CA1334320C

CA1334320C - Nonwoven wipe impregnating composition

Info

Publication number: CA1334320C
Application number: CA000602287A
Authority: CA
Inventors: David Pregozen
Original assignee: Sterling Drug Inc
Current assignee: Reckitt Benckiser LLC
Priority date: 1988-06-29
Filing date: 1989-06-09
Publication date: 1995-02-14
Anticipated expiration: 2012-02-14
Also published as: JP2643458B2; KR910001019A; AU3648289A; FI893047A; FI893047A0; AU623906B2; JPH0261000A; IL90554A0

Abstract

An aqueous composition for impregnating a nonwoven wipe having a pH of from 3.5 to 4.5 and containing a preserva-tive system comprising potassium sorbate, citric acid, disodium EDTA and a cationic biocide selected from polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride and poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethyl-ene(dimethyliminio)ethylene dichloride]; and a moistened wipe, impregnated with the aqueous composition, useful for cleaning or delivering active ingredients to animate and inanimate surfaces.

Description

1 3343~0 NONWOVEN WIPE IMPREGNATING COMPOSITION
! ~ACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Fleld of the Inventlon The invention relates to nonwoven wet wipes and more specifically to nonwoven wipes impregnated with an aqueous non-alcoholic composition in which the preservative system for the impregnated wipe comprises potassium sorbate, citric acid, disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate and a cationic agent selected from polyhe~amethylene biguanide hydrochloride and poly[oxyethylene~dimethyllminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio)eth-ylene dichloridel.2. Information Disclosure Statement Various forms of nonwoven impregnated wipes are available and have been suggested for performing a wide variety of tasks, euch as for cleaning hard surfaces, cleansing the hande and other areas of the body and delivering active ingred-ients to variou~ surfaces, both animate and inAni ste.
In the case of nonwoven impregnated wipes adapted for cleaning hard and skin surfaces, the impregnant generally i8 aqueous based. Such wipes are marketed ready for use either in individual packet form or in bulk form in suitable dispeneers from which individual wipes can be withdrawn as needed. What-ever the form of packaging, the wipes are etored for ~ubstantial periods of time prior to use and therefore need to be protected against microbial contamination and deterioration to which they are readily susceptible. One common method to achieve this is to incorporate a suitable chemical preservative system in the liquid composition employed to impregnate the nonwoven wipe.

_ -2- 1 3 3 4 3 2 0 Preservative systems which have been employed in a number of aqueous impregnating compositions for nonwoven wipes have included ethyl alcohol which is well known for its antiseptic effect. One ~uch preservative system which S has provided excellent results comprises sorbic acid, citric acid and ethyl alcohol. However, the ethyl alcohol generally is employed in such preservative systems at concentrations above five weight-percent of the impregnating composition.
PrQsently there is a trend to formulate impregnating compositions for nonwoven wipes which avoid~ the use of ethyl alcohol because manufacturers of wet/moist wipes perceive that many consumers would prefer alcohol-free wipes, particular-ly those which are primarily intended for use in personal hygiene, especially baby wash cloths for which there is a lS sub~tantial market. However, a problem arises in eliminating ethyl alcohol from sorbic acid - citric acid - ethyl alcohol preservative systems for nonwoven wipes in that the combination containing only sorbic acid and citric acid does not always provide adequate protection against microbial contamination and deterioration.
U.S. Patent 4,732,797 discloses a liquid preserving composition for a fibrous wiper consisting essentially of a mixture of citric acid and sorbic acid as the preservative component, water and optionally ingredients selected from skin moisturizers and fragrances.

