CLEANING PRODUCT

Abstract: A composition which comprises citrus oil and a solubilising agent having a HLB value above (10) can be mixed homogeneously with water to give an effective stain-removing product, as a liquid or impregnated in a carrier, containing only a small proportion of the effective ingredient, e.g. orange terpenes.

Description: CLEANING PRODUCT This invention relates to products for use in cleaning, and especially for stain removal. _-. Citrus oil is useful as a stain remover. Citrus 5 oil, e.g. orange terpenes, the residue of extraction of perfumery products from citrus fruits, dissolves and thus removes ink or other stains from the skin or from clothing. The properties of orange terpenes have been utilised 10 in cream formulations, e.g. as sold under the trade name Ridd. In order that they should be effective, creams of this type contain at least 40% w/w orange terpenes, in addition to emulsifiers etc. The need for such a high concentration of the active ingredient is an economic 15 disadvantage. Apparently, there has been no commercial use of citrus oil for some time. For industrial and home use, hand cleansers intended * to remove oily stains are usually now in the form of a gel including a paraffinic solvent. Such cleansers are 20 merely functional. It is known to absorb liquid in an absorbent matrix, in order to facilitate topical application of the liquid. For example, aqueous compositions comprising an antiseptic and a small concentration of a perfume, 25 absorbed in a serrated roll of non-woven paper material, are available in a dispenser for tearing and application as individual "wipes" . A composition according to the present invention comprises orange or other citrus fruit terpenes and a 30 solubilising agent which has a HLB-value of at least 10. It has been found that orange terpenes, in such a * composition, can sactisfactorily be put into solution in * a composition comprising predominantly water. /) It is of course often the case that the user would 35 prefer to apply a stain-removing composition in a non-liquid form. For this purpose, an aqueous composition of the invention can be absorbed in a suitable carrier, e.g. a non-woven paper or other fabric, as in conventional "wipes". It is a surprising and desirable characteristic of the invention that the products of the invention provide the effective properties of, say, orange terpenes at an economical level, i.e. at less than 20% w/w, more preferably less than 10% w/w, of the aqueous composition. The minimum level of terpenes in the aqueous composition is usually 0.5% w/w, and preferably at least 1% w/w. As a further advantage in economy, non-aqueous compositions of the invention are storage-stable concentrates well adapted to mere dilution with water, for further use. Because the terpenes are insoluble in water, the solubilising agent used in the present invention is an essential component. The HLB value of this agent is preferably from 12 to 18, e.g. 13 to 17. Examples are polyoxyalkylene ester copolymers, e.g. polyoxyethylene fatty acid copolymers such as Polysorbate 20 (HLB 16.7) and a polyethylene glycol mono-ester having a molecular weight of about 600, which is a wax-like non-ionic surfactant, e.g. as sold under the trade name Cithrol 6 S (HLB 14) . The weight ratio of this component to the terpenes may be, for example, 0.01:10, 0.05:5 or 0.1:1. A mixture of HLB>10 surfactants may sometimes be preferred. In order to facilitate the formation of a homogeneous composition of the invention, a HLB<10 (e.g. 2 to 8) material may be used, e.g. a polyol ester such as glyceryl monostearate. Another desirable additive is an amphoteric surfactant such as a low viscosity coconut imadazoline betaine, e.g. as marketed under the trade name Empigen CDR10, a product having a viscosity of less than 500 c/s at 20 C, which is a mild surfactant and good oil stabiliser. The weight ratio of this material to the terpenes may be, for example, 0.01:10, 0.05:5 or 0.1:1. Compositions of the invention may comprise various other ingredients, depending on the desired end use. It will often be desirable to ensure that the composition is topically-acceptable, e.g. for use as a hand cleanser. For use as a hand cleanser, the composition may comprise components such as propylene glycol and a water-soluble lanolin, e.g. an ethoxylated lanolin, for example the hydrophilic wax sold as Solan. It will also often be desirable to include a preservative in compositions of the invention. Conventional preservatives may be used; one which has been found to act satisfactorily is a mixture of methyl isothiazolinone and methyl chloroisothiazolinone sold under the trade name Kathon. The predominant component of aqueous compositions of the invention is water. The amount of water is usually at least 70% w/w and often at least 75% w/w. The terpenes often provide the next greatest amount o.f the composition. The total amount of solubilising agents and other components may be, for example, 2 to 20% w/w of the composition. Aqueous compositions of the invention may be prepared by mixing the terpenes and the solubilising agent together with, if desired, a small proportion of water, to prepare a thick mass. This mass is then mixed with the, or the remaining proportion of the, water, suitably while warming the components of the mixture, to obtain the desired composition. An aqueous composition of the invention may be used to impregnate a "log" of absorbent . non-woven material in conventional manner. The roll of material can then be dispensed through a conventional "wipe" dispenser, to give one-use tissues or "wipes" which are effective to remove stains from hands or material by virtue of the effective concentration of orange terpenes. The following Examples illustrate the invention. All percentages are by weight. Example 1 75 g orange terpenes, ' 15 g Empigen CDR10 and 15 g Polysorbate 20 were mixed to form a thick gelatinous mass. 150 g demineralised water were mixed in, to form a homogeneous composition. Separately, 1245 g demineralised water were mixed with 1.5 g Kathon CG. The homogeneous composition was added to this preservative composition, and mixed well. The resultant composition comprised 5% orange terpenes and 92.9% water. 100 g of this liquid were used to fill a container including a "log" of 100 "wipes". These "wipes" could be dispensed from a conventional dispensing container, for use as a hand cleanser. Example 2 A mