WO2012069343A1

WO2012069343A1 - Laundry article having improved dirt scavenging properties

Info

Publication number: WO2012069343A1
Application number: PCT/EP2011/070219
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gabriele HÜRTGEN; Noelle Wrubbel; Leyla KÖLLING
Original assignee: Henkel Ag & Co. Kgaa
Priority date: 2010-11-25
Filing date: 2011-11-16
Publication date: 2012-05-31

Abstract

The invention discloses a laundry article used for cleaning fabrics comprising a water - insoluble substrate and a dirt scavenging compound, which is an amine - modified polysiloxane. A method of manufacturing and a method of using such articles is also disclosed.

Description

"Laundry article having improved dirt scavenging properties"

The present invention relates to an article of manufacture used for cleaning fabrics. The invention also relates to a method of manufacturing and to a method of using such articles.

Laundry detergents are available in several different product formats like powders, granulates, liquids, gels or unit dose items such as tablets or pouches.

Especially unit dose items comply with consumer's desire for simplified dosage. But, laundry tablets and pouches exhibit a few drawbacks. Especially tablets show due to their high densification only a delayed dissolution and, thus, a delayed release of their ingredients. In order to improve dissolution rates without being detrimental to tablet strength several technical solutions have been found such as the use of disintegration aids. Since integration aids usually do not show further cleaning or conditioning properties, complexity and manufacturing costs are raised.

The disadvantage of pouches comprising liquid detergent is that incompatible ingredients cannot be formulated in one detergent. Additionally, the wrapping material such as polyvinyl alcohol often does not dissolute completely during the washing process and residues can be found on the fabrics.

Another alternative unit dose item comprises laundry detergents that are coated on water-insoluble substrates. The laundry article is added together with the laundry to the washing machine. During the washing process the coating dissolves and thereby releases its ingredients to the wash liquor.

WO 07/120867 A2 provides a laundry article which functions as a single product for washing and conditioning fabrics when added to the washing machine and then carried along with the wet clothes into the clothes dryer. The laundry article comprises a water-insoluble substrate onto which a minimum of two compositions is applied in "zones". The water-insoluble substrate for the laundry article of the present invention is coated with a detergent composition and a fabric conditioning composition. In order to manufacture such a laundry article preferably a heated molten mixture of the particular compositions is coated onto the water-insoluble substrate.

Todays laundry detergents comprise so-called "anti-gray compounds" in order to keep the dirt that is released from the fiber when washing textiles suspended in the washing liquid and thereby prevent redeposition of dirt on the textile. Water-soluble colloids, usually of an organic nature, are suitable for this purpose.

In laundry articles comprising a water-insoluble substrate the water-insoluble substrate may provided with dirt scavenging properties. Mostly, the substrate is provided with a permanent finish comprising a cationic, dirt scavenging compound. Cationic dirt scavenging compounds such as polyquaternium compounds show good dirt scavenging properties when applied to cellulosic substrates but are less effective when applied to substrates made at least partly from synthetic materials such as polyester.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a laundry article comprising a water-insoluble substrate that shows good dirt scavenging properties independent of the material used in the water-insoluble substrate.

This object is achieved by a laundry article used for cleaning fabrics comprising:

a water-insoluble substrate; wherein the substrate is at least partly coated with a dirt scavenging compound, and wherein the dirt scavenging compound is an amine-modified polysiloxane.

It has surprisingly been found that an amine-modified polysiloxane can be easily and stably coated on any water-insoluble substrate and that it shows good dirt scavenging properties independent of the material used in the water-insoluble substrate.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the amine-modified polysiloxane comprises at least the followin structural units a) and b):

wherein R is independently of one another, CTC^ alkyl, and n is 1 to 5000;

wherein R is C^-CM alkyl, Y is optionally substituted, linear or branched C^-C₂o alkylene, R² and R³ are independently of one another, H or optionally substituted linear or branched C -C₃₀ alkyl or C -Cw alkyl substituted with nitrogen-containing groups, and x is 1 to 5000.

In a even more preferred embodiment of the invention R is C^-C₄ alkyl, R² is H, and R³ is -(CH₂)_b-NH₂ with b is 1 to 10, Y is -(CH₂)₃-, and x is 100 to 1500.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the amine-modified polysiloxane has the following structure:

(CH3)3Si-[0-Si(CH3)2]n-[0-Si(CH3){(CH₂)3-NH-(CH₂)₂-NH₂}]_x-OSi(CH₃)3 where the sum of n + x is a number between 2 and 10,000.