_3_ ~ 3 3 4 3 2 0 Wlper~ having incorporated thereln a cationlc antimi-crobial agent have been descrlbed, for example, in U.S. Patents 3,264,1a~, 4,615,937 and 4,67~,704, di~cus~ed herelnbelow.
U.S. Patent 3,264,188 discloses a sanitary lmpregnated skin wlper for proctologlcal use comprising a facial grade creped tls~uQ having di~per~ed therethrough a mineral oil and an emulslfier ~uch as triethanolamine oleate, which wlper may include a bacterlostatic agent, benzalkonium chlorlde being a preferred bacteriostatic agent.
U.S. Patent 4,615,937 disclose~ an antimicrobially active nonwoven web wherein the antimicrobial agent i8 substan-tive both to the fibers and the binder in the web and preferab-ly i8 an organo-sllicon quaternary ammonium salt.
U.S. Patent 4,678,704 dlscloses an impregnated fabric material comprising a fabric ~ub~trate, which may be woven or nonwoven, to which haa been bonded an active cationic impreg-nant and an anionic indicator dye in combination with a further cationic component. Nonionic fiurfactants, chelating agents and fragrances may also be included in the impregnated fabric.
Example~ of the cationic materials which are di~closed are quaternary ammonlum compounds, bisguanides and polymeric blsguan-ide ~uch aB polyhexamethylene bisguanide hydrochloride.
U.S. Patent 4,587,266 discloses the UBe of polyhexa-methylene biguanide hydrochlorides as antimicrobial agent~
in combinatlon with certaln amlne oxlde~ in aqueous antlmicrobl-al compositions. The polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochlor-ides are ldentified as being commercially available from ICI
Americas Inc. under the trademark Cosmocll CQ.

_4_ 1 334320 A currently commercially available personal cleansing wipe product lists its ~ey ingredients and their functions as follows:
KEY INGREDIENT FUNCTION
5 Demineralized Water Moisturizes tender skin Propylene Glycol PEG-75 Lanolin* . Softens skin Cocoamphodiacetate Cleans and soothes skin Polysorbate 20 10 Methylparaben Maintains product purity 2-Bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol and freshness Propylparaben Fragrance Plea8ant non-irritating scent *a polyethylene glycol derivative of lanolin with an average Of 75 moles of ethylene oxide SU~IMARY OF THE INVENTION
In order to enhance the antimicrobial effect of the combination of sorbic acid and citric acid in a preservative system for moist nonwoven wipes, various types of commercially available cationic biocides were investigated for inclusion in the preservative system because of their well known substan-tivity for nonwoven fabrics. Unfortunately, the inclusion of the cationic biocides resulted in an undesirable slippery feel being imparted to the impregnated nonwoven wipe, especially those wipes the fiber content of which contains a significant portion of rayon or rayon-polyester blends. However, it was surprisingly found that incorporation of either of two specific cationic biocides greatly minimized the slippery feel of the wet wipe.

~ ~5~ 1 3 3 4 3 2 0 Thus in one aspect of the invention there is provided 'an aqueous composition for impregnating a nonwoven wipe compris-ing from about 0.02 to about 0.25 weight-percent of potassium sorbate, from about 0.05 to about 0.20 weight-percent of citric 5 acld, from about 0.02 to about 0.20 w~ight-percent o disodium ethylenedlaminetetraacetate, from about 0.03 to about 0.24 weight-percent of a cationic biocide selected from the group consisting of (a) polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride and tb) poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyl-iminio)ethylene dichloride]; and the remainder to 100 weight-per-cent water, wherein the pH of the composition is from about 3.5 to about 4.5.
In another aspect of the invention there is provided a moistened wipe comprising a flexible absorbent nonwoven substrate impregnated with the aqueous composition defined hereinabove.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
INCLUDING THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The aqueous composition of the invention is employed as an impregnant for flexible absorbent nonwoven fabric~ in the manufacture of moist wipes useful for cleaning and/or delivering active agents to animate or inanimate surfaces.
The aqueous composition is comprised of water having dissolved therein a preservative system specifically adapted to prevent microbial deterioration of the moist wipe, which is readily susceptible to microbial deterioration in the absence of a suitable preservative. The preservative system is comprised ~............... _...... .... . . . .

