The modern medical uniform known as scrubs represents a significant development in healthcare history, moving toward today’s rigorous standards of cleanliness. These simple, functional garments are worn by a wide range of medical professionals worldwide. Tracing their invention requires looking at the evolution of surgical attire, driven by the growing scientific understanding of infection control. The adoption of a standardized uniform was a direct response to the need for a sterile environment and marked a key advancement in patient safety.
The Necessity of Sterility: From Street Clothes to White
For centuries, surgeons operated while wearing their personal street clothes, sometimes with a stained apron or frock coat. Cleanliness was not prioritized, and the operating theater was often a public space. The dramatic shift began in the late 19th century with Joseph Lister, who applied Louis Pasteur’s germ theory to surgery. This new focus on microscopic organisms causing infection necessitated a change in attire to reduce contamination.
Around the turn of the 20th century, the concept of a uniform began to take hold for infection control. Surgical personnel started wearing gowns, masks, and caps, initially to protect the wearer from the patient’s illness, such as during the 1918 influenza pandemic. The earliest standardized garments adopted for the operating room were white, chosen to symbolize cleanliness and a sterile environment. This white attire was the immediate precursor to the modern scrub suit.
The Shift to Color: The True Invention of Scrubs
The true invention of the modern scrub occurred when the medical community realized the functional limitations of the all-white uniform. Bright operating room lights reflecting off the stark white environment caused significant visual problems for the surgical team. This intense reflection led to eye strain, temporary blindness, and headaches, especially when surgeons shifted their gaze from the dark red color of blood to the white fabric.
The transition away from white began in the mid-20th century, with colored attire adopted during the 1940s and 1950s. The colors chosen were green and blue because they are complementary to red on the color wheel. Staring at red, such as blood, causes visual fatigue, and looking at the complementary color helps restore color sensitivity and reduce visual afterimages.
Green and blue also provided a more restful background for the surgeon’s eyes, reducing glare. This shift to color marked the birth of the scrub as a distinct, functional uniform designed for the operating room. By the 1960s and 1970s, the use of green and blue attire for surgical staff became standard practice, eventually expanding to other departments due to its practicality and comfort.
Why They Are Called “Scrubs”
The name “scrubs” is a direct reference to the rigorous handwashing procedure performed by surgical staff before entering the operating room. This intensive cleansing process, which involves washing the hands and forearms, is known as “scrubbing in.” The uniform was initially worn exclusively in the sterile environment of the operating room, which was considered the “scrubbed” area of the hospital.
The garment became intrinsically linked to this preparatory ritual, leading staff to call the loose-fitting, easy-to-clean uniform “scrubs.” The simple, functional design of the two-piece uniform was ideal for the sterile setting, being easy to put on, take off, and sterilize. Over time, the name generalized to describe the uniforms worn by almost all healthcare professionals, expanding far beyond its original surgical context.