All these amine-modified polysiloxanes are commercially available and can be stably coated onto water-insoluble substrates.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the article additionally comprises a detergent composition solidified on the substrate in at least one zone.

By additionally adding a detergent composition to the laundry article the laundry article exhibits an enhanced functionality and, hence, an enhanced performance.

Depending on the manufacturing process and/or the packaging it may be preferred that the dirt scavenging compound is coated on one side of the substrate and the detergent composition is solidified on the other side of substrate or that the detergent composition is solidified on the same side of substrate as the dirt scavenging compound.

It is also preferred that the substrate is made from entirely synthetic material(s).

The present invention also relates to a method of producing a laundry article used for cleaning fabrics comprising a water-insoluble nonwoven substrate that is at least partly coated with a dirt scavenging compound comprising the steps of:

a. providing the dirt scavenging compound in a liquid state;

b. supplying a length of nonwoven substrate;

c. applying said the dirt scavenging compound onto at least parts of the substrate; and d. drying the coated substrate.

Additionally, the invention relates to a method of washing fabrics comprising the steps of:

a. supplying the laundry article according to the present invention; and

b. washing a load of fabrics in a laundry machine with said article.

The invention is described in greater detail below on the basis of examples, among other things.

In general, the present invention is a laundry article that is at least partly coated with a dirt scavenging compound. The dirt scavenging compound is an amine-modified polysiloxane.

A suitable amine-modified polysiloxane comprises at least the following structural units a) and b):

wherein R is independently of one another, C^-CM alkyl, and n is 1 to 5000;

wherein R is C C₃₀ alkyl, Y is optionally substituted, linear or branched C_rC₂o alkylene, R² and R³ are independently of one another, H or optionally substituted linear or branched C C₃₀ alkyl of C C₃₀ alkyl substituted with nitrogen-containing groups, and x is 1 to 5000.

It is preferred that R is C^-C₄ alkyl. In particular, R is selected from methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, /^'-propyl, n-butyl, /^'-butyl and mixtures thereof, with methyl and ethyl being preferred.

R² and R³ are independently of one another, H or optionally substituted linear or branched C -C₃₀ alkyl. Most preferred, the C C₃₀ alkyl groups are substituted with amino, amide and/or imine groups. It is in particular preferred that the C C₃₀ alkyl groups are substituted with amino groups.

In a preferred embodiment R is methyl, R² is H, R³ is -(CH₂)_b-NH₂, b is 1 to 10, Y is -(CH₂)₃- and x is 100 to 1500.

In a particularly preferred embodiment the amine-modified polysiloxane has the following structure:

(CH₃)3Si-[0-Si(CH3)₂]n-[0-Si(CH3){(CH₂)3-NH-(CH₂)₂-NH₂}]_x-OSi(CH₃)3 where the sum of n + x is a number between 2 and 10,000.

Suitable polysiloxanes having structural units a) and b) are available commercially under the brand names DC2-8663, DC2-8035, DC2-8203, DC05-7022 or DC2-8566 (all from Dow Corning), for example. Also suitable according to the present invention are the commercially available products Dow Corning® 7224, Dow Corning® 929 Cationic Emulsion or Formasil 410 (Momentive), for example. Another suitable amine-modified polysiloxane is Wacker-Belsil® ADM 1650 from Wacker.

The amine-modified polysiloxane in accordance with a preferred embodiment is at a level from 0.1 to 5 mg per cm² water-insoluble substrate and more preferred at a level from 0.5 to 2.5 mg per cm² water-insoluble substrate. These amounts provide an excellent dirt scavenging effect and no transfer of the amine-modified polysiloxanes to other textiles occurs. Amounts of amine-modified polysiloxanes higher than 5 mg per cm² water-insoluble substrate may lead to laundry articles having a greasy and sticky feeling.

The dirt scavenging compound is provided in a liquid state. This means that the dirt scavenging compound is either used in solution, e.g. an alcoholic solution of the dirt scavenging compound or the dirt scavenging compound itself has a liquid condition. Most preferred the dirt scavenging compound is a low viscosity amine-modified polysiloxane that can be applied in pure form.

