Frequently Asked Questions

DONATING GOWNS

What is the gown donation process?

To donate your gown(s):

1. First, fill out the gown donation form. In this, you will select from a list of requesting locations and choose a medical facility where you’ll ship your gown(s). We will then follow-up with an email containing further instructions.

2. Please place all clean gowns (new or used) in a sealed plastic bag, leaving any unopened gowns in original packaging.

3. Place the sealed bag(s) in packaging of your choice (envelope, plastic packaging sleeve, paper bag, small box, newspaper wrap, or whatever you have at home).

4. Include a note so the contact receiving your package knows what it is! We recommend using our template.

5. Close/wrap your package with tape to seal appropriately, and write “Gowns4Good PPE Donation” on your package (either in the return address or written obviously on the package).

6. Ship to the address listed for your chosen facility in our public document.

7. There are online options to pay for/make/print labels through USPS, UPS, FedEx, etc.

What about other kinds of gowns?

Choir robes are great alternatives to graduation gowns — go ahead and fill out your donate form the same way! However, bathrobes are not good alternatives (so please don’t send those). Have a type of gown you’re not sure about? Contact us.

Are used gowns acceptable?

Yes! We just ask that they are clean and placed in a sealed plastic bag.

What counts as “clean”?

All donated gowns should be clean. Please use your best judgement. If you have the ability to wash them with soap/detergent either in a washing machine or by hand and then let air dry, that would be wonderful — and keeps healthcare workers safer on their end. If your gown was only worn for a few hours during a ceremony and is still in good condition, that may suffice.

Does my gown need to be altered in any way before donating? 

Nope! We just ask that the gowns are clean and placed in a sealed plastic bag.

Can the gowns be different colors?

Yes! Any color gown will help protect our healthcare professionals in the fight against COVID-19.

Do you want my graduation cap/tassel/hood too?

Nope - that won’t work well as PPE, but you should hang on to those and take a photo with our logo (here’s an easy printout) and share on Twitter or Instagram!

Can we donate other PPE materials?

At this time we are only facilitating the donation of gowns. However, we are so appreciative of your efforts in offering goggles (check out gogglesfordocs.com!), gloves, masks, etc. We encourage you to reach out to your local medical facilities and offer them any other protective wear you may have.

Can I host a collection box or a community drive to collect more gowns in my neighborhood?

Yes! We’d love that - and we even have collection box/community drive instructions. Just be absolutely sure to adhere to CDC social distancing guidelines.

REQUESTING GOWNS

Are the gowns clean/sterile?

Donated gowns are clean, but are not sterile. We are requesting all donors make sure their gowns are clean (see specifications in “Donating Gowns” section) and in a sealed bag for delivery.

We are reaching out to individual institutions to discuss standards of cleanliness. The disease is thought to only last on surfaces for 2-3 days, so we are working with medical facilities to ensure that 48-72 hour timeframe has been reached before use.

Please refer to CDC guidelines for isolation gowns:

• Cloth isolation gowns could potentially be untied and re-tied and could be considered for re-use without laundering in between.

• In a situation where the gown is being used as part of standard precautions to protect a health care provider (HCP) from a splash (e.g., when a patient who screens negative begins vomiting) the risk of re-using a non-visibly soiled cloth isolation gown may be lower.

• For care of patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, HCP risk from re-use of cloth isolation gowns without laundering among single HCP caring for multiple patients using one gown or among multiple HCP sharing one gown is unclear. The goal of this strategy is to minimize exposures to HCP and not necessarily prevent transmission between patients.

• Any gown that becomes visibly soiled during patient care should be disposed of and/or cleaned.

Do the gowns provide adequate coverage?

Yes! Gowns are fluid resistant and full length with sleeves. They are much better than the makeshift trash bag gowns being used by some providers. If worn backwards, they have a high neckline to decrease exposure. 

How will they be sent to us?

They will be sent directly from donors to the provided address. Each gown will be individually sealed for easy distribution.

What should I do if my medical facility has specific needs?

Contact us, and we’ll work to find a solution together.