AN AYR laundrette wants to help heroic NHS staff by cleaning their dirty scrubs free of charge.

Dot Cottons want to take the stress away for health care workers worrying about having to wash their uniforms after long shifts tackling coronavirus.

The family-run business was left facing being shut down last week, after the UK government announced that all businesses had to close.

But further guidance allowed laundrettes to reopen, with co-owner Kristine Park, 39, realising she could re-open to help health care workers.

She spoke with her aunt, Audrey Coakley and her mum Linda Fell, before deciding the shop could be put to better use. Kristine told the Advertiser: “Initially we were going to open three days a week for NHS staff.

“We’ll go up to the hospital, if everything is bagged up, I’ll put it in the washing machine. I’ll wash it and then dry it. We could get 50 or 60 pairs of scrubs in a machine at the one time.

“It will only take one hour to wash and half an hour to dry, we could do up to seven washes a day.” “We are using strong Dettol wash that is proven to kill coronavirus.

Kristine is all too aware of the struggles that NHS staff face, as her cousin is working as a nurse at Monklands hospital in Lanarkshire.

She hopes that the laundrette service could take the added stress away.

Kristine said: “My cousin is coming home knackered at the end of the night. Tthe last thing she or any nurse wants to do is a washing.”

The family want to reach out to any other Ayrshire businesses who could get involved and supply them with a van, to allow them to transport the scrubs between the hospital and the shop at Tam’s Brig.

Kristine’s aunt, Audrey is a qualified seamstress who would be able to make scrubs if there was a need.

The idea has been shared on social media pages in East Kilbride where her aunt resides Kristine added: “They have been giving out patterns to make scrubs on grease proof paper.

“My aunt would be able to do that from the shop as well.”

Dot Cotton’s have joined the new volunteer website set up by the Scottish Government, Ready Scotland.