A particular preferred embodiment of the present invention is a laundry article comprising a water-insoluble substrate that is at least partly coated with dirt scavenging compound onto which at least one other composition is applied in a "zone". The laundry article of this particular embodiment of the present invention comprises a water-insoluble substrate with one zone of detergent composition, arranged in one or more geographical areas, or patterns or regions, (called "zones"), on the water-insoluble substrate. Optional perforations on the article allow the consumer to break apart the article along defined lines to customize the product for the specific laundering requirements, customizing the amounts and the formulas used for a particular laundry load.

The detergent composition applied to the substrate may comprise anionic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, builder, chelant and further adjuvant ingredients such as but not limited to bleaches, bleach catalysts, bleach activators, enzymes, enzyme stabilizers, non-aqueous solvents, fragrances, fragrance vehicles, fluorescent agents, dyestuffs, foam inhibitors, silicone oils, anti-redeposition agents, graying inhibitors, shrinkage preventers, antiwrinkle agents, dye transfer inhibitors, antimicrobial active ingredients, germicides, fungicides, antioxidants, preservatives, corrosion inhibitors, antistatics, and UV absorbers and is preferably a co-melt of mostly anhydrous waxy ingredients (materials normally solids or waxes at ambient temperature), or low-water content slurry or paste. The detergent composition even if a co-melt of waxy ingredients may preferably contain insoluble particles agglomerated into the melt, either for performance or aesthetic reasons.

If a graying inhibitor such as carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is included in the detergent composition its performance can be visualized to the customer by the dirt scavenging properties of the water-insoluble substrate.

It is preferred that the dirt scavenging compound is continuously coated onto the water-insoluble substrate. If the dirt scavenging compound is only partly coated onto the water-insoluble substrate the detergent composition may overlap with the dirt scavenging coated or the coating and the detergent composition are applied in different zones.

In a further also preferred embodiment the dirt scavenging compound is only partly coated onto the water-insoluble substrate and the remaining parts or least parts of the remaining parts are coated with a dye catching compound.

Additionally, the laundry article of the present invention may comprise further compositions that are applied in further "zones". A preferred further composition is a fabric conditioning composition. The fabric conditioning composition may comprise a quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant and/or fatty acid amide(s). A variety of quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant may be utilized; however acyclic quaternary surfactants are preferred. For example, useful quaternary synthetic surfactants that are acyclic include alkylamine quaternary ammonium compounds, amidoamine quaternary ammonium compounds, or ester quaternary ammonium compounds. Preferred quaternary ammonium compounds are based on monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and/or

diethanolmethylamine. The preferred quaternary surfactants for use in the present invention are waxy solids or are highly viscous at ambient temperature such that the material can be melted and applied hot to the substrate, and these may include traditional tetraalkyl materials or ester quaternaries, or combinations of the two types. It may be preferred that the quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant is a fabric softening agent. It may also be preferred that the quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant is an anti-static agent.

The quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant in accordance with a preferred embodiment is at a level from 10 % to 80 % by weight of the fabric conditioning composition and more preferred from 25 % to 60 % by weight of the fabric conditioning composition.

Another preferred further composition is an enzyme-containing composition. In this embodiment the detergent composition does not contain an enzyme and the enzymes are separated from ingredients that may be detrimental to the stability of enzymes.

Still another preferred further composition is an bleach-containing composition. In this

embodiment the detergent composition does not contain bleach and the bleach is separated from ingredients that may be detrimental to the stability of the bleach or vice versa.

A variety of materials may be used as the substrate in the present invention. For example the substrate may be natural pulp based paper or cotton materials, entirely synthetic materials (such as melt-blow, spun-laid, air-laid or carded/bonded polypropylene, polyester, or similar synthetic polymer fiber substrates) or combinations of natural and synthetic materials (such as pulp wet-laid onto a nonwoven web). It is preferred that the water-insoluble substrate is at least partly made from a synthetic material. In a preferred embodiment the water-insoluble substrate is made from entirely synthetic material(s). For example, any of the substrates used in the "wet-wipes" hard surface and personal cleansing products, dryer sheets, or personal hygiene products currently on the market may be useful as the substrates for the articles of the present invention. Additionally, materials that are found in liquid and air filtration industries may find use as the substrate. In a particularly preferred embodiment is the substrate a water-insoluble nonwoven substrate.

