CZ2001536A3 - Cleaning compositions that reduce shrinkage of fabrics - Google Patents

Abstract

A composition for treating fabrics, comprising: a) a fabric shrinkage reducing composition selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof; b) a liquid cleaning/refreshment composition. The fabric shrinkage reducing composition and the liquid cleaning/refreshment composition are releasably absorbed in a substrate in a weight ratio of from about 1:2 to about 1:5. The fabric shrinkage reducing composition helps to reduce shrinkage of the fabrics treated in an in-home, non-immersion cleaning and refreshing process which is conducted in a clothes dryer, or the like apparatus. Also provided are non-immersion cleaning/refreshment processes using this composition, a kit containing the necessary items to conduct the processes of this invention and a sheet for releasably absorbing the compositions of this invention.

Description

The present invention relates to a composition for the treatment of substances and articles containing such a composition, which are intended for the purification and recovery of the substances by a non-immersion cleaning method, while minimizing the precipitation of the substances.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Some delicate fabrics are not suitable for conventional domestic immersion cleaning processes. Household washing machines that provide excellent cleaning results for most fabrics used by today's society can, under certain conditions, precipitate or otherwise damage silk, linen, wool and other delicate fabrics. Customers have their delicate fabrics typically labeled to be cleaned chemically. Unfortunately, chemical cleaning usually involves immersing the substances in a variety of hydrocarbons and halogenated solvents that require special handling and must be regenerated, making the process unsuitable for domestic use. Thus, dry cleaning has traditionally been limited to commercial equipment, which means it is less convenient and more expensive than a home washing method. Excluding cost and suitability, however, the dry cleaning method usually remains superior to domestic immersion washing methods to minimize the precipitation of fabrics.

Attempts have been made to obtain domestic dry cleaning methods that combine the cleaning and recovery of fabrics in a domestic laundering process with immersion with the benefits of dry-cleaning fabrics. One such household garment cleaning and animation system comprises a substrate sheet that contains various liquid or gelled cleaning agents and a plastic bag. The garments are placed in a bag along with the sheet and then cleaned by inverting in a drum in a conventional clothes dryer. In a conventional commercial embodiment, a plurality of disposable flat sheets containing a cleansing / refreshing agent and one plastic bag for reuse are provided in the package.

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Unfortunately, these domestic methods are less optimal in terms of precipitation of substances. In cleaning, these non-immersion home processes are substantially better than the immersion home methods in terms of minimizing the guarding of fabrics. These non-immersion domestic methods are similar to commercial dry-cleaning methods in terms of minimizing precipitation of substances, but they may experience some minor precipitation as a result of the method. Thus, there is a continuing need to find improved domestic methods of immersion-free cleaning and recovery and cleansing and recovery agents for use in these methods that provide acceptable cleaning while minimizing precipitation of materials.

It has now been unexpectedly discovered that some organic compounds, when used together with a cleaning / recovery agent in defined proportions, can reduce the amount of precipitation that occurs in a home cleaning / recovery process without immersion. The present invention provides such a composition, and when used in the methods of the present invention and with kits of the present invention, the fabrics can be cleaned and refreshed with substantially less shrinkage than in a conventional, domestic, immersion, wash method. When the composition, methods and kits of the present invention are used, the precipitation of materials is comparable and in some cases substantially better than in commercial dry cleaning by solvent immersion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention there is provided a fabric care composition comprising:

a) a precipitation reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol , 1-octanol and mixtures thereof, and

b) liquid cleaning / refreshing agent.

The precipitation reducing agent and the liquid cleansing / refreshing agent are preferably releasably absorbed in the substrate in a weight ratio of 1: 2 to 1: 5, preferably 1: 2 to 1: 4, more preferably 1: 3 to 1: 4 and most preferably 1: 3.6. The cleaning / refreshing composition preferably comprises water and a member selected from the group consisting of surfactants, perfumes, preservatives, bleaching agents, cleaning aids, organic solvents and mixtures thereof. Preferred organic solvents are glycol ethers, especially methoxypropoxypropanol, ethoxypropoxypropanol, propoxypropoxypropanol, butoxypropoxypropanol, butoxypropanol and mixtures thereof. Preferably, the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant such as an ethoxylated alcohol or an ethoxylated alkylphenol and is present in an amount of up to 2% by weight. by weight of the cleaning / refreshing agent.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a total non-immersion cleansing / recovery process for treating substances according to which:

a) the substance together with the substrate is placed in a storage bag,

(b) the bag is placed in a hot-air drier or similar device operating with heat and drum cleaning; and

(c) the substances are removed from the bag.

In the above-described method, preferably:

a) a precipitation reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol , 1-octanol and mixtures thereof, and

b) liquid cleaning / refreshing agent.

