Patent ID: 6139587
Filing Date: 2000-10-31
Classification: C11D,D06L

Abstract:
A method for laundering non-structured garments which are unsuitable for water washing and which are to be cleaned without wrinkling, shrinkage or color damage, said method characterized by:A) forming an aqueous soaking solution having a pH from 4 to 9 and characterized by1) from 50 ppm to 450 ppm of a nonionic surfactant selected froma) C.sub.8-18 alcohol ethoxylates having from 1 to 15 moles of ethylene oxide per molecule;b) C.sub.8-18 polyhydroxy fatty acid amides;c) C.sub.8-18 amine oxide semi-polar nonionics; andd) combinations of said nonionic surfactants;2) from 50 ppm to 350 ppm of a co-surfactant selected froma) anionic surfactants selected from the group consisting ofi) C.sub.8-18 alkyl sulfates;ii) C.sub.8-18 alkyl ether sulfates having from 1 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide per molecule; andiii) C.sub.9-16 alkyl benzene sulfonates;b) cationic surfactants selected from the group consisting ofi) quaternized C.sub.6-12 surfactant amines;ii) mono- or di- C.sub.8-22 alkyl quaternary ammonium salts; andc) combinations of said anionic and cationic co-surfactants; and3) from 5 ppm to 40 pm of one or more functional additives selected from detergency builders, protease enzymes, other detergent enzymes, clay soil dispersing agents, dye transfer inhibition agents and optical brighteners;B) soaking non-structured wool, silk, acetate, ramie or rayon garments to be cleaned in the unagitated soaking solution formed in Step A at a temperature of from 5.degree. C. to 20.degree. C. for a period of from 5 to 30 minutes;C) draining said soaking solution from said garments without agitation and replacing said drained soaking solution with an aqueous rinse bath;D) draining said aqueous rinse bath from said garments without agitation to remove water to the extent that said garments have a retained water content of from 5% to 2