Suitable substrate sheets may be obtained from any number of various water-insoluble nonwoven fabrics. The term "sheet" is used somewhat loosely here and relates to a preferred shape of an individual article of the present invention, that is, a flat sheet, for example square or rectangular, that is much greater in width and length than thickness and is a single laundry article. Thus the term "sheet" is used as a description of a section of nonwoven that may be used for an individual article of the present invention.

Nonwoven fabrics with their multitude of uses are well known to those skilled in the textiles art. Such fabrics can be prepared by forming a web of continuous filament and/or staple fibers and optionally bonding the fibers at fiber-to-fiber contact points to provide fabrics of the required properties. The term "bonded nonwoven fabric" is used to include nonwoven fabrics where a major portion of the fiber-to-fiber bonding is achieved by either thermal fusion of adjacent fibers, or adhesive bonding that is accomplished through incorporation of adhesives in the web to "glue" fibers together, or by other bonding such as obtained by the use of liquid or gaseous bonding agents (usually in conjunction with heating) to render the fibers cohesive. Chemical bonding may be accomplished through the use of adhesive or latex powders dispersed between the fibers in the web, which is then activated by heat, ultraviolet or infrared radiation, or other suitable activation method. Thermally and/or chemically bonded nonwovens may be used as the substrates within the present invention.

Nonwovens may comprise fibers known as "bi-component fibers", for example "sheath/core bi-component fibers", which are fibers having an outer sheath area or layer with a lower melting point than the inner core area, allowing for efficient and controlled thermal bonding through melting of just the outer layer of each fiber. Additionally, multi-component fibers are similarly known and commercially incorporated into nonwovens.

During the bonding of the fibers, the web may be simultaneously subjected to mechanical compression to obtain the desired bonding, weights and thicknesses in a process known as "thermal compression bonding". Mechanical compression may be used to set the loft or thickness of fabrics with similar basis weights. Normally increasing the basis weight, or the mass per square area increases thickness, and increasing bonding and compression decreases loft. Nonwovens with "sidedness" may be preferred for use in the articles of this invention. Sidedness refers to a nonwoven with a difference in density and/or loft on each side. These preferred nonwovens with sidedness may also be described by looking at the internal cross section through the nonwoven. For example, the preferred nonwovens for use herein have at least one "non-uniform cross-section". That is, if the preferred nonwoven with sidedness is cut, the exposed edge will be seen to be inhomogeneous, or in other words, having a gradient of fiber densities from one side through to the opposite side of the nonwoven. Single or multiple passes of mechanical compression while bonding may be used to produce nonwoven fabric that has sidedness, for example by differing the heating for thermal bonding on each side, along with using differing fibers diameters for each side, and/or by thermal compression bonding a nonwoven that was carded with different groups of fiber types on each side. Sidedness can also be accomplished by using different fiber thicknesses brought together in layers that look much like a laminating process, and allowing the heat/powder adhesive for thermal or powder/thermal bonding to bond the thinner more closely webbed fibers more densely and the thicker less closely webbed fibers lighter and loftier. Laminated as a term used herein should be construed to mean fiber webs that were separately carded brought together to form a single nonwoven. The term laminated should not be construed to mean the gluing to together of layers of material such as gluing or otherwise bonding together a polyurethane scrubbing layer onto a cellulose sponge. Although nonwovens may be constructed by laminating together two or more carded webs of fibers, the net result is a thicker nonwoven wherein it is difficult to discern layers. Depending on how a multi-layered nonwoven is finished (for example, the degree of thermal or chemical/thermal bonding of the fibers), the net resulting laminated nonwoven may appear to be a single layer of fibers. But when looking at a cross section of such a preferred nonwoven, the gradient of density may be visible, even without discerning a discrete transition between the original carded webs.

Nonwoven webs have been formed from many processes, for example, melt-blown, spun-bonded or spun-laid, toe-opened, wet-laid, air-laid, carded, and high pressure hydro-entangled. A preferred nonwoven for use as the substrate forthe articles of the present invention are carded thermal bonded, or carded powder/thermal bonded nonwovens, for example, those available from HDK Industries, Inc..