The precipitation reducing agent and the liquid cleansing / refreshing agent are preferably present in a weight ratio of from 1: 2 to 1: 5, preferably to 1: 2 to 1: 4, more preferably to 1: 3 to 1: 4, and most preferably 1: 2 to 1: 4. 3.6. The vapors are preferably during step ad

(b) removed from the bag. More preferably, in the above method, the substance has a first side and a second side, and in this method:

a) the stain cleaning agent is applied from the dispenser to a discrete soiled area of the first side of the fabric,

(b) contacting the treatment member with the first side of the substance adjacent to the soiled area simultaneously or sequentially with step (a); and

(c) the other side of the substance adjacent to the soiled area is contacted with the soil-absorbing member.

According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an assembly comprising:

(a) a plurality of substrates with a shrinkage reducing agent and a liquid cleaning / animating agent releasably absorbed therein;

b) storage bag for re-use,

c) optionally treating member,

(d) optionally a separate portion of the spot cleanser; and

(e) where appropriate, one or more soil-absorbent absorbent articles.

In this assembly according to the invention, preferably a separate portion of the stain cleaning composition is contained in the reservoir and the treatment member is the distal tip of the reservoir.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided a sheet that is specifically adapted for cleaning and / or reviving a fabric in a clothes dryer by air heat, comprising:

(a) substrate;

b) from 10 to 30 grams of a liquid cleaning / refreshing composition which is at least 80, preferably at least 90, and most preferably at least 95 wt. absorbed in the substrate, being releasable by water, and

c) from 2 to 20 grams of a precipitation reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol 1,3-butanediol, 1-octanol and their releasable mixtures absorbed in the substrate.

Preferably, the sheet of the present invention further comprises a vapor-permeable fibrous cover sheet that encloses the outer surfaces of the substrate in the enclosure and is permeable to the cleaning / refreshing agent and the coagulation reducing agent. The cover sheet preferably has a minimum thickness of at least 0.2 mm and is bound to the substrate in discrete areas.

The following paragraphs briefly describe the attached figure.

Although this specification is terminated by the claims which clearly define the present invention, it is believed that these claims will be better understood by reference to the detailed description of the invention and the figure.

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a fabric garment showing the measures used to calculate the amount of shrinkage after each cycle of the fabric treatment method.

The invention is described in further detail below.

In one aspect, the present invention includes a composition that is a mixture of a shrinkage reducing composition and a liquid cleaning / refreshing composition. The clotting agent and the liquid cleansing / refreshing agent are releasably absorbed in a substrate, which preferably exists in the form of a sheet, and more preferably the substrate is included in the cover sheet. There is also defined a method of purifying / reviving ph treatment of substances without immersion. According to this method:

(a) the substance and the substrate are placed in a storage bag;

(b) the bag is placed in a hot-air drier or similar heat-operated equipment and cleaned in a drum; and

(c) the substances are removed from the bag.

The stain on the fabric may be treated at any time in connection with the cleaning and recovery process of the present invention, preferably the stain treatment occurs prior to the cleaning and recovery step. The stain treatment method typically consists of the following steps:

a) the stain cleaning agent is applied from the dispenser to a discrete soiled area of the first side of the fabric,

(b) contacting the treatment member with the first side of the substance adjacent to the soiled area simultaneously or sequentially with step (a); and

(c) contacting the other side of the substance with the soil-absorbing gene.

Each element of the invention is described below.

Cleaning here means the removal of dirt and stains from fabrics. Spot cleaning means localized cleaning on soiled areas before or after the cleaning / recovery step that is carried out in the bag. Recovery means here the removal of odors and / or wrinkles or the improvement of their overall appearance other than the primary removal of stains and soils, although some stains and soils may be removed simultaneously with the recovery.

Precipitation is defined herein as reducing one or more of the four different dimensions of the garment to be tested, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, garments, such as sweaters, wool, blends of wool / acrylic, cotton, blends of cotton / cotton, and blends of cellulose / acrylic. The garments tested are collectively referred to herein as long-sleeved garments. While various garments may be used for coagulation testing, long-sleeved garments have numerous dimensions that can coagulate independently of each other. Long-sleeved garments were selected as test garments for experimental reasons only because they provide numerous data points. It should be understood that the precipitation of the substances usually occurs regardless of the specific form of the garment.

As shown in Figure 1, four specific dimensions are measured before and after each treatment cycle. All measurements are taken on the front of the long-sleeved garment after it has been placed on a hard, level surface and smoothed by hand. This means that long-sleeved garments are not ironed before making measurements. A permanent marker, color stitching or other means may be used to indicate the exact location of each measurement so that measurements are taken at the same location after each treatment cycle. Based on this tutorial, Figure 1 shows that the total length is the distance from the hem of the long sleeve garment to the shoulder hem, the length of the sleeve is the distance between the hem of one sleeve end and the approximate midpoint of the hem connecting the sleeve to the shirt. the side seams near the lower end of the shirt and the width 2 is the distance between the two side seams near the armpit of the shirt.

