Guides · patient gowns
Marking Patient Gowns for the Laundry: Labels, Logos, Codes and Placement
Permanent, readable marking lets the laundry recognise, sort and count every gown. Here are the main marking methods, what to include, where to place it and how to make sure it survives the wash.
Marking patient gowns means putting a permanent, readable identifier on every gown so it can be recognised as yours, sorted to the right ward and counted through the laundry. The usual options are a woven or printed label, a printed or embroidered hospital name or logo, ward or size marks, and for some hospitals a barcode or RFID tag. Whatever you choose, it has to survive hundreds of hot washes and be readable in a few seconds by a laundry worker.
This post compares the main marking methods, what information to include, where to put it, and how to make it work with your laundry.
Why marking matters
Unmarked gowns look like everyone else's. Once they leave the ward, they can end up in another hospital's laundry, in a patient's bag, or in a store cupboard nobody checks. Clear marking helps in three ways:
- Ownership. Gowns can be returned if they turn up at a shared laundry or another site.
- Distribution. The laundry can sort gowns to the right ward, size and type quickly.
- Counting. Marked gowns can be counted in and out, which is the basis of any loss-control or par-level system.
Marking is one part of loss control. Our post on reducing patient gown losses covers the wider process.
What to include in the marking
Keep it short. More information means bigger marks, more cost and more to go wrong.
| Information | Why | Typical method |
|---|---|---|
| Hospital name or logo | Ownership, deters removal | Printed or embroidered on the gown |
| Ward or department | Distribution | Printed mark, label or colour |
| Size | Correct picking and sorting | Woven label, coloured stitch or binding |
| Gown type (e.g. imaging) | Avoid mix-ups | Label or colour |
| Batch or date of entry | Lifespan tracking | Label or code |
| Unique ID (optional) | Individual tracking | Barcode or RFID |
Most hospitals need the first three; the rest depend on how closely you want to manage stock.
Marking methods compared
Woven labels
A small label woven with the hospital name, size and care details, sewn into a seam. Woven labels are durable and look tidy, but they can be cut out and are small to read at speed.
Printed marks
The hospital name, logo or ward is printed directly on the fabric, often at the hem, chest or back neck. Printed marks are visible from a distance and hard to remove. Print quality and wash-fastness vary, so test them.
Embroidery
An embroidered logo or name is very durable and looks professional. It costs more than printing and can feel rough against the skin if placed where the patient lies on it. Place it away from pressure points. See our logo embroidery service for how embroidery is done.
Colour-coding
Gown colour, a coloured trim or a coloured stitch can show ward or size without any reading at all. It works best alongside a printed or woven mark. See patient gown colours by department.
Barcodes and RFID
Some laundries and larger hospitals use heat-sealed barcode labels or RFID tags for individual tracking. These need scanning equipment and software, and the tags must survive your wash and drying process. If you are considering this, speak to your laundry provider first, because they often run the system and may have preferred tag types.
Where to put the marking
- Visible when folded. Marks on the outside of a folded gown (often near the hem or back) let laundry staff sort without unfolding.
- Away from pressure areas. Avoid placing thick embroidery or labels where a patient lies, such as the centre back.
- Not on openings. Keep marks clear of fastenings, ties and seams that take stress.
- Consistent. Same position on every gown, every size and every reorder.
If you also want visible hospital branding as part of patient experience, our post on patient gown hospital branding covers logo size and placement from that angle.
Making sure marks survive the laundry
Hospital laundering is hard on marking. High temperatures, bleach and tumble drying can fade prints, fray labels and shrink fabric around embroidery.
- Ask your laundry for its wash programme and chemistry.
- Choose a marking method suited to it, and ask the supplier how it performs under similar conditions.
- Test-wash marked samples through your actual programme several times.
- Check legibility, colour, fraying and any puckering around embroidery.
- Approve the sample, photograph the marking and keep it with the specification.
Setting up a marking system
Marking only works if everyone uses it.
- Agree the codes. Ward names or abbreviations, size marks and colours, written in a one-page key.
- Share with the laundry. Whether in-house or outsourced, the laundry needs the key and sorting instructions.
- Mark all stock. Mixing marked and unmarked gowns undermines the system. Plan to phase out or retro-mark old stock.
- Train staff. Ward and linen staff should know what the marks mean and where to return stray gowns.
- Review. Check every few months that marks are still readable and that gowns are reaching the right wards.
Marking for shared and outsourced laundries
If your gowns are washed at an outsourced laundry that also serves other hospitals and clinics, marking becomes even more important. Gowns of the same colour and style from different clients can easily be mixed. Ask the laundry:
- How it keeps each client's items separate through washing, drying and folding.
- Whether it needs a specific mark, code or tag position to sort your items.
- What happens to unmarked or unidentified items it finds.
- How it reports items that come back damaged or are withdrawn.
A distinctive hospital name or logo printed in a consistent place is usually the simplest safeguard. For multi-site groups, adding a site code helps gowns return to the right facility rather than just the right group.
Common mistakes
- Marking too much information in tiny print
- Using a print that fades after a few washes
- Placing marks inside folds where nobody sees them
- Changing marking position or style between orders
- Marking new gowns but leaving old ones blank
- Choosing an RFID system without agreeing it with the laundry
A short checklist
- Hospital name or logo on every gown
- Ward, size and type shown by mark, label or colour
- Marks visible when the gown is folded
- Marks clear of pressure areas and fastenings
- Marking tested through your wash programme
- Marking key shared with the laundry
- Same marking on every reorder
Ordering marked gowns
MISHAREN makes reusable patient gowns with logo or name marking for laundry identification, plus colours by ward. They are made to order at its own production unit in Konni, Kerala, and shipped to the UAE for delivery across all seven emirates. A marked sample is approved before bulk, and the approved specification, including marking position, is kept on record so reorders match.
See our patient gowns page or contact us for a quotation.