These most preferred substrates have a "non-uniform cross-section" at least somewhere along the nonwoven. For example, the nonwoven may be uniform across its length and width (for example, viewing the top or the bottom surfaces of the substrate), yet still have non-uniform cross-section through its thickness (i.e., when viewing the edge of the substrate either as made or when cut through a cross-section). Additionally, nonwovens may be layered and in ways where the top layer does not fully cover the bottom layer and an asymmetrical fabric is produced that has part of its width as a single density fabric and an adjacent part of its width as a gradient of fiber densities. These nonwovens have a non-uniform cross-section somewhere on the fabric.

Preferred materials for nonwoven substrates comprise polyesters or polyamides. If a

nonwoven substrate comprises polyamide, the polyamide may also function as "dye catcher" by adsorbing dyes released drying the washing cycle.

Additionally, it may be preferred that the substrate comprises an antimicrobial active agent such as silver or a silver compound such as SILVERPLUS® (available from Rudolf Chemie).

The dimensions of the sheet cut for the substrate in the article of the present invention should be suitable for easy handling, for example in the range of from about 10 cm x 10 cm to about 20 cm x 20 cm, however sheets of other dimensions may be useful when organized in convenient packaging for the consumer. Of course the sheet does not need to be square or really any particular shape, and any shape such as rectangular, polyhedral, rhomboidal, round, oval, heart- or other

decorative-shape, even shaped in a way to identify a particular brand (such as the shape of a letter or word or trademark), will work within the present invention. The substrate for use in the present invention may be colored in any color (vivid colors for example), or may be substantially white, and may be textured from heated rollers that are patterned. The sheets may be rolled up or folded or otherwise intricately compacted in order to fit some unique packaging designs, or may be simply stacked like stiff cards into a suitable carton for merchandising. Also, the aesthetics of the sheet should be pleasing enough so that consumers will want to use it with their laundry chores. Thus, each of the separate composition zones should be individually recognizable to the consumer, for example through color, transparency, gloss, texture, fragrance, or any combinations of these attributes. For example, a sheet within the present invention may have a deep blue detergent zone and a pink fabric conditioning zone, or perhaps a detergent region that has colored particles embedded within the zone.

It is possible that the dirt scavenging compound is coated on one side of the substrate and the detergent composition is solidified on the other side of substrate. But it is also possible that the detergent composition is solidified on the same side of substrate as the dirt scavenging compound. This means that the detergent composition is applied at least partly on top of the dirt scavenger compound coating.

The same holds true for further compositions such as fabric conditioning compositions, enzyme-containing compositions and/or bleach-containing compositions that can either be applied to the same side as the dirt scavenger compound or on the opposite side.

The detergent composition and the optional further composition(s) solidified on the water-insoluble substrate may either be placed on the substrate side by side or on top of each other. Alternatively, the detergent composition and the optional further composition(s) may be placed in an overlapping manner on the water-insoluble substrate.

It is preferred that in an article comprising at least two composition zones that the further composition zone geographically covers 2 - 30 % of the total surface area of the article while the detergent composition zone covers 70 - 98 % of the total surface area of the article. It may also be preferred that the surface of the article is not completely covered with composition-containing zones.

If a further fabric conditioning composition zone is present, it is preferred that the detergent composition zone is completely soluble in water while the fabric conditioning composition zone is more than 80 % retained (stable) through a standard wash cycle.

The water-insoluble substrate may be coated with the dirt scavenging compound by various methods such as spray coating, dipping, doctor blading, stamping, slot-coating or Gravure-coating. Afterwards the wet coated water-insoluble substrate is allowed to dry.

The coated water-insoluble substrate of the laundry article of the present invention may be impregnated with a detergent composition through any suitable processing step, for example a simple spray coating of the nonwoven substrate with a heated molten mixture or an aqueous solution to even dipping of the nonwoven substrate into various mixtures. For example, the molten compositions may be sputter-sprayed from guns with heated nozzles much in the same way that heavy paints, glues and coatings and the like are sprayed onto wide surfaces in many other industries. The impregnation of each composition on the substrate may be conducted either at the same time (in a simultaneous process with parallel feeders or sprayers for example) or in separate operations that are perhaps sequential operations of the same process or separate combinations of different processes. Impregnations may be applied on one side of the substrate, or one or more impregnations (for example the detergent formulation) can be applied on one side, and the other composition (for example the fabric conditioning formulation) may be applied on the other side of the substrate. This is a particularly important option for when a substrate having dissimilar sides is used. A suitable process for impregnation is for example a slot-coating process or a Gravure-coating process.