The precipitation reducing agent of the present invention is preferably selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1-octanol and mixtures thereof. The precipitation reducing agent is preferably neopentyl glycol or 1,2-prapanediol, more preferably 1,2-propanediol. The ratio of the shrinkage reducing agent to the cleaning / recovery agent is preferably from 1: 2 to 1: 5, preferably to 1: 2 to 1: 4, more preferably to 1: 3 to 1: 4, and most preferably 1: 3.6.

It has been shown that a mixture of a shrinkage reducing agent with a water-based cleaning / refreshing agent as defined herein when used in a non-immersion cleaning method substantially reduces the shrinkage of treated garments when compared to substantially the same garments treated in the same manner of use. only cleaning / refreshing agent. In addition, it has been shown that by using the shrinkage reducing means on one substrate and the cleaning / refreshing agent on the other substrate in the method of the present invention without immersion, it does not provide a substantial shrinkage reduction that is observed when the two are releasably absorbed on the same substrate.

Without wishing to be bound by theory, it is believed that the precipitation-reducing compositions of the present invention help to keep the fibers of the treated fabrics relaxed when the water-based cleaning / refreshing agent treats the fabrics. The loose fibers are less prone to clotting. As mentioned above, reduced shrinkage is measured against a non-dip process using only a cleaning / recovery agent. It should be noted that the non-immersion method using only the cleaning / refreshing agent causes substantially less shrinkage than the conventional immersion washing method. Thus, the compositions and methods described herein not only represent an improvement over the known non-dipping methods, but also a substantial improvement over conventional dip-washing methods.

Detergent / Recovery Agent: The detergent / recovery agent preferably comprises water and a member selected from the group consisting of surfactants, perfumes, preservatives, bleaching agents, cleaning aids, organic solvents and mixtures thereof. Preferred organic solvents are glycol ethers, especially methoxypropoxypropanol, ethoxypropoxypropanol, propoxypropoxypropanol, butoxypropoxypropanol, butoxypropanol and mixtures thereof. The surfactant is preferably a nonionic surfactant, such as an ethoxylated alcohol or an ethoxylated alkylphenol, and is present in an amount of up to 2% by weight. by weight of the cleaning / refreshing agent. Typical cleaning / refreshment compositions of the present invention may contain at least 80 wt. % water, preferably at least 90% and more preferably at least 95% by weight of water; water.

The examples below provide specific ranges of the individual components of the preferred cleaning / refreshment compositions for use in the invention. A more detailed description of the individual components of the cleansing / refreshing agents, i.e. organic solvents, surfactants, perfumes, preservatives, bleaching agents and cleaning aids, can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,789,368, issued August 4, 2003. 1998, You et al. A complete description of the patent of You et al. is incorporated herein by reference. Further, cleansing / refreshing agents are described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08 / 789,171, filed Jan. 24, 1997, by Trinh et al. Application of Trinha et al. is incorporated herein by reference.

Substrate: When used in the dryer stage of the present method, the shrinkage reducing agent and the releasable cleaning / recovery agent are absorbed in combination with an absorbent substrate, hereinafter referred to as a substrate. The releasable substrate comprises means. Releasable comprises means that the compositions are effectively released from the soiled substrate as part of the method of cleaning and refreshing the fabrics herein without immersion. This release occurs mainly by volatilizing the composition from the substrate with a vapor-permeable cover sheet or by combining vapor-liquid transfer, although it is desirable that bulk liquid transfer be minimized by the cover sheet of the invention.

The substrate may exist in any desired form, such as powders, flakes, shavings and the like. However, it is highly preferred that the substrate be in the form of an integral pad or sheet that essentially retains its integral structure during the process. The substrates and sheets of the present invention are sometimes referred to in the literature as carriers and absorbent carrier sheets; it is to be understood that all of these designations refer to liquid-absorbing materials that can be used for conventional fluid transorpt. These substrates are described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 5,789,368 to You et al., Incorporated herein by reference. The production of these sheets does not form part of the invention and is already described in the literature. See, for example, U.S. Patent Nos. 5,009,747 to Viazmensky et al., Issued April 23, 1991, and 5,292,581 to Viazmensky et al., Issued March 8, 1994, which is incorporated herein by reference.

