has an anti slip sole and anti stain finish, this has been tested on blood so nurses need not worry about wearing blood stained footwear.

The Algeria shoe also feature an insole made from memory foam, guarantying comfort throughout those long shifts.

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Ever wonder how the actors and actresses on TV shows such as Scrubs, Greys Anatomy and Casualty look so good in their scrubs.

We have encountered many Dentists, Nurses and Hygienists who have brought scrubs having seen these TV shows only to find they have purchased an un-shapely, ill-fitted unflattering scrub top.

The reason, most scrubs are unisex products with high polyester content. Design is not a word that anyone had thought of.

The stars of the TV programmes would never wear an off the shell unisex scrub top, apart from sweating under those lights they wouldn’t look so good, see this short clip from the costume department from Scrubs.

The solution: designer scrubs in breathable material. These may cost a little more, but you are wearing them all day. Proper tailoring will enhance the figure, shaping in the right places

If you feel happy at work, you will look happy at work and your patients will be happy

The koi scrubs and made from a super soft cotton rich material and are fitted to the female form, the user will find them so much more comfortable at work, read our real testimonials from Dentists, Nurses and Vets.

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Anti-Bacterial fibre and cross infection control

This is a hot topic at present. While the idea of an anti-bacterial fabric may be appealing this requires a bit of investigation. How are the antibacterial properties achieved? Generally this is either via treating the fabric with a liquid chemical or introducing silver thread. The purchaser should be aware that the active chemical or silver thread will wash out of the fabric and into the environment. As much as 45% of the silver thread can be washed out, therefore the effectiveness of the anti-bacterial properties is reduced. The manufacturer should be able to provide information on the anti-bacterial qualities after a set number of washes. The danger is that the garment will have lost the anti-bacterial qualities without the wearer being aware.

There may be little point in changing into a surgical top without changing trousers or shoes, work uniforms should be a full outfit. Uniforms should be laundered together and not taken home and mixed with a domestic wash. A common sense approach should be adopted.

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In a recent survey we found that a large number of Hygienists and Therapists choose and purchase their own uniforms, a smaller number were provided with uniforms by the practice they worked in and a lucky few were able to chose their own and    have their practice pay for them.

We found that many Hygienists and Therapists require a more individual look and seek a uniform that reflects their personality and profession wishing for something more than the generic scrub top or a beautician’s tunic.

The work of Hygienists and Therapists is active and so the clothing and footwear they wear must be comfortable, through the breathability of the fabric and the fit of the garment or shoe. Work clothing should look smart and allow the individuality of the wearer to shine through.

What does your uniform say about you? does it say, ‘I am professional, I am clean and I am happy at work’.

The survey also revealed that many wish to look different from the beautycare professionals and found the high polyester content of these tunics did not offer enough breathability for the active role undertaken by Hygienists or Therapists. The traditional scrub top is a unisex product that does not flatter the female figure. Koi have bridged this gap by providing breathable uniforms specially designed for the female form.

Many practices have a strict uniform policy and there are certain advantages to this as it creates a professional environment and lets the customer know they are in safe clinical hands. Practices may wish to have different teams in different colour schemes but with a degree of continuity. An example is steel grey trousers in various styles that can be worn with Ashley Pink tops (with steel trim), Ashley Peacock tops (with steel trim), Harlow Steel/Pink combo top and the sienna steel top, thereby giving four co-ordinating options within one main colour scheme, and there is also a men’s range in steel (but not pink at present!)

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Many people experience the problem of fluff on cotton rich garments such as the koi scrubs which use a soft poly-cotton fabric (55% cotton), unfortunately fluff tends to be attracted to higher quality, heavier weaves. Fluff can be removed with a lint roll (available in Ikea etc), sticky tape will do in an emergency.

Fluff should not be confused with pilling or balling; this is the formation of little balls of material forming around loose fibres, which will not be easily removed by brushing or using a lint roll (a razor can help!). Pilling can be caused by poor quality material, a loose weave or excessive abrasion. Pilling will not occour on good quality tunics and scrubs such as those by Hejco and koi.

Five top tips for reducing fluff

1. Ensure there is no tissue paper lurking around in the pockets.
2. Drying clothes in a dryer can help in de-fluffing garments.
3. Darker clothes should be washed separately.
4. Towels (especially different coloured ones) should be not be washed with cotton rich garments.
5. Check and clean the filter of washing machines and dryers regularly.

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