The form of any of the compositions applied to the substrate may be anything from thin to thick liquid, to slurry or paste, to molten materials that solidify into waxy appearing coatings upon cooling. It is simpler and preferable to apply both the detergent compositions and the enzyme-containing compositions as molten mixtures, even though the detergent compositions may be applied as aqueous solutions or slurries in a spray or dipping operation with a subsequent drying step to remove the excess water from the substrate.

Specific, but non-limiting embodiments of the laundry article of the present invention are delineated in the tables below.

For coating a water-insoluble substrate an alcoholic solution containing 5.3 wt. % of

amine-modified polysiloxane (Wacker-Belsil© ADM 1650 from Wacker) and 94.7 wt. % of isopropanol was sprayed with a spray bottle on the surface of the water-insoluble substrate having an area of 210 cm². Afterwards the coated substrate was dried in an extractor hood for 12 to 16 hours.

The water-insoluble substrate was either a nonwoven polyester substrate (purchased from

HDK Industries) or cotton terry cloth.

Table 1 shows combinations of the detergent ingredients described above to produce

detergent compositions suitable for application to the coated substrate.

The compositions D1 to D5 listed in Table 1 are heated co-melts and the amounts

(amounts of actives in weight percent (wt.%)) shown are also the amounts on the

substrate since any water in the composition tends to stay within the waxy zone. _ _

1 1

Table 1 : Example detergent compositions for application to a substrate

Table 2 shows combinations of the ingredients to produce fabric conditioning compositions F1 to F5 suitable for application to the substrates. As with the previous table, Table 2 represents theoretical or actives percent (wt.%).

Table 2: Example fabric conditioning compositions for application to a substrate

Weight Percent (actives%)

Ingredients

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5

Quaternary (Adogen® 66) 60.00 10.00 - - -

Quaternary (Stepantex® HTS-100) - - 95.00 75.00 47.50

Quaternary (Varisoft® DS-150) - - - - -

Cetearyl alcohol (Lanette®-0) 40.00 90.00 - 25.00 47.50

Fragrance oil - - 5.00 - 5.00

Dyes q.s q.s q.s q.s. q.s. Table 3 shows combinations of the ingredients to produce enzyme-containing compositions suitable for application to the substrates.

Table 3: Example enzyme-containing compositions for application to a substrate

Fatty acid based matrix 1 is comprised of 20 wt.% of the sodium salt of coconut fatty acid, 50 wt.% of nonpolymeric polyols (sorbitol, glycerin, propylene glycol, sucrose and glucose), 15 wt.% of anionic and nonionic surfactants, and 15 wt.% of water.

Fatty acid based matrix 2 is comprised of 20 wt. % of the sodium salt of stearic acid, 3 wt. % of the sodium salt of lauric acid, 3 wt. % of the sodium salt of myristic acid, 50 wt. % of nonpolymeric polyols (sorbitol, glycerin, and propylene glycol), 2 wt. % of lauric acid, 2 wt. % of stearic acid, 10 wt. % of anionic surfactant, and 10 wt. % of water.

Fatty acid based matrix 3 is comprised of 20 wt. % of the sodium salt of stearic acid, 3 wt. % of the sodium salt of lauric acid, 3 wt. % of the sodium salt of myristic acid, 30 wt. % of nonpolymeric polyols (sorbitol, glycerin, sucrose and propylene glycol), 1 wt. % of lauric acid, 1 wt. % of stearic acid, 8 wt. % of anionic surfactant, and 34 wt. % of water. _

Table 4: Laundry Article Examples

Laundry articles 11 to I5 according to the invention were stored at 30 °C for eight weeks and afterwards the laundry articles were subjected to standard wash cycle (40 °C) using a top loader washing machine or a front loader washing, each being loaded with 3.5 kg of test fabrics comprised of different materials (polyester, polyester/cotton, polyamide/elasthane, polyamide/Micro

Modal/elasthane, and viscose) and five SBL 2004 soil ballast fabrics (obtainable from WfK).