The substrate is believed to contain a sufficient amount of a shrinkage reducing agent and a cleansing / refreshing agent to be effective for its intended purpose. The capacity of the substrate for these compositions will vary depending on the intended use. The size of the substrate should not be so large as to be unpleasant for the user. Typically, the dimensions of the substrate will be sufficient to achieve a macroscopic surface area (both sides of the substrate) of at least 360 cm ³ , preferably in the range of 360 cm ² to 3000 cm ² . For example, the rectangular substrate may generally have dimensions (X dimension) from 10 to 35 cm and (Y dimension) from 18 to 45 cm.

Cover Sheet: The cover sheets used according to the invention are distinguishable from the substrate when the cover sheets are relatively nonabsorbent shrinkage reducing and cleaning / refreshing agents compared to the substrate. Cover sheets are constructed of hydrophobic fibers that tend not to absorb, not to wick or in any way support liquid transfer. While liquids may pass through voids between the cover sheet fibers, this is mainly the case when excessive pressure is applied to the product. Thus, under typical conditions of use, the cover sheets provide a physical barrier that maintains the aboreous substrate, which is a wet charge of the shrinkage reducing agent and the cleansing / refreshing agent, before contacting it with the substances to be treated. Nevertheless, the cover sheet allows the vapor transfer of the shrinkage reducing agent and the cleaning / refreshing agent from the substrate through the cover sheet and into the storage bag, and hence to the substances to be treated. If desired, the cover sheet may be obtained by macroscopic perforations through which the lint, fibers or relevant soils can pass through, further helping to retain such foreign material in the product itself.

Such fibrous, preferably heat resistant, and most preferably hydrophobic cover sheets are described in detail in U.S. Patent No. 5,789,368 to You et al., Which was incorporated herein by reference. Furthermore, the accompanying U.S. Patent Application No. 60/077,556, filed March 11, 1998, to Wise et al., Discloses certain improvements to the cover sheets of the present invention. The full description of Wise et al. is incorporated herein by reference. Appropriate cover sheet combinations described by You et al. together with the improvements described by Wis et al, at the wish of the manufacturer, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

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One potential problem of the sheets of the present invention, i.e. the substrate or the combination of the substrate and the cover Isit, is that they can be overused by customers. The sheets are typically prepared with sufficient coagulation reducing agent and a disposable cleansing / refreshing agent. If, after the first use, the sheet appears clean, the customer may tend to reuse it. Reusing a sheet that contains insufficient amounts of a shrinkage reducing agent and a cleaning / refreshing agent will usually be ineffective. Thus, either an indicator such as a color change color can be added to either the substrate or the cover sheet. The indicator will inform the customer that the sheet has been used and should be destroyed. The indicator preferably changes the color of the sheet to yellow, brown, or gray.

In the above reference, Wise et al. another, yet equally effective solution to this problem is proposed. Specifically, an adhesive is applied to the sheet. The adhesive agent attracts and collects the lost fibers, hair, lint, and other dispersed material from the substances to be treated. This not only serves to remove these undesirable items from the substances, but also serves as an indicator. At the end of the treatment process, the dispersed material that remains attached to the sheet gives the sheet a dirty appearance, indicating to the customer that the sheet is removed.

Storage Bag: The present invention provides a method for cleaning and reviving non-dipped fabrics that is carried out in a storage bag. The method of the invention may be carried out in a sealed bag, but in a highly preferred method, the method of the present invention employs a vapor deposition bag. The bag is preferably designed for multiple use and reuse and is specially adapted for use by a customer in a conventional hot air dryer, such as those found in households. The bag is designed to evacuate water and other vapors (including odorous materials) that are released in the bag when using the method described herein. The vapors released from the bag are then vented through the air of the dryer.

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The design of the venting capability of the bag provides an appropriate balance of the above effects. A tightly sealed, vapor-tight sealed bag will not release odors and will excessively moisten the fabric, resulting in wrinkles. An over-opened bag will not sufficiently wet the fabric or dirt to mobilize heavier odors or to remove pre-existing wrinkles. The sack may not be sufficiently enclosed to warp and create an void volume under water vapor pressure, whereby the fabrics may flip over freely in the drum and be exposed to vapor.

Preferred vent bags and methods of using the bag in a dip-free cleaning and recovery process are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,789,368 to You et al., Incorporated herein by reference. Further descriptions of bags, methods of using and making bags and bag construction materials that are preferred for use in the present invention can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,762,648, issued June 9, 1998 to Yeazell, and U.S. Patent No. 5, U.S. Pat. 681,355, issued Oct. 28, 1997 to Davis et al. Both Yeazell's patent and Davis et al. are incorporated herein by reference.

