Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces – auxiliary compositions – Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing – For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-15
2002-10-22
Delcotto, Gregory (Department: 1751)
Cleaning compositions for solid surfaces, auxiliary compositions
Cleaning compositions or processes of preparing
For cleaning a specific substrate or removing a specific...
C510S337000, C510S348000, C510S357000, C510S363000, C510S509000, C008S137000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06468954
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTOPN
This invention relates to compositions and methods for removal of blood, fruit juice or coffee stains from textiles. More specifically, the invention relates to aqueous inorganic salt-surfactant blends and methods of using these composition for the removal of blood, coffee or fruit juice stains from textiles including carpeting and natural and synthetic fabrics.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The routine soiling of clothing, uniforms, carpeting, and other textiles is common in many industries. In most instances, fabrics and carpeting soiled in the course of professional service can be laundered and cleaned, effectively returning the fabric or carpeting to a condition suitable for use. As one might suspect, certain types of soils are more difficult to remove from fabric and carpeting than others.
Soiling of textiles resulting from contact with mammalian blood can be some of the most resistant to cleaning and laundering. Blood is generally considered a fluid connective tissue comprising plasma and cells which circulates within vessels in mammalian bodies. Of the many constituents of mammalian blood, certain elements such as, for example, hemoglobin and iron may contribute to the difficulty in removing blood stains from fabrics. As the blood dries on the fabric, it becomes a hydrophobic, protein-based soil that forms a crusty surface that is difficult to disrupt. Colored beverages such as soft drinks, tea and coffee present serious staining problems to textiles. These colored beverages are commonly acid dyes which cause severe staining. Coffee stains are very difficult to remove from synthetic fibers and are particularly unsightly due to their dark brown color.
In the past textiles soiled with blood were cleaned with a highly alkaline solution or a solution containing enzymes and/or chelating agents obtained from complex detergent formulations. However, the use of caustic alkaline solutions, for example in the laundering of clothes, uniforms, and other fabrics, requires the application of a large volume of rinse water to avoid deterioration of the fabric and burning of any person who may come into contact with the fabric. In turn, the rinse water resulting from alkaline cleaning methods creates environmental concerns as the cleaning solutions must be neutralized and disposed.
The use of solutions containing enzymes and/or chelating agents for the removal of blood from textiles also caused problems. Often such cleaning solutions left behind a sticky residue which led to additional soiling. In order to avoid leaving behind a sticky residue extensive rinsing was necessary. The need for such extensive rinsing results in additional work and, in some cases, the need for additional equipment. Complex formulations are also expensive to formulate and process.
A number of cleaning solutions have been proposed in the past for the removal of stains from textiles. For example, volatile dry-cleaning fluids have been utilized, but result in only marginal success with respect to water-soluble stains. There are also environmental concerns associated with the use and disposal of such dry-cleaning solutions. Aqueous compositions containing surfactants and/or enzymes have been utilized, but such compositions have not been found particularly effective against blood and especially coffee stains. These aqueous enzymatic compositions also lack shelf stability. Also, it is often the case that a specific cleaner must be used for a particular type of stain. Alkaline or enzymatic cleaners containing a chelating agent are usually used for blood while acidic cleaners, such as acetic acid, are used for coffee.
We have been able to formulate effective materials without a chelator, solvent, organic base, acid source, or other additions.
The use of carbonate in cleaning composition is known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,977,047 discloses laundry detergents compositions including a carbonate builder along with a surfactant and a carboxcyclic polymer. Additionally U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,695 discloses a detergent composition including sodium carbonate as a detergent builder, calcium carbonate as a precipitation inhibitor, and a detergent active compound. Cleaning composition including carbonate, enzymes and chelating agents is also known. U.S. Pat. No. 3,858,854 discloses a detergent composition including a surfactant or mixture of surfactants, a carbonate builder, and polymeric beads including an enzyme. Typically, the use of carbonate in such cleaning compositions is as a builder to supplement and enhance the cleaning effect of an active surfactant present in the composition. Carbonate builders improve the cleaning power of the formulated composition by the sequestration or precipitation of hardness causing metal ions such as calcium, reduction of critical micelle concentration, and by enhancing various properties of the active detergent, such as emulsification of soil particles and foaming and sudsing characteristics. The use of carbonate builders in detergent compositions does often result in the problem of calcium carbonate precipitation and textile encrustation due to the deposition of calcium carbonate.
As a result, there is still a need for simple, stable laundry and carpet cleaning compositions and methods. These two part (carbonate/surfactant) formulae can effectively remove both beverage, including for example, coffee, and blood stains from textiles while not leaving a tacky residue requiring extensive rinsing steps or impairing the color or integrity of the textile with out substantive formulations.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Generally, the present invention relates to aqueous carbonate surfactant compositions for the removal of blood, coffee or fruit juice from textiles. One embodiment is a method of removing blood, coffee or fruit juice from textiles comprising the step of applying an aqueous cleaning composition to the textile comprising from about 0.1 wt-% to 3 wt-% carbonate source, an effective amount, from about 0 wt-%, up to 0.2 wt-% of an ionic or nonionic surfactant, and a balance of water.
Another embodiment of the present invention is an aqueous cleaning composition comprising an amount of a carbonate compound effective to remove blood, coffee or fruit juice from textiles and an ionic or nonionic surfactant where the pH of the composition is from about 9 to about 11.
Yet another embodiment is a pre-spotter composition and methods for using the same for the removal of blood, coffee or fruit juice satins from textiles. The composition comprising an amount of a carbonate compound effective to remove blood, coffee or fruit juice from textiles and an ionic or nonionic surfactant, where the pH of the composition is from about 9 to about 11.
The invention has various aspects which allow removal of blood, coffee or fruit juice stains from natural and synthetic textiles. The invention allows removal of blood, coffee or fruit juice stains from textiles without the use of separate alkaline or enzymatic cleaners for blood stains and acidic cleaners for coffee stains. Further, the compositions and methods of the invention do not have shelf-life limitations and do not leave tacky deposits requiring extensive rinsing.
Representative textiles which may be treated by the compositions and methods of the invention include those derived from natural and synthetic fibers including celluloses, acrylics, olefins, acetates, aramids, nylons, polyesters, segmented polyurethanes (spandex), regenerated proteins (azlon), polyphenylene sulfides, and carbon/graphite fibers as well as inorganic fibers based on glass, metal, or ceramic constituents. These representative textiles may be incorporated into a variety of articles including, for example, clothing, uniforms, coverings, window treatments and carpeting
We have discovered that aqueous solutions of carbonate can be formulated to be a very effective means of removing blood, coffee or fruit juice stains from textiles without the need of chelating, enzymatic, or acidic components. These carbonate compositions are not only able to remove blood, c
Ehlers Laurie
Levitt Mark
Smith Kim R.
Delcotto Gregory
Ecolab Inc.
Merchant & Gould P.C.
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