Additionally, an unmodified substrate (PES or CO) was also added to the wash load. In case of laundry articles 11 and I5 the detergent composition was added separately to the washing machine.

The dirt scavenging performance was determined by measuring the Y-value of the test fabrics and the laundry article substrates.

All laundry articles 11 to I5 showed a very good dirt scavenging performance. All substrates showed a significant graying and, thus, lower Y-values as the initial coated substrates as well as the substrates without coating. No graying, at all, occurred for the substrates without coating. This results proof the dirt scavenging properties of amine-modified polysiloxanes.

In addition, laundry article I4 showed a very good cleaning performance with regard to

enzyme-specific stains. These results show that the enzyme-containing compositions do not only effectively release the enzymes in the washing liquor but that the enzymes can be stably coated onto the laundry article.

Laundry article I3 was used for both cleaning and conditioning fabrics by washing a load of fabrics in a laundry machine with said article; removing the washed fabrics from said laundry machine along with said article; transferring the fabrics into the dryer along with said article; and, drying said fabrics in the dryer along with said article. The fabrics treated with I3 showed improved softness and anti-static properties compared to fabrics that were tumble-dried without laundry article I3. Additionally, there was no difference in cleaning performance whether laundry article I2 was used or laundry article 11 and a separately dosed detergent composition.

In a further experiment, a non-woven polyester fiber from HDK Industries (V1) and a cotton terry cloth (V2) were coated with a solution comprising 5.3 wt. % of POLYQUATERNIUM-47 (acrylic acid/methyl acrylate/methacrylamidopropyltrimonium chloride terpolymer, obtainable as Merquat® 2001 N® from Calgon).

When subjected to the above mentioned washing conditions, laundry articles V1 and V2 showed a much worse dirt scavenging performance than 11 and I5. In figures, V1 showed 44 % less dirt scavenging performance than laundry article 11 and 8 % less dirt scavenging performance than laundry article V2.

Claims

We claim:

A laundry article used for cleaning fabrics comprising:

a water-insoluble substrate;

wherein the substrate is at least partly coated with a dirt scavenging compound, and wherein the dirt scavenging compound is a amine-modified polysiloxane.

The article of Claim 1 , wherein the amine-modified polysiloxane comprises at least the followin structural units a) and b):

ependently of one another, Ci-C₃₀ alkyl, and n is 1 to 5000;

wherein R is C C₃₀ alkyl, Y is optionally substituted, linear or branched C -C₂₀ alkylene, R² and R³ are independently of one another, H or optionally substituted linear or branched C C_3i alkyl or C^Cso alkyl substituted with nitrogen-containing groups, and x is 1 to 5000.

3. The article of Claim 2, wherein R is C^-C₄ alkyl and more preferred methyl or ethyl.

4. The article of any of the Claims 1 to 3, wherein R² is H, R³ is -(CH₂)_b-NH₂ with b is 1 to 10, Y is -(CH₂)₃- and x is 100 to 1500.

5. The article of any of the Claims 1 to 4, wherein the amine-modified polysiloxane has the following structure:

(CH₃)3Si-[0-Si(CH3)₂]n-[0-Si(CH3){(CH₂)3-NH-(CH₂)₂-NH₂}]_x-OSi(CH3)₃ where the sum of n + x is a number between 2 and 10,000.

6. The article of any of the Claims 1 to 5, wherein the article additionally comprises a detergent composition solidified on the substrate in at least one zone.

7. The article of Claim 6, wherein the dirt scavenging compound is coated on one side of the substrate and the detergent composition is solidified on the other side of substrate.

8. The article of Claim 6, wherein the detergent composition is solidified on the same side of substrate as the dirt scavenging compound.

9. The article of any of the Claims 1 to 8, wherein the substrate is made from entirely synthetic material(s).

10. A method of producing a laundry article laundry article used for cleaning fabrics comprising a water-insoluble substrate that is at least partly coated with a dirt scavenging compound comprising the steps of:

a. providing the dirt scavenging compound in a liquid state;

b. supplying a length of nonwoven substrate;

c. applying said dirt scavenging compound onto at least parts of the substrate; and d. drying the coated substrate.

1 1 . A method of washing fabrics comprising the steps of:

supplying the laundry article of any of the Claims 1 to 9; and

washing a load of fabrics in a laundry machine with said article.