More particularly, the preferred vapor discharge storage bags for use in the present invention are designed to drain at least 40%, preferably at least 60%, up to about 90%, preferably no more than 80% by weight. the total moisture introduced into the bag prior to the duty cycle of the fabric dryer or other hot air apparatus used by the method of the invention. The percentage of vented vapors can be determined by the vented vapor evaluation (WE) assay as defined in Example 4 below. As noted above, preferred storage bags are designed to achieve a vent degree or WE value of at least 40% (40 WE), with preferably at least 60% (60 WE), up to 90% (90 WE), even more preferably no more than 80% (80 WE).

Stain Cleaner: The user of the present method can obtain various stain cleaners for use in an optional preliminary stain removal method of the present invention. These compositions are used to remove localized stains from the substances being treated, either before or after the cleaning and recovery process as defined herein. The stain cleaning agent must be • · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · ·

Nut · φ · φφ φφφφ φφ φ necessarily compatible with the substance to be treated. This means that no significant amount of paint should be removed from the fabric during stain treatment and that the stain cleaner should not leave any visible stains on the fabric. Thus, in a preferred aspect of the present invention, stain-cleaning compositions are obtained which are substantially free of materials that leave visible residues on the treated fabrics. This necessarily means that the preferred compositions are formulated to contain the highest possible level of volatile materials, preferably water, typically about 95%, preferably 97.7% by weight, and a surfactant in an amount of 0.1 to 0.7 % wt. A preferred stain cleaning composition will also contain a cleaning solvent such as butoxypropoxypropanol (BPP) in a low but effective amount, typically 1 to 4%, preferably about 2% by weight.

Examples of preferred pre-staining compositions are set forth below and are described in U.S. Patent No. 5,789,368 to You et al., Incorporated herein by reference. Stain cleaning compositions are further described in U.S. Patent No. 5,630,847, issued May 20, 1997 to Roetker. The full disclosure of Roetker's patent has been incorporated herein by reference.

Treatment member: In one embodiment, the treatment is performed to assist in removing localized stains from the fabrics. In a preferred aspect of the present invention, the stain cleaning composition is prepared in a dispenser, such as a container, and the dispenser has a distal tip that can serve as a treatment member. Further, the treatment member may comprise a base absorbent material which may be, for example, a natural or synthetic sponge, an absorbent cellulosic sheet or pad or the like. Multiple protrusions may be in contact with and extend beyond the base material. Specific examples of treatment members can be found in U.S. Patent No. 5,789,368 to You et al., Which was incorporated herein by reference.

A stain-absorbing adsorption product: A stain-absorbing adsorption product, sometimes also referred to as a stain-absorbing product, may optionally be used in a possible pre-treatment.

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9999 99 99 9999 99 conventional stain treatment according to the invention. These stain collectors may be any absorbent material that sucks in the liquid composition used in the preliminary stain removal operation. Disposable paper towels, cloth towels such as Bounty ™ towels, cleaning cloths, etc. may be used. However, in a preferred method, the stain collector is designed specifically to soak or draw liquid compositions from the soiled area. One preferred type of stain collector consists of a nonwoven pad, such as a thermally bonded fabric (TBAL). Another highly preferred type of stain collector for use in the present invention comprises a polymeric foam, wherein the polymeric foam comprises a polymerized water-in-oil emulsion, sometimes referred to as poly-HIPE. The production of polymeric foam is extensively described in the patent literature; see, for example, U.S. Patent No. 5,260,345, DesMarais, Stone, Thompson, Young, LaVon and Dyer, issued November 9, 1993, U.S. Patent No. 5,550,167, DeaMarais, issued August 27, 1996, and U.S. Patent 5,650,222 , DesMarais et al., Issued July 22, 1997, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Typical conditions for the production of polymeric foams of the present invention are described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/042,418, filed March 13, 1998, by TA DesMarais et al., Entitled Absorbent Materials for Distributing Aqueous Liquids, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. . A further description of the conditions for the production of polymeric foams for use in the present invention is described in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/077,955, filed March 13, 1998, by TA DesMarais et al. the description is incorporated herein by reference.

The various stain collectors described herein and described in the references incorporated herein by reference preferably comprise a liquid impermeable backing sheet. The backing sheet can be made, for example, from a thin layer of polypropylene, polyethylene and the like. The backing sheet provides protection of the surface on which the stain collector rests against the stain cleaning composition. For example, the stain cleaning method is typically performed on a hard surface, such as a table surface. The stain collector is placed on the table and the substance to be treated is placed on the stain collector. The stain cleaner is applied to the soiled area • · ···· · ·

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9999 99 9 · 9999 99 9 fabric and then stretched into the stain collector. In the absence of the backing sheet, the stain cleaner will spill onto the table surface and possibly damage it.