of pot~s~ium ~orbate, di~odium ethylenediaminetetraacetate (dlsodlum ~DTA), a catlonlc blocide selected from two speciflc agent~ de~crlbed more fully hereinbelow and citric ~cid.
The potas~ium sorbate is employed in the aqueous compo~itlon at a concentratlon of from about ~.~2 to about ~.25 percent by weight of the aqueous composition. The antimi-crobial effect contributed by the ~orbate i~ due primarily to sorbic acid to which the sorbate is converted in ~itu at the pll level employed in the aqueou~ composition as discussed hereinbelow.
The difiodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate enhances the effect of the preservative ~ystem. It 18 employed at a concentration of from about o.n2 to about 0.20 percent by weight of tlle compo~ition.
The catlonic bioclde i~ selected from polyhexamethyl-ene biguanlde hydrochloride and poly[oxyethylene(dimethylimin-io)ethylene~dimethyliminlo)ethylene dlchloridel. Polyhexameth-ylene biguanide hydrochloride is a known biocide with a wide spectrum of antimicrobial activity and i8 commercially available as a 20~ w/w aqueou~ solution from ICI Americas Inc., W~lmington, Delaware under the trademark COSMOCIL CQ. It can be represented by the general formula:

flCL.N112(Cf{2)3~--(C~2)3-N~-Cj-N~I-C-NH-(CH2)3- -~CH2)3-NH-C-NH-CN
NH NH.f3CL n NH
in which n has an average value such that the molecular weight iB 1000-1400. Poly[oxyethylen~dimethyliminio)ethylene~dimeth-yliminio)ethylene dichloridel is a known broad ~pectrum microbio clde and i8 commercially available a~ a 60~ aqueous concentrate from auc~man Laboratories, Inc., Memphis, Tenne~see under ,the tradename WSCP. It ha~ a repeat unit structure as follow~:

CH3 Cl- CH3 Cl---O-cH2-cH2-N+-cH2-c~ +-C1~2-CH2 C~l~ CH3 - n ln which n ha~ an ~verago v~lue ~uch that the molecular weight 1B 3000-4000.
~ho ¢atlonlc blocide~ are mployed at a concentration of rom about 0.03 to about 0.24 percent ~y welght (act~ve basi~) of the aquoou~ ¢ompoaition.
The pH of the aqueous conlpoBition should be in the range of from about 3.5 to about 4.5 and preferably from about 4.0 to about 4.3. As disclosed hereinbefore, the antimicrobial activity derived from the use of potas~ium ~orbate i~ due primarily to undis~ociated sorbic acid which iu formed ln filtu in the pH range of 3.5 to 4.S. Citric acid is employed in the aqueous compo~ition as a p~l ad~uster in an amount that ensures that the pH of the aqueous composition will fall in the range of from about 3.5 to about 4.5. -A pH in this range can be obtained when citric acid i~ employed at a concentration of from about O.OS to about 0.20 percent by weight of the aqueou~ compo~ition.
Depending on the particular u~e intended for a w$pe impregnated with the aqueous compo~ition of the invention, optional ingredients may be included in the aqueou~ compo~ition.
Thus a wipe intended for cleansing the ~kin may include skin moisturizers/humectant~ ~uch as propylene glycol, glycerin and sorbitol; skin softeners/emollients such as ethoxy-lated lanolin, ethoxylated glucose, silicone oils, mineral oil and fatty acid esters; botanical extracts such as witch hazel extract, aloe vera gel and chamomile extract; and perfumes and fragrances. The concentrations of such optional ingredients will, based on the weight of the final composition, fall in the ranges of 0.2 to 10 weight-percent for skin moisturi2ers and humectants, 0.02 to 5 weight-percent for skin softeners and emollient~, 0.01 to 50 weight-percent for botanical extracts and 0.01 to 2 weight-percent for perfumeQ and fragrances.
Surfactants and cleanser optionally may also be included in the aqueous compositions of the invention. The surfactant may be an amphoteric, such as cocoamphodiacetate which is commercially available from several sources or a nonionic, such as a polyethylene glycol ether of glycerol cocoate, polyoxyethylene polyoxypropylene block polymers, or a polymer of dimethylsiloxane with polyoxyethylene and/or polyoxypropylene side chains, all commercially available.
The surfactant will generally be employed at a concentration of 0.02 to 10 percent by weight based on the weight of the aqueous composition.
The substrate employed in the moistened wipe of the invention is a fibrous flexible absorbent nonwoven sheet material consisting es~entially of cellulosic fibers or blends of cellulosic fibers such as rayon and cotton fibers or blends of such cellulosic fiber6 with one or more synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, polyethylene, polyester and nylon fibers.

