In most ORs, the scrubs themselves are not your problem. Many facilities issue and launder them, in a color that marks you as OR staff. What you do get a say in is the stuff around the edges: the cap on your head, the layer that keeps you from shivering through a long case, and the fight to see through your glasses with a mask on.
This guide covers those three. For scrub sets, fabrics and washing in general, see the main scrubs guide.
The short version
7 picks- 01 Everyday cloth cap Satin-Lined Scrub Cap with Buttons Amazon
- 01 Everyday cloth cap Satin-Lined Scrub Cap with Buttons Amazon UK
- 02 Long or thick hair Cloth Bouffant Scrub Cap Amazon
- 02 Long or thick hair Cloth Bouffant Scrub Cap Amazon UK
- 03 Short hair Tie-Back Skull Scrub Cap Amazon
- 03 Short hair Tie-Back Skull Scrub Cap Amazon UK
- 04 Cap laundry Mesh Laundry Bags, Multipack Amazon
- 04 Cap laundry Mesh Laundry Bags, Multipack Amazon UK
- 05 Warm underlayer Long-Sleeve Underscrub Tee Amazon
- 05 Warm underlayer Long-Sleeve Underscrub Tee Amazon UK
- 06 Warm-up jacket Warm-Up Scrub Jacket Amazon
- 07 Anti-fog Anti-Fog Lens Wipes, Individually Wrapped Amazon
- 07 Anti-fog Anti-Fog Lens Wipes, Individually Wrapped Amazon UK
First, the hair covering rules
Caps have had a dramatic decade. AORN’s guidance on surgical attire used to call for head covers that confined all hair and fully covered the ears, which set off a long argument about skull caps. Current AORN guidance still calls for covering hair in semi-restricted and restricted areas, and its key takeaways on attire leave it to each facility to set a process for reusable head coverings: what fabric, how often they are laundered (daily is the example), and where.
The practical upshot: your OR decides. Before you buy, ask your educator or manager:
- Are cloth caps allowed, or disposable only?
- Does a cloth cap need a disposable bouffant over it?
- Do caps have to be laundered on site, or can you wash them at home?
- Do ears and the nape of the neck have to be covered?
AORN’s guidance also covers religious head coverings: they can be worn if they are clean, low-linting, without adornments and fit securely, with loose ends tucked into the scrub top. Partial coverings can go under another head cover.
Everyday cloth cap
If cloth is allowed, the satin-lined cap with buttons is the crowd favorite. The satin is gentler on hair than cotton, and the side buttons hold mask loops behind your head instead of on your ears, which matters by the fourth case of the day.
Satin-Lined Scrub Cap with Buttons
Kind to your hair, kind to your ears.
A cloth bouffant or tie-back cap with a satin lining to cut frizz and side buttons to hook mask loops onto instead of your ears. Usually sold in multipacks.
- Lining
- Satin, by style
- Extras
- Mask buttons, sweatband on many
Best for
OR, procedure areas and anyone with long or textured hair.
Worth knowing
Some ORs allow only disposable caps, or need full cover of hair and ears. Check before you buy a stack.
For long or thick hair
A bouffant style has room for a bun, braids or locs, and covers more of the head than a tie-back. It is also the style most likely to pass a strict “all hair covered” rule. Look for an elastic back that sits snug at the nape so nothing escapes over a long case.
Cloth Bouffant Scrub Cap
Room for a bun, a braid or a lot of hair, with nothing poking out.
A roomy elastic-back cloth cap that holds long or thick hair fully inside. Many come with a satin lining and buttons for mask loops.
- Style
- Bouffant, elastic back
- Extras
- Satin lining and mask buttons on many
Best for
Long, thick or textured hair, and ORs that want all hair covered.
Worth knowing
Your facility decides whether cloth caps are allowed and how they must be laundered. Some ORs ask you to wear a disposable bouffant over a cloth cap.
For short hair
The classic tie-back skull cap is neat and cool under the lights, and many have a sweatband across the forehead, which the scrubbed team will appreciate. The weakness is coverage: hair at the neck and sideburns can stay out. Some ORs are fine with that; some are not.
Tie-Back Skull Scrub Cap
The neat, close-fitting cap for short hair.
A fitted cloth cap that ties at the back, usually with a sweatband across the forehead. Sold in multipacks so you can wear a clean one every day.
- Style
- Tie back
- Extras
- Sweatband on many
Best for
Short hair, and anyone who sweats under the lights.
Worth knowing
Skull caps can leave hair at the neck and sideburns showing. Some ORs require a bouffant or a hood instead, so check first.
Washing cloth caps
If your OR lets you launder caps at home, treat them like any other work clothes: a fresh one every day, washed hot with detergent and dried fully. CDC guidance on healthcare laundry explains that detergent, water temperature and drying all play a part in getting fabric clean. A mesh bag keeps a week of small caps together in the machine, so you are not hunting for one in the duvet cover at 5 a.m.
