Guides · patient gowns
How Hospitals Launder Patient Gowns, and Choosing Fabric to Match
Patient gowns go through a controlled cycle of bagging, sorting, washing, drying, inspection and return. Here is what each stage does to a gown and how to choose fabric and construction to suit your laundry.
Hospitals launder patient gowns in a controlled cycle: soiled gowns are bagged where they are used, transported to the laundry, sorted, washed with a defined temperature, time and chemical programme, dried, inspected, folded and returned to the wards. The cycle is set by your laundry and infection-control team, and the fabric you buy should be chosen to survive that cycle rather than the other way round.
This post walks through each stage, what it does to a gown, and how to match fabric and construction to the process. It is general guidance; your facility's infection-control policy and your laundry provider's procedures take precedence.
The laundering cycle, stage by stage
- Removal and bagging at the point of use. Used gowns are removed from the patient and placed straight into a laundry bag or container on the ward. Contaminated items are typically kept separate according to local policy.
- Collection and transport. Bags are collected and taken to an in-house laundry or an outsourced provider, kept apart from clean linen.
- Sorting. Items are sorted by type, colour, soil level and wash programme. Gowns with ties may be fastened to reduce tangling.
- Washing. A programme with a set temperature, time, detergent and additives runs in washer-extractors or tunnel washers.
- Extraction and drying. Water is removed by spinning or pressing, then gowns are tumble-dried.
- Finishing and inspection. Gowns are checked for stains, tears, missing fastenings and worn fabric, then folded. Damaged items are repaired or withdrawn.
- Return and storage. Clean gowns go back to the ward or linen store, covered and kept apart from used items.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance on laundry and bedding notes that handling contaminated laundry with a minimum of agitation helps prevent the spread of contaminated lint aerosols in patient-care areas, and that contaminated textiles are placed into bags or other containment where they are used. Your local policy will set out how this works on your wards.
Wash temperatures and chemistry
Laundries use one of two broad approaches.
Hot-water washing
The CDC guidance states that a temperature of at least 160°F (71°C) for a minimum of 25 minutes is commonly recommended for hot-water washing. Many hospital laundries use high-temperature programmes for healthcare textiles, but the exact temperatures and times are set by local requirements and your laundry's validated programmes. Check yours with your infection-control team and laundry provider.
Low-temperature washing
The same CDC guidance notes that low-temperature cycles rely heavily on chlorine or oxygen-activated bleach, and that lower water temperatures can be effective when the cycle, detergent and additives are carefully controlled. Low-temperature programmes can be gentler on fabric and use less energy, but they depend on precise chemical control.
Why this matters for fabric
High temperatures, strong alkaline detergents and bleach all speed up fabric wear and colour loss. A gown fabric that looks good when new may fade, shrink, pill or weaken quickly if it was not chosen with the wash programme in mind. That is why the first question to ask before you specify fabric is: "What programme will these gowns go through?"
What the cycle does to a gown
| Stage | Effect on the gown | What to specify |
|---|---|---|
| Washing at high temperature | Shrinkage, colour fading, fibre weakening | Pre-shrunk fabric, colours suited to your programme |
| Bleach and alkaline chemistry | Fading of coloured gowns, yellowing of some whites, weaker fibres | Fabric and dyes that tolerate your chemistry |
| Mechanical action in the drum | Abrasion, pilling, seam stress | Strong seams, durable weave |
| Tumble drying | Further shrinkage, heat stress on trims | Allowance for shrinkage, heat-tolerant fastenings |
| Folding and handling | Stress on ties and studs | Securely attached ties, reinforced studs |
| Inspection | Gowns withdrawn when worn | Visible marking to identify age or batch if needed |
Choosing fabric for your laundry
Cotton
Cotton is soft and breathable, which patients like. It generally tolerates high temperatures, but it tends to shrink more, wrinkles easily, and colours can fade faster under strong chemistry. It also takes longer to dry, which affects laundry throughput and energy use.
Poly-cotton
Poly-cotton blends generally shrink less, dry faster, wrinkle less and hold their colour better than pure cotton through repeated laundering. They can feel slightly less soft and breathable. Many hospitals choose poly-cotton for gowns because of laundry efficiency and appearance over time.
Our patient gown fabric guide compares fabrics in more depth.
Colours and whites
Strong colours can fade unevenly under bleach and high temperatures, so a ward's colour-coding can become hard to read. Ask how the fabric's colour holds up under your programme, and approve a sample after test washing. Whites tolerate bleach better but show stains and can yellow over time.
Construction details that survive the cycle
- Seams: double-stitched or overlocked seams with secure ends resist fraying.
- Hems: wide, well-turned hems last longer than narrow ones.
- Ties: bar-tacked or stitched into the seam so they do not pull off.
- Press studs: set into reinforced fabric; specify metal-free fastenings for imaging.
- Labels and marking: wash-resistant labels or marking woven, printed or embroidered on the gown so it can be identified after many cycles.
Our post on ties vs press studs looks at how fastenings behave in the wash.
Working with your laundry before you buy
Whether your laundry is in-house or outsourced, involve it early.
- Ask for the wash programme used for patient gowns: temperature, time, chemistry and drying.
- Ask what problems they see with current gowns: shrinkage, fading, tangling, damage to fastenings.
- Share the proposed fabric and construction and ask for comments.
- Send sample gowns through the actual programme several times.
- Measure and inspect the samples after washing: size change, colour, seams, fastenings, marking.
- Agree how gowns will be identified, counted and returned to each ward.
This also helps with loss control. A gown that can be identified easily is more likely to come back; see marking patient gowns for laundry.
A short checklist
- Wash programme confirmed with laundry and infection control
- Fabric chosen to suit that programme
- Colours checked for fastness under your chemistry
- Shrinkage allowance agreed
- Seams, hems, ties and studs specified for durability
- Marking that survives repeated washing
- Samples test-washed and inspected before bulk
Ordering gowns made for your laundry
MISHAREN makes reusable patient gowns in cotton or poly-cotton, with ties, press studs or a mix, and logo or name marking for laundry identification. Gowns are made to order at its own production unit in Konni, Kerala, and shipped to the UAE for delivery across all seven emirates; shipping time is part of the lead time confirmed in the quotation. A sample is approved before bulk, so you can run it through your own laundry first.
See our patient gowns page or contact us for a quotation.