Although the backing sheet preferably covers only one side of the absorbent stain collector, leaving the opposite side exposed to the stain cleaning solution, the backing sheet may extend beyond the edges of the stain collector to protect the stain of the stain collector from spilling. However, placing the backing sheet over the ends and on the absorbing side of the receiver minimizes the surface area available for receiving the stain cleaning solution. One solution to this condition is to have a portion of the backing sheet stretched over one or more edges of the stain collector in the form of ailerons. The wings provide additional protection by ensuring that they include a stain cleaning agent when spilled from the ends of the stain collector, while at the same time maximizing the absorption area of the stain collector surface.

Method of cleaning and recovery: The shrinkage reducing agent and the cleaning / refreshing agent are filled onto a substrate, which is preferably enclosed in a cover sheet, and the substrate is placed in a bag of substances to be treated. The bag is sealed and placed in a heat-drying clothing dryer or similar device to remove odors from the fabrics. The warm, humid environment created inside the bag will cause the odor components to escape by steam distillation and to moisten and dirty the substances. This wetting may cause removal of the preformed crease without creating new creases during the drying step at the end of the drying step. Appropriate selection of the amounts of the shrinkage reducing agent and the cleaning / refreshing agent, and specifically the amount of water used in the method and, importantly, the appropriate ventilation of the bag according to the present method can minimize the precipitation of the substances. In addition, if the bag is not vented, volatile odorous materials removed from the fabrics may undesirably be deposited thereon again.

More particularly, the cleaning and recovery process according to the invention can be carried out in the following manner. Modifications to the method may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention:

i) optionally, according to the procedure described below, pre-staining at localized soiled sites of the fabrics, ii) the entire fabric together with the substrate releasably containing a shrinkage reducing agent and a cleaning / refreshing agent is placed in a storage bag, iii) the bag is placed in a a mixing device such as a hot air dryer and a hot dryer rotating the drum to wet the substance, iv) removing the substance from the bag, and

(v) the substances are immediately suspended so as to dry them completely and / or to prevent wrinkles.

More particularly, the cleaning and recovery process is suitably carried out in a rotating drum device, preferably in the presence of heat. The substrate containing the releasably adsorbed shrinkage reducing agent and the cleansing / refreshing agent are placed together with the substances to be treated in a nylon or other heat-resistant and preferably vapor-venting bag. The bag is sealed and placed in the drum of an automatic hot air drying dryer at 40 to 150 ° C. This drum is allowed to rotate, which imparts a rotation to the bag and its contents are mixed with the rotation of the drum. The rotation of the drum and heating is carried out for at least 10 minutes, typically 20 minutes to 60 minutes. This step can be carried out for a longer or shorter time, according to such factors as the degree and type of soiling of the substances, the nature of the soils, the nature of the substances, the load of the substances, the amount of heat applied and the like.

More specifically, the skvm pretreatment method can be carried out in the following manner. Modifications to the method may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention:

1. The soiled fabric area is placed over the skvm trap and in contact with the poly-HIPE or TBAL skvm trap described herein, or, less preferably, Over an ordinary folded paper towel (e.g. preferably white or unprinted, to avoid dye transfer from a towel - type BOUNTY ^ ⁹ ) on any suitable surface, such as the top of a table, in a bowl, etc.

2. Apply a sufficient spot cleaning agent from the narrow-mouth delivery container to direct the spot to the spot (without necessarily saturating the surrounding area of the fabric) to saturate the localized soiled area - about 10 drops; larger amounts can be used for larger stains.

3. Optionally, allow the composition to penetrate the stain for 3 to 5 minutes.

4. Optionally apply another composition - about 10 drops; larger amounts can be used for larger stains.

5. A treatment member such as a distal tip of the container can be used to completely remove the stain. Contact is maintained for 1 to 60 seconds for smaller spots and 1 to 5 minutes or longer for heavier than more permanent spots.

6. If desired, the fabric is pressed, eg between paper towels, to remove excess composition. Alternatively, the treated surface may be pressed with a dipped sponge or other absorbent medium to compress the fibers and remove excess composition.

The following examples further illustrate the invention but are not intended to limit it.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Example 1

Cleaning and revitalizing agents

The cleaning / refreshing agents of the compounds of the present invention for use in a storage bag are prepared as follows:

· · «Φ · · · · · φ · φ · φ · složka · složka · složka · složka · složka · složka · složka · složka · složka · složka · φ ·

emulsifying agent (Tween 20) * Kathon ^(R) perfume 0.5 0.5 0.0003 sodium benzoate water 0.1 to replenish

* polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate available from ICI Surfactants

Preferred compositions for use in the cleaning / recovery step in the dryer of the process of the invention are as follows.

component % wt. range (% w / w) water 99.0 95.1 to 99.9 perfume 0.5 0.05 to 1.5 surfactant * 0.5 0.05 to 2.0 ethanol or isopropanol 0 optionally up to 4 solvent (eg BPP) 0 optionally up to 4

pH range from 6 to 8

Among other ingredients, the foregoing compositions may contain enzymes to further enhance the purification efficiency as described in the Trinha et al patent, which is incorporated herein by reference.

