ES2732125T3 - Composition for preparing a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution - Google Patents

Abstract

Composition in the form of a solid mixture to produce a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, comprising at least one complexing agent, at least one surfactant and at least one component for encapsulating impurities, characterized in that the composition comprises as a complexing agent: - from 10 to 30% by weight of citric acid, - optionally up to 10% by weight of trisodium citrate, - from 4 to 6% by weight of sodium gluconate, - from 1 to 3% by weight of oxalic acid, - from 0.5 to 1.5% by weight sodium metasilicate, in which the total amount of all complexing agents is in the range of up to 40% by weight of the composition, and where the acid weight ratio Citric and / or citrate to oxalic acid and / or oxalate is between 5: 1 and 20: 1, and because the composition comprises as a component to encapsulate impurities a polyacrylic acid or its salt, in particular its sodium salt.

Description

DESCRIPTION

Composition for preparing a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution

The present invention relates to a composition in the form of a solid mixture to produce a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, comprising at least one complexing agent, at least one surfactant and at least one component for encapsulating impurities, characterized in that the composition It comprises as a complexing agent:

- 10 to 30% by weight of citric acid,

- optionally up to 10% by weight of trisodium citrate,

- 4 to 6% by weight sodium gluconate,

- 1 to 3% by weight of oxalic acid,

- 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of sodium metasilicate,

wherein the total amount of all complexing agents is in the range of up to 40% by weight of the composition, and in which the weight ratio of citric acid and / or citrate to oxalic acid and / or oxalate is between 5: 1 and 20: 1 and because the composition comprises a polyacrylic acid or its salt, in particular its sodium salt as a component for encapsulating impurities.

The invention further relates to the use of such a composition for the production of a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, in particular for application with a spray extraction device.

An effective cleaning of carpets (ie, especially carpets) and upholstery (for example, seats or cars) can be carried out particularly advantageously with a spray extraction device. In this case, a special cleaning solution is applied in a definable dose on the carpet or pad to be cleaned and after a certain exposure time, which can be from a few seconds to a few hours, it is aspirated again with the same device, including dissolved or dispersed impurities. For very short exposure times, application and suction can take place within the same operation. In many cases, the user of a spray device acquires a finished cleaning solution that can be filled directly into the storage tank of the device. This makes the application very easy, since the product does not have to be dissolved or diluted by the user. The disadvantage, however, is that in this case the relatively high weights and volumes must be transported and stored by the water content of the cleaning solution, in which this problem is particularly relevant for commercial users who employ high amounts of cleaning solutions

As an alternative to finished cleaning solutions, therefore, solid mixtures are offered, which must be dissolved by the user in water to produce a cleaning solution. These solid mixtures may be present either in powder form or in the form of pressure molded bodies (pellets), which considerably facilitates the dosing of the solid mixture. Compositions of this type may contain several different components to develop the best possible cleaning action, but generally comprise at least the constituents mentioned at the beginning (complexing agents, surfactants and components for encapsulating impurities). Some compositions are known from international patent applications WO 2014/027181, WO 2004/013267, WO 97/35955, WO 96/14382, EP 0021799.

The at least one complexing agent in the composition is particularly necessary to mark the hardness of the water, that is, to form complexes with the calcium and magnesium ions in the network water with which the user dissolves the composition. The complexing agent also makes a significant contribution to the cleaning effect. Compositions according to the state of the art contain as complexing agents in particular phosphates, which are extremely disadvantageous from an ecological point of view, but so far they could not be replaced by alternative complexing agents with comparable cleaning performance.

Therefore, the invention is based on the objective of proposing a composition in the form of a solid mixture for the preparation of a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, which has a good cleaning performance and includes complexing agents other than phosphates.

This objective is achieved in the composition of the type mentioned above according to the invention, which comprises as complexing agent citric acid, sodium gluconate, oxalic acid and sodium metasilicate.