.

Such blend~ may also include wood pulp fibers. Binder~ gener-ally are employed to bind together the fiber~ thus en~uring that the finished nonwoven ~heet has adequate wet strength.
Such binders are, for example, acrylic polymerfi, ethylene vinyl acetate polymers, vinyl acetate copolymers and ~tyrene butadiene polymer~. Such nonwoven materials and processes for their manufacture are well known in the art. Proce~ses for manufa¢turing ~uch nonwoven ~heet material~ include carding, air laying, w~ter entanglement, thermal bonding and wet laying.
The moi~tened wipe of the invention can be prepared by applying the aqueous composition according to the invention to the flexible absorbent nonwoven sub~trate by a variety of well known methods such as by spraying, padding, printing and gravity application. Preferably the loading of the aqueous compo~ition i~ from about two times (200~) to about S times ~500~) the wei~ht of the nonwoven ~ub~trate, and more prefer-ably about three and one-half time~ (350%) the weight of the nonwoven substrate.
The aqueous composition of the invention can be prepared conveniently by the following procedure:
All optional ingredients, except the plant extract~, to be included in the composition are combined and mixed until a clear mixture is obtained. The re~ulting mix iB added with effiaient stirring to approximately 95~ of the formula amount of water and to thi~ i5 added with ~tirring, individually and in the order listed, the plant extract, if any, the disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, the cationic biocide and the pota~sium ~orbate. Citric acid is then added to the ~tirred batch in an amount sufficient to adjust the pH to 3.5 to 4.5.
The remainder of the formula amount of water i8 then added with stirring.
Although the major amount of water employed in the composition is deionized water, it will be appreciated that minor amounts of water are or may be derived from certain commercially available ingredients which are in some cases supplied as aqueous solutions or concentrates.
The moistened wipe of the invention may be used to clean, or deliver active ingredients such as sunscreens, insect repellants, etc., to animate and/or inanimate surfaces.
Thus they may be used to clean the hands or other skin area~
of the body or as baby wipes during diaper change as well as for cleaning various hard surfaces such as kitchen counter lS tops, toilet bowls, sinks, etc.
The moistened wipes of the invention should be packag-ed in a manner which will maintain them in a moist condition.
A variety of well known packaging methods are available. For example, they may be individually packaged in moisture impervi-ous envelopes or packaged in bulk form in canisters provided with suitable dispensing opening~. When packaged in bulk ~orm they may be provided as separate sheets, e.g., in inter-leaved form, or in the form of interconnected sheets from which individual sheets readily may be separated. In the latter case, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 4,017,002.
The invention i8 further illustrated by the following examples without, however, being limited thereto.

D.N. 5341 An aqueous composition according to the invention was formulated, using the general procedure described herein-above, as follows:

5 Ingredient ~ by Weight Propylene Glycol 0.500 PEG-60 Lanolin (50% solution)a 0.10~
Miranol~C2M Conc. NP-PG (3~ active)b 0.100 Perfume 0.475 Aloe Vera Gel ~l:10)C 0.010 Cosmocil CQ (20% active)d 0.700 Potassium Sorbate 0.140 Disodium EDTA Dihydrate 0.100 Citric Acid 0.100 Deionized Water 97.775 100. 000 pH 4.1 a) CTFA Adopted Name;commercially available from Croda, Inc., New York, New York under the trademark SOLAN-50% ~50~ active) b) 3~% aqueous ~olution ~containing a small amount of propylene glycol) commercially available from Miranol Inc., Dayton, New Jersey;active is cocoamphodiacetate that conforms generally to the formula;
Rco-N~cH2cH2~l-c~2cH2ocH2co2Na CH2COONa c) Commercially available from Dr. Madis Laboratories, Inc., South Hacken~ack, New Jersey as Veragel~ Liquid 1:10 d) Polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride; commercially available from ICI ~mericas Inc. (See general formula of active disclosed hereinbefore) The aqueous composition of Example 1 exhibited excel-lent preservative activity in a 4 week challenge te~t again~t Staphylococcus aureus, Psuedomona~ product isolate, yeast product isolate and Aspergillus niger.
Moistened wipes in accordance with the invention were prepared by impregnating a flexible absorbent nonwoven substrate with 350% of its weight of the aqueous composition of Example 1. A gravity application procedure was employed a~ followss D.N. 5341 The aqueous composition of Example 1 (196g) was placed in a cylindrical canister and a coreless roll of flexible absorbent nonwoven fabric (56g) comprised of 40 dry wipes (5.75" x ~.0") was placed in the cani~ter with one end immersed in the liquid. The canister was capped with a plastic cap and wa~ then inverted and maintained in the inverted position for a minimum of three days to ensure complete absorbtion and uniform distribution of the aqueous composition into the coreles~ roll of fabric. The canister then was inverted to the upright po~ition.
The flexible absorbent nonwoven fabric employed in the foregoing procedure for making the moist wipes was a 70/30 blend of rayon and polyester flbers which was processed into uniform web form by a carding machine. The web then lS was saturated with an aqueous dilution of an acrylic binder (available commercially from Rohm and Haas Company, Inc., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania under the trademark Rhoplex NW-1402), the amount of binder being such as to provide 20~ w/w of the finished nonwoven fabric. The treated web was then dried and hea~ed to 300F to cure the binder. The finished nonwoven fabric, having a basis weight of 40g/sq. yd., was then slit and cut into the desired dimension.
The moistened wipes 80 obtained were quite acceptable with respect to ~lippery feel and were completely protected against contamination by the molds Aspergillus niger and Eupeni-cillium levitum in a 6 months challenge test.

~ -13- 1 3 3 4 3 2 0 An aqueous composition according to the invention was prepared identical to the composition of Example 1 except that poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyliminio)ethy-lene dichloridel (commercially available under the tradenameWSCP from ~uckman Laboratories Inc. - see description hereinbe-fore) was employed on a weight for weight active basis in~tead of Coemocil CQ.
Moistened wipes were.prepared employing the aqueou~
composition of Example 2 as impregnant using the identical substrate and gravity application procedure described hereinbe^
fore for the preparation of the moistened wipes impregnated with the composition of Example 1. These wipes also were quite acceptable with respect to slippery feel.
Seven aqueous compositions were prepared which were identical to the aqueous compo~ition of Example 1 with the exception that on a weight for weight active basis one of the following seven commercially available biocides was employ-ed instead of Cosmocil CQ:
Composition A: N-alkyl~50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16,) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride Compos~ on B: Cetyl pyridinium chloride Compos_ _on C: Didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride Compos_ _on D~ {ydroxyethyl-l-benzyl-2-alkyl~coco)imidazolini-um chlor de Composition E: Diisobutylphenoxyethoxyethyl dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride Composition F: Poly(dimethyl butenyl ammonium chloride)lq, ~-bis-triethanolammonium chloride Composition G: Quaternium-33 which conforin~ to the formula:

. -14-RCO-NH-(CH2)3 - N- CH3 CH3CH20S03 _ CH3 where RCO- represent~ the lanolin acid radical.
Moistened wipes were prepared employing Compoeition A to G above as impregnant using the identical substratQ and gravlty procedure deecribed hereinbefore for the preparation of the moistened wipes impregnated with the composition of Example 1. In each case the moistened wipes obtained had an unacceptable slippery feel which rendered them unsuitable for marketing.

Claims

1. An aqueous composition for impregnating a nonwoven wipe comprising from about 0.02 to about 0.25 weight-percent of potassium sorbate, from about 0.05 to about 0.20 weight-percent of citric acid, from about 0.02 to about 0.20 weight-per-cent of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, from about 0.03 to about 0.24 weight-percent of a cationic biocide selected from the group consisting of (a) polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride and (b)poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(di-methyliminio)ethylene dichloride]; and the remainder to 100 weight-percent water, wherein the pH of the composition is from about 3.5 to about 4.5.

2. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the cationic biocide is polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride.

3. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the cationic biocide is poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethylimin-io)ethylene dichloride].

4. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the pH is from about 4.0 to about 4.1,

5. The composition of Claim l which additionally contains an ingredient selected from the group consisting of a skin moisturizer, a skin softener and a surfactant and mixtures of such ingredients.