·· · • · · · · φ · ί · φ φφφφφφφφφφφφφ φφφφ φφφφφφφφφφφφφφ

Example 2

Preparation of a substrate comprising a shrinkage reducing agent and a liquid cleaning / refreshing agent

From Hydraspun material ^(R), manufactured by the Dexter Corp., was prepared substrates 10 (26 times 36 cm) in sheet form. This substrate sheet is coated on both sides with a top sheet and a bottom sheet of Reemay fabric cover material (0.2 mm). The cover sheet (i.e. both the bottom sheet and the top sheet) is bonded to the substrate sheet by a Vertrod ^(R) or other standard heat sealing device, such as a conventional ultrasonic sealing device, thereby binding the laminate structure around the entire periphery of the sheet. The sides of the sheet around the periphery are weighed between the top sheet and the bottom sheet. As mentioned above, the binding width is kept to a minimum (6.4 mm).

The bound laminate sheet thus produced is folded and placed in a bag. Any plastic bag that does not leak is suitable. For example, a film laminated bag of the type used in the food industry may be used. These bags are well known in the industry and are made of materials that do not absorb food flavors. In a similar manner, the formulator can avoid absorption of the perfume used in the cleansing / refreshing composition. Various bags are useful in the present invention. These bags are commercially available.

The folded substrate / cover sheet is placed in a bag. The compositions may be of any type, for example depending on the type of bag or roll or half-roll. This size is not critical, but is suitable for placement in a bag.

Five grams of the shrinkage reducing agent and 18 grams of the cleaning / refreshing agent are poured onto the substrate sheet / cover sheet in any order, more preferably the shrinking agent and the cleaning / refreshing agent are mixed prior to pouring onto the substrate. The compositions are allowed to absorb into the substrate. The bag is sealed immediately after the liquid product has been introduced into the bag and stored until use.

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Example 3

Stain removers

The stain cleaning composition for use according to the present invention, preferably in a delivery device as above, with a TBAL or poly-HIPE stain foam collector is prepared as follows:

component nonionic (% by weight) range (% by weight) hydrogen peroxide 1,000 0 to 2 aminotris (methylenephosphonic acid) * 0.040 0 to 0.06 butoxypropoxypropanol (BPP) 2,000 1 to 6 Neodol 23 6.5 0.250 0 to 1 preservative Kathon 0.0003 or ** water 96,710 to replenish pH target = 7; range 6 to 8

* hydrogen peroxide stabilizer enough to provide protection function

Another example of a preferred high-level, low-residue stain cleaning composition for use in the pre-staining step of the invention is as follows.

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component anionic agent (% wt.) hydrogen peroxide 1,000 aminotris (methylenephosphonic acid) * 0,0400 butoxypropoxypropanol (BPP) 2,000 NH ₄ coconut EiS 0.285 dodecyldimethylamine oxide 0,031 magnesium chloride 0.018 magnesium sulfate 0.019 a hydrotropic agent, a perfume, and minor ingredients 0.101 preservative Kathon 0.0003 water (deionized or distilled) 96,507 target pH 6.0

* hydrogen peroxide stabilizer

To minimize potential deterioration of the paint as described above, preferably the hydrogen peroxide-containing spot-cleaning compositions comprise an anionic or non-ionic surfactant in an amount (in% by weight of the composition) that is less than the amount of hydrogen peroxide. The surfactant: hydrogen peroxide weight ratio is preferably in the range of 1:10 to 1: 1.5, most preferably 1: 4 to 1: 3.

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Example 4

Vapor Exhaust Test (WE)

Materials required for WE test envelope or standard, ie control storage bag to be evaluated by WE, Hydraspun substrate sheet ^(R> (38.1 by 27.9 cm) from Dexter with or without binding agent (10444) binding agent (10244), wool blouse: RN77390, style 12288, approximate weight 224 grams, silk blouse: RN40787, style 0161, approximate weight 81 grams, rayon pattern: 114.3 cm by 43.2 cm, approximately 60 grams , bag: 12.7 x 16.2 cm for substrate and water deionized water, the weight is variable to detect WE

Pretreatment of substances

1. Woolen, silk and rayon fabrics are placed in a Whirpool dryer (model LEC7646DQO) for ten minutes with the highest heating settings with a heating cycle of 60 to 74 ° C to remove moisture obtained under room conditions.

2. The fabrics are then removed from the dryer and placed in sealed nylon or plastic bags (with a minimum thickness (0.072 mm) to minimize atmospheric moisture pick-up.