It has been shown that it is precisely through the combination of these complexing agents that very good cleaning results can be achieved if a cleaning solution prepared from the composition is used by means of a spray extraction device for cleaning carpets or upholstery.

The composition according to the invention preferably does not contain phosphates, so that the use is ecologically safer than with the corresponding compositions according to the prior art.

The cleaning performance of the composition can be further optimized by choosing the proportions of the various complexing agents. According to claim 1, the weight ratio of citric acid and / or citrate to oxalic acid and / or oxalate is between 5: 1 and 20: 1. Here, "citric acid and / or citrate" means the sum of the proportions of free citric acid and / or one or more citric acid salts contained in the solid mixture. After dissolving the composition in water, it is known that the balance is established between the forms of the citrate molecule of different proportions, depending on the pH of the cleaning solution. The same applies to the formulation "oxalic acid and / or oxalate".

Furthermore, it is preferable if the weight ratio of oxalic acid and / or oxalate to the silicate contained in the composition is between 1: 1 and 3: 1. As already mentioned, silicate is sodium metasilicate.

According to claim 1, the composition comprises the following components:

- 10 to 30% by weight of citric acid,

- optionally up to 10% by weight of trisodium citrate,

- 4 to 6% by weight sodium gluconate,

- 1 to 3% by weight of oxalic acid,

- 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of sodium metasilicate.

The proportion of all complexing agents in the solid mixture is in the range of up to 40% by weight, in particular in the range of 20 to 30% by weight.

Another component of the composition according to the invention is the at least one component for encapsulating impurities. Such components bind the impurities and facilitate their subsequent removal, that is, in particular, their suction with the help of the spray extraction device. According to claim 1, the composition comprises, as a component for encapsulating impurities, a polyacrylic acid or its salt, in particular its sodium salt. Polyacrylic acids or salts thereof having a molecular weight in the range of 3,000 to 5,000 g / mol have proven to be particularly advantageous. The proportion of polyacrylic acid or its salt is preferably in the range of 2.5 to 3.5% by weight.

As a surfactant, the composition desirably comprises one or more nonionic surfactants. Particularly advantageous has been the use of one or more polyalkylene glycol ethers as non-ionic surfactants, also known as fatty alcohol ethoxylates. In addition, of course, the composition may also contain other surfactants, for example, anionic or amphoteric surfactants.

It is favorable if the composition further comprises at least one component that absorbs the smell. Therefore, in addition to the actual cleaning effect, another beneficial effect in the treatment of carpets or upholstery can be achieved. Particularly advantageous is the use of zinc ricinoleate as a component that absorbs odor.

As an additional advantageous component, the composition may comprise one or more disintegrating agents. These are particularly water soluble substances that facilitate and accelerate the dissolution of the solid mixture. The composition preferably comprises sodium carbonate and / or sodium hydrocarbonate as a disintegrant.

Another advantageous component in the composition according to the invention is cellulose fibers. These improve the flowability of the solid mixture and counteract the formation of lumps, so that the composition can be dosed well.

In the context of the present invention, the solid mixture may be present in powder form or in the form of a pressure molded body, that is, a so-called tablet. In the case of the tablets, the dose of the composition is simplified for the user because he does not need any tool to measure a certain amount of powder.

The qualitative and quantitative composition of the solid mixture is substantially the same for both the powder and the tablets, although the tablets generally provide a lower concentration of the cleaning solution to be prepared. Slightly lower cleaning performance is supported with respect to more comfortable handling.

However, there are differences in the composition, in that the composition in the form of tablets normally does not comprise a component that absorbs the odor, since this would hardly be effective in the lower dosage. In addition, the tablet-shaped composition preferably comprises a greater proportion of disintegrants, in particular from 40 to 50% by weight, so that the pressure-molded body disintegrates as quickly as possible in contact with water and dissolves.