6. The composition of Claim 5 wherein the cationic biocide is polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride.

7. The composition of Claim 5 wherein the cationic biocide is poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethyli-minio)ethylene dichloride].

8. The composition of Claim 2 wherein the weight-percent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140.

9. The composition of Claim 3 wherein the weight-percent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140.

10. The composition of Claim 6 wherein the weight-percent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140, and which additionally contains about 0.500 weight-percent of propylene glycol, about 0.050 weight-per-cent of PEG-60 lanolin and about 0.038 weight-percent of coco-amphodiacetate.

11. The composition of Claim 7 wherein the weight-percent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140, and which additionally contains about 0.500 weight-percent of propylene glycol, about 0.050 weight-per-cent of PEG-60 lanolin and about 0.038 weight-percent of coco-amphodiacetate.

12. A moistened wipe comprising a flexible absorbent nonwoven substrate impregnated with an aqueous composition comprising from about 0.02 to about 0.25 weight-percent of potassium sorbate, from about 0.05 to about 0.20 weight-percent of citric acid, from about 0.02 to about 0.20 weight-percent of disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate, from about 0.03 to about 0.24 weight-percent of a cationic biocide selected from the group consisting of (a) polyhexamethylene biguanide hydro-chloride and (b) poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(di-methyliminio)ethylene dichloride]; and the remainder to 100 weight-percent water, wherein the pH of the composition is from about 3.5 to about 4.5.

13. The moistened wipe of Claim 12 wherein the cationic biocide is polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride.

14. The moistened wipe of Claim 12 wherein the cationic biocide is poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethylimin-io)ethylene dichloride].

15. The mositened wipe of Claim 12 wherein the pH is from about 4.0 to about 4.3.

16. The moistened wipe of Claim 12 which additionally contains an ingredient selected from the group consisting of a skin moisturizer, a skin softener and a surfactant and mixtures of such ingredients.

17. The moistened wipe of Claim 16 wherein the cationic biocide is polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride.

18. The moistened wipe of Claim 16 wherein the cationic biocide is poly[oxyethylene(dimethyliminio)ethylene(dimethylimin io)ethylene dichloride].

19. The moistened wipe of Claim 12 wherein the loading of the aqueous composition on the substrate is from about 200 to about 500 percent by weight of the substrate.

20. The moistened wipe of 13 wherein the weight-percent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140.

21. The moistened wipe of Claim 14 wherein the weight-per-cent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140.

22. The moistened wipe of Claim 17 wherein the weight-per-cent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140, and which additionally contains about 0.500 weight-percent of propylene glycol, about 0.050 weight-per-cent of PEG-60 lanolin and about 0.038 weight-percent of coco-amphodiacetate.

23. The moistened wipe of Claim 18 wherein the weight-per-cent of potassium sorbate is about 0.140, the weight-percent of citric acid is about 0.100, the weight-percent of disodium EDTA is about 0.090 and the weight-percent of the cationic biocide is about 0.140, and which additionally contains about 0.500 weight-percent of propylene glycol, about 0.050 weight-per-cent of PEG-60 lanolin and about 0.038 weight-percent of coco-amphodiacetate.

24. The moistened wipe of Claim 22 wherein the loading of the aqueous composition on the substrate is about 350% of the weight of the substrate.

25. The moistened wipe of Claim 23 wherein the loading of the aqueous composition on the substrate is about 350% of the weight of the substrate.

26. The moistened wipe of any one of Claims 12 to 25, wherein the flexible absorbent nonwoven substrate is a fibrous flexible absorbent nonwoven sheet made of fibers containing a significant portion of rayon or a rayon-polyester blend.

27. The moistened wipe of any one of Claims 12 to 25, wherein the substrate is a fibrous flexible absorbent nonwoven sheet made of cellulosic fibers or blends of cellulosic fibers and synthetic fibers selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyester and nylon fibers; and the moistened wipe is packaged in such a manner that the moistened condition is maintained.

28. The moistened wipe of any one of Claims 12 to 25, which is packaged in such a manner that the moistened condition is maintained.

29. The moistened wipe of Claim 26, which is packaged in such a manner that the moistened condition is maintained.