Anything visibly soiled with blood or body fluids follows your facility’s policy, not your washing machine. OSHA’s bloodborne pathogens standard expects caps or hoods where gross contamination is likely, and contaminated laundry is handled by the employer.
Mesh Laundry Bags, Multipack
Keeps a week of caps out of the washing machine's mystery dimension.
Zip mesh bags in a few sizes, so small cloth caps go through a hot wash together and come out in one place.
- Closure
- Zip
- Pack
- Several sizes
Best for
Anyone who launders cloth caps at home, if their facility allows that.
Worth knowing
Your facility may require caps to be laundered on site. Follow that rule first.
How many caps? One per shift you work in a week, plus a couple of spares in your locker.
Why the OR is so cold (and who feels it)
ORs run cool for good reasons: the scrubbed team is wearing gowns under hot lights, and air handling is set for infection control and comfort at the table. The trouble is that not everyone is at the table.
A classic study of thermal comfort during surgery found that surgeons preferred a cooler room and anesthesia staff a warmer one, so a room comfortable for most surgeons would leave a large share of anesthesia staff cold. The authors’ conclusion was refreshingly practical: different clothing for different staff is the only real fix. In other words, the circulator and anesthesia need layers, and the scrubbed team needs to stop being smug about it.
The warm underlayer
A fitted long-sleeve underscrub is the easiest win for anyone who is not scrubbed in. It is warm, flat under a scrub top and does not dangle over anything. Look for a smooth, tight knit rather than anything fluffy, since lint is not welcome in the OR.
If you are scrubbing, skip it: surgical hand antisepsis goes to above the elbow, so sleeves are out under a gown.
Long-Sleeve Underscrub Tee
Freezing unit, warm arms, no bulky jacket.
A fitted long-sleeve base layer worn under a scrub top, for cold units and for covering arms without a jacket over the patient.
- Fit
- Fitted, stretch
- Use
- Under a scrub top
Best for
Cold units and night shifts, and anyone who runs cold.
Worth knowing
Some infection control policies ask for bare below the elbows. Check yours.
The warm-up jacket
Many ORs allow, or provide, a jacket for non-scrubbed staff. Some issue disposable ones and do not allow personal jackets at all, so check first. If yours does allow personal jackets, choose a closely woven, snap-front style that you can close all the way and peel off fast. Snaps beat zips when you suddenly need your arms.
Warm-Up Scrub Jacket
The layer you can peel off in five seconds when a room gets busy.
A light, fitted jacket cut to go over a scrub top, usually snap or zip front with patch pockets. Big scrub brands like Cherokee and Grey's Anatomy make them to match their sets.
- Closure
- Snap or zip front, by style
- Fit
- Cut to layer over a scrub top
Best for
Cold units, walking between buildings, and anyone who wants pockets on top of pockets.
Worth knowing
Many units ask you to take jackets off for hands-on patient care. Snaps come off faster than zips.
Anti-fog for glasses, shields and loupes
Fogging happens when warm breath escapes from the top of your mask and hits cold lenses. The fixes, in order:
- Fit the mask first. Pinch the nose wire firmly so it molds to your nose. Many people tuck the top edge under their glasses so the lenses sit on the mask.
- Treat the lenses. Anti-fog wipes leave a thin film that keeps condensation from beading. Use them before you scrub, not after.
- Check the coating. Some lens coatings and loupe optics have their own care rules. Read the maker’s cleaning advice before you use anything on expensive optics.
Anti-Fog Lens Wipes, Individually Wrapped
Because your glasses fog the moment the mask goes on.
Pre-moistened wipes that leave a thin anti-fog film on glasses, goggles and face shields. Individually wrapped, so one fits in a scrub pocket.
- Format
- Single wrapped wipes
- Use on
- Glasses, goggles, face shields
Best for
Anyone who wears glasses or a face shield under a surgical mask.
Worth knowing
Not every coating likes every product. Check the lens maker's care advice before using them on coated lenses or loupes, and do not use them on anything sterile.
What to skip
- Fleece and fluffy knits in the OR. Cozy, but linty. Keep them for the lounge.
- A drawer full of caps before you know the rules. Some ORs allow disposable only.
- Novelty caps with pom-poms, sequins or loose bits. Anything that can shed or fall off does not belong over a sterile field.
- Long sleeves under a gown. They do not mix with surgical scrubbing.
- Dish soap or household sprays on lenses. Old trick, but it can damage coatings and is no match for a proper anti-fog product.
The quick checklist
- Ask your OR about cloth caps, laundering and ear coverage
- A cap style that fits your hair: bouffant for long, skull for short
- Enough caps for a fresh one every shift
- A fitted underscrub or jacket if you are not scrubbed in
- Anti-fog wipes and a well-pinched mask if you wear glasses
The OR essentials list has the rest of the kit, and the OR gift guide has fun caps for someone else.
Your OR’s dress code and sterile field policies always come first.