Surgeons Scrub In, and the Clothes Took the Name
To scrub is to clean by hard rubbing. Hospital scrubs are named after the surgical scrubbing that precedes surgery.
To scrub is to clean by rubbing hard, usually with a brush. Hospital *scrubs* take their name from the ritual that precedes surgery: surgeons *scrub in*, washing hands and forearms thoroughly before entering the sterile field, and the clean garments put on afterwards became scrubs. Joseph Lister's work in the 1860s made antiseptic practice standard. A separate word *scrub* means low stunted vegetation, and to *scrub* a mission means to cancel it.
- To clean by rubbing. *Scrub the floor.*
- Hospital clothing. *Surgical scrubs.*
- Low vegetation. *Desert scrub.*
- To cancel. *The launch was scrubbed.*
- Middle Dutch — *schrobben*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | scrub | Scrub it. |
| Past | scrubbed | Scrubbed. |
| Noun | scrub | A good scrub. |
| Plural | scrubs | Scrubs. |
| Phrase | scrub in | Scrub in. |
- Scrub the pan with a brush.Cleaning.
- The surgeon scrubbed in.Medicine.
- The launch was scrubbed.Cancellation.
Why surgical scrubbing matters
- Lister introduced antiseptic surgery in the 1860s
- Scrubbing in means washing hands and forearms thoroughly
- Sterile gowns and gloves go on afterwards
- Scrubs are worn because they are easy to launder at high temperature
- The colour changed from white to green or blue to reduce eye strain
Probably from Middle Dutch *schrobben*, to scrape or scrub. The vegetation sense is a variant of *shrub*.
Why are hospital clothes called scrubs?
From scrubbing in, the thorough hand and forearm wash before surgery. The clean garments put on after took the name.
Why are scrubs green or blue?
White was replaced because it caused glare and afterimages under bright lights; green sits opposite red on the colour wheel and rests the eye.