Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for washing fabric loads without water or using water only as a co-solvent are disclosed. One method of non-aqueous clothes washing includes the steps of disposing clothing in a wash container, delivering a wash liquor to the fabric load, the wash liquor comprising a substantially non-reactive, non-aqueous, non-oleophilic, apolar working fluid and at least one washing additive, applying mechanical energy to the clothing and wash liquor for a sufficient amount of time to provide fabric cleaning and, thereafter, substantially removing the wash liquor from the fabric load. The working fluid may be selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers, fluoronated hydrocarbons and fluoroinerts.
Abstract:
Methods and apparatuses for washing fabric loads without water or using water only as a co-solvent are disclosed. One method of non-aqueous clothes washing includes the steps of disposing clothing in a wash container, delivering a wash liquor to the fabric load, the wash liquor comprising a substantially non-reactive, non-aqueous, non-oleophilic, apolar working fluid and at least one washing additive, applying mechanical energy to the clothing and wash liquor for a sufficient amount of time to provide fabric cleaning and, thereafter, substantially removing the wash liquor from the fabric load. The working fluid may be selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers, fluoronated hydrocarbons and fluoroinerts.
Abstract:
Fabric article treatment in a domestic appliance having at least one detergency step, products therefor, and kits which combine treatment products for more effective results.
Abstract:
A method for enhancing the removal of water-soluble soil during dry cleaning, which contemplates the application of a preconditioning treatment to the goods to be cleaned before the dry cleaning thereof, but in the same equipment in which the dry cleaning treatment will be performed. Preconditioning consists of treating the goods with a mixture of water and detergent which has been substantially vaporized prior to introduction into the dry cleaning equipment. A predetermined water moisture level is established inside the dry cleaning equipment through introduction therein of the water and detergent mixture and maintained throughout the preconditioning treatment and the dry cleaning treatment following. Concentrated detergent in amounts based upon the weight of the goods to be cleaned is introduced into the dry cleaning equipment during the preconditioning treatment of the goods to insure the availability of sufficient detergent for the preconditioning treatment in those instances in which a pre-existing moisture level in the dry cleaning equipment would not require the addition of sufficient water and detergent mixture to provide the needed detergent by that means. Special treatment agents may be introduced into the dry cleaning equipment to achieve some desired effect and include the watersoluble type in which case they are introduced with the preconditioning treatment, or the solvent-soluble type, introduced with the solvent dry cleaning treatment.
Abstract:
AN IMPROVED METHOD FOR DRY CLEANING FABRICS, E.G., COTTON, COTTON-SYNTHETIC BLENDS, RAYON, NYLON, WOOL, WORSTED, ETC, WHCIH COMPRISES A THREE-STEP PROCESS: (A) CONTACTING THE FABRIC WITH A DRY CLEANING SOLVENT CONTAINING FROM 0.005 TO 25 VOLUME PERCENT OF H2O AND 0.01 TO 5 VOLUME PERCENT OF A DETERGENT FOR FROM ONE TO 20 MINUTES; AND THEN, IN ANY ORDER, (B) CONTACTING THE FABRIC WITH A DRY CLEANING SOLVENT CONTAINING 0.01 TO 15 VOLUME PERCENT OF A DETERGENT FOR FROM ONE TO 20 MINUTES; AND (C) CONTACTING THE FABRIC WITH A DRY CLEANING SOLVENT CONTAINING 0.01 TO 5 VOLUME PERCENT OF A DETERGENT FOR FROM ONE TO 20 MINUTES.
Abstract:
A fabric treatment composition including a sizing agent and a silicone solvent is provided. The sizing agent is a hydrogenated rosin ester. The silicone solvent is a volatile silicone solvent. Optionally, co-solvents and dispersing agents may be included. A method of treating a fabric article and the treated fabric article are provided.
Abstract:
A cleaning system that utilizes an organic cleaning solvent and pressurized fluid solvent is disclosed. The system has no conventional evaporative hot air drying cycle. Instead, the system utilizes the solubility of the organic solvent in pressurized fluid solvent as well as the physical properties of pressurized fluid solvent. After an organic solvent cleaning cycle, the solvent is extracted from the textiles at high speed in a rotating drum in the same way conventional solvents are extracted from textiles in conventional evaporative hot air dry cleaning machines. Instead of proceeding to a conventional drying cycle, the extracted textiles are then immersed in pressurized fluid solvent to extract the residual organic solvent from the textiles. This is possible because the organic solvent is soluble in pressurized fluid solvent. After the textiles are immersed in pressurized fluid solvent, pressurized fluid solvent is pumped from the drum. Finally, the drum is de-pressurized to atmospheric pressure to evaporate any remaining pressurized fluid solvent, yielding clean, solvent free textiles. The organic solvent is preferably selected from terpenes, halohydrocarbons, certain glycol ethers, polyols, ethers, esters of glycol ethers, esters of fatty acids and other long chain carboxylic acids, fatty alcohols and other long-chain alcohols, short-chain alcohols, polar aprotic solvents, siloxanes, hydrofluoroethers, dibasic esters, and aliphatic hydrocarbons solvents or similar solvents or mixtures of such solvents and the pressurized fluid solvent is preferably densified carbon dioxide.