Test procedure

1. Water is applied to the substrate in varying amounts from 0 to 40 grams for at least 30 minutes before the bag venting test. The substrate is folded, placed in a bag and sealed.

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2. Weigh each substance separately and record the dry weight. The weights of the dry substrate, the dry bag containing the substrate, and the dry storage bag to be evaluated are also recorded.

3. Each garment is placed in a bag to be evaluated for vapor exhaust, together with a substrate containing water (removed from the bag and decomposed).

4. Sack is closed without expelling air and placed in a Whirlpool for 30 minutes with the highest heat setting and standard rotation of the dryer drum.

5. After 30 minutes, the bag is removed from the dryer and each substance, substrate, bag and bag is weighed and the weight gain relative to the dry state is determined (Possible less weight loss of storage bag due to the heat of the dryer is neglected in the calculations.).

6. The obtained weight of each garment is recorded as a percentage of the total moisture applied to the substrate.

7. The remaining measured humidity divided by total humidity shall be recorded as a percentage vented from the dryer bag.

8. If a number of total applied moisture levels are evaluated, it can be seen that the above 15 to 20 grams vented water remains substantially constant. This is the equilibrium value of the vapor vent or WE for venting the bag design.

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Claims (10)

1. A composition for treating substances, comprising: a) a precipitation reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol , 1-octanol and mixtures thereof, and b) a liquid cleaning / refreshing agent, wherein the precipitation reducing agent and the liquid cleaning / refreshing agent are releasably absorbed in the substrate in a weight ratio of 1: 2 to 1: 5, preferably to 1: 2 to 1: 4, more preferably to 1: 3 to 1: 4 and most preferably 1: 3.6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the cleaning / refreshing composition comprises water and a member selected from the group consisting of surfactants, perfumes, preservatives, bleaching agents, cleaning aids, organic solvents and mixtures thereof, organic solvents with preferably, ethers are glycol, more preferably the organic solvents are selected from the group consisting of methoxypropoxypropanol, ethoxypropoxypropanol, propoxypropoxypropanol, butoxypropoxypropanol, butoxypropanol, and mixtures thereof. A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the cleaning / refreshing composition comprises water and a surfactant. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the surfactant is a nonionic surfactant, preferably an ethoxylated alcohol or an ethoxylated alkylphenol. 5. A non-immersion overall cleansing / recovery process for the treatment of substances, characterized in that: ·············································· 9.9 ·· ···· ·· ··· a) the substance together with the substrate is placed in a storage bag, (b) the bag is placed in a hot-air drier or similar device operating with heat and drum cleaning; and (c) the substances are removed from the bag, releasably absorbed in the substrate: a) a precipitation reducing agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol , 1-octanol and mixtures thereof, and b) a liquid cleaning / refreshing agent, wherein the precipitation reducing agent and the liquid cleaning / refreshing agent are present in the substrate in a weight ratio of 1: 2 to 1: 5, preferably up to 1: 2 to 1: 4, more preferably up to 1 : 3 to 1: 4 and most preferably 1: 3.6. Composition according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the vapors are removed from the bag during step b). A method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the substance has a first side and a second side, characterized in that: a) the stain cleaning agent is applied from the dispenser to a discrete soiled area of the first side of the fabric, (b) contacting, at the same time or sequentially with step (a), the first side of the substance adjacent to the soiled area with the treatment member; and (c) the other side of the substance adjacent to the soiled area is contacted with the soil-absorbing member. 8. An assembly comprising: a) a plurality of substrates having a shrinkage reducing agent and a liquid cleaning / refreshing agent according to any one of claims 1 to 7 releasably absorbed thereon; ·· · · · · · · · · · · • · · · · · · · · • · ♦ · · · · · · ♦ · · · · · · · · · · · · 26 (b) reusable storage bag, C) optionally a treating member, (d) optionally a separate portion of the spot cleanser, and (e) where appropriate, one or more soil-absorbent absorbent articles. An assembly according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein a separate portion of the stain cleaning composition is contained within the receptacle and the treatment member is the tip of the receptacle. 10. A sheet which is specifically adapted for cleaning and / or reviving substances in a clothes dryer by hot air, comprising: (a) substrate; b) from 10 to 30 grams of a liquid cleaning / refreshing composition which is at least 80%, preferably at least 90% and most preferably at least 95% by weight of the composition. absorbed in the substrate, being releasable by water, c) from 2 to 20 grams of a clotting agent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, all isomers of propanediol, butanediol, pentanediol, hexanediol and mixtures thereof, more preferably selected from the group consisting of neopentyl glycol, polyethylene glycol, 1,2-propanediol 1,3-butanediol, 1-octanol and mixtures thereof releasably absorbed in the substrate.