It is advantageous that the pressure molded body is coated with a water soluble film, in particular based on polyvinyl alcohol. In this way, undesirable contact of the skin with the components of the composition can be avoided.

The present invention further relates to the use of the composition described above for the production of a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, in particular for use with a spray extraction apparatus.

In the preparation of the cleaning solution, preferably 3 to 15 g of the composition is dissolved in a liter of water. As mentioned earlier, higher concentrations (for example, 10 g / L) are generally chosen when the solid mixture is in powder form rather than in the form of a pressure molded body (then, for example, only 4 g / L).

The composition according to the invention can be optimized for the purpose of dissolving the solid mixture relatively quickly (for example, in cold water for one minute and warm water for one minute, both in the case of a powder and in the case of the tablets ). This can be achieved, in particular, by a corresponding proportion of disintegrant.

Depending on the degree of dirt, cleaning with the spray extraction apparatus can be carried out by two different methods:

In the first method, which is intended to treat persistent dirt, the entire carpet or upholstery is first sprayed with the cleaning solution so that it can act for a certain period of time (for example, about 5 minutes or the period of time that it takes to spray a room). It is then sprayed once or twice (that is, the cleaning solution is sprayed and extracted by suction in a single operation). After drying, the monocrystallized and / or residual encapsulated contaminants can be removed by suction.

In the second method, which is usually only suitable for lighter dirt, the carpet or upholstery is simply removed by spraying and then allowed to dry. Monocrystalline and / or encapsulated contaminants can be subsequently removed by suction or in the following maintenance cleaning.

Basically, a final rinse of the carpet or upholstery with water is not required when using the composition according to the invention. This shortens the required drying time, which is usually around 12 hours.

These and other advantages of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following embodiments. Examples:

1. Solid mixtures for use in powder form.

Six different compositions were prepared as solid mixtures in powder form (Examples 1 to 6), whose qualitative and quantitative composition is provided in Table 1 below. Examples 1-3 are comparative examples. Examples 4-6 are in accordance with the invention.

Of the six solid mixtures, cleaning solutions were prepared by dissolving 10 g of each powder in a liter of water.

The cleaning effect of the solutions was determined according to the following test procedure: A defined test dirt is applied to a cut of a light suede carpet made of synthetic fibers in a drum of contamination, in which the drum of contamination is filled with steel balls, polymer granules and 0.5 g of test dirt according to ISO 11378-1 B.2 and then operated 10 minutes with use and then another 20 minutes without use. Then, the dirty carpet cutout is suctioned three times with a vacuum cleaner to remove adhering dirt. Before and after soiling, the degree of whiteness (reflectance measurement) is determined with a whiteness meter (Elrepho). The measured values serve as reference values for the subsequent calculation of the cleaning intensity.

For Examples 1 to 4, a "Test Dirt A" was used in this case and for Examples 5 and 6 a more intensive "Dirt B" with cement and peat content.

Dirty carpet clippings are cleaned using the “Puzzi 100” spray extraction device (Alfred Karcher GmbH & Co. KG). In the case of Examples 1 to 4, the test surface is sprayed twice and the carpet is saturated with the corresponding cleaning solution. After a contact time of 5 minutes, the carpet is washed twice with the cleaning solution and it is sucked immediately, then only sucked twice. Then, the carpet is rinsed twice with water, sucked twice and finally dried for 24 hours.

In the case of Examples 5 and 6, the test area is sprayed only once with the cleaning solution. After a contact time of 5 minutes, the carpet is rinsed twice with water, aspirated and dried for 24 hours.

After cleaning the carpet piece described above, the degree of whiteness is measured again and the cleaning intensity is calculated according to the following formula:

Cleaning intensity = (degree of whiteness after cleaning - degree of whiteness after fouling) / (degree of whiteness in the new condition - degree of whiteness after fouling)

The cleaning intensities achieved with the compositions according to Examples 1 to 6 are shown in Table 2 below.

Table 2

It should be noted in the results that the cleaning intensities in Examples 5 and 6 are not directly comparable to those in Examples 1 to 4, since different test dirt and a different cleaning method were used here (Test dirt B contains cement and peat in contrast to dirt from Test A). Therefore, the cleaning intensities are generally lower, with a value of about 35%, since in example 6 it is already acceptable.

A comparison of Examples 1 and 2 shows, in particular, that the use of sodium metasilicate as a complexing agent compared to a sodium silicate leads to an improvement in cleaning intensity.

A comparison of Examples 3 and 4 shows, in particular, that the addition of polyacrylic acid as a component to encapsulate impurities further improves the cleaning intensity of the composition.

A comparison of Examples 5 and 6 shows in particular that the cleaning intensity can be improved with the additional non-ionic surfactant (Berol 260). In addition, the use of the respective complexing agents shows that instead of a combination of citric acid and trisodium citrate, only citric acid can be used.

2. Solid mixtures for the production of pressure molded bodies.

Three different compositions were prepared in the form of solid mixtures (Examples 7 to 9), which are suitable for the production of pressure molded bodies (pellets). The qualitative and quantitative composition of these solid mixtures is presented in Table 3 below.

Table 3

Of the three compositions according to Examples 7 to 9, cleaning solutions were prepared by dissolving 4 g of each solid mixture in one liter of water (corresponding to the dissolution of a 16 g pressure molded body in 4 liters of water) .

Determination of the cleaning intensity was carried out by the same test method as in Examples 1 to 6, where for each of Examples 7 to 9, test dirt B containing cement and peat was used. The results are shown in Table 4 below.

Table 4

A comparison of these results shows that the cleaning performance achieved can be optimized by the proportions of the complexing agents and also act as disintegrating components of sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate.

Claims (13)

1. Composition in the form of a solid mixture to produce a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, comprising at least one complexing agent, at least one surfactant and at least one component for encapsulating impurities, characterized in that the composition comprises as a complexing agent : - 10 to 30% by weight of citric acid, - optionally up to 10% by weight of trisodium citrate, - 4 to 6% by weight sodium gluconate, - 1 to 3% by weight of oxalic acid, - 0.5 to 1.5% by weight of sodium metasilicate, wherein the total amount of all complexing agents is in the range of up to 40% by weight of the composition, and wherein the weight ratio of citric acid and / or citrate to oxalic acid and / or oxalate is between 5 : 1 and 20: 1, and because the composition comprises as a component to encapsulate impurities a polyacrylic acid or its salt, in particular its sodium salt. 2. Composition according to claim 1, wherein the composition does not comprise phosphates. 3. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the weight ratio of oxalic acid and / or oxalate to silicate is between 1: 1 and 3: 1. 4. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the proportion of all complexing agents is in the range of 20 to 30% by weight. 5. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the polyacrylic acid has a molecular weight in the range of 3,000 to 5,000 g / mol. 6. Composition according to claim 5, wherein the proportion of polyacrylic acid or its salt is in the range of 2.5 to 3.5% by weight. 7. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the composition comprises as one or more nonionic surfactants, in particular one or more polyalkylene glycol ethers. 8. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising at least one odor absorbing component, in particular zinc ricinoleate. 9. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising (i) one or more disintegrants, especially sodium carbonate and / or sodium hydrocarbonate; I (ii) cellulose fibers to improve fluidity. 10. Composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the solid mixture is in the form of a powder. 11. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the solid mixture is in the form of a pressure molded body. 12. Composition according to claim 11, wherein the composition comprises from 40 to 50% by weight of disintegrating agent, and / or wherein the pressure molded body is coated with a water soluble film, in particular based of a polyvinyl alcohol. 13. Use of a composition according to any one of the preceding claims for the preparation of a carpet and upholstery cleaning solution, in particular for application with a spray extraction apparatus, wherein preferably 3 to 15 g dissolve of the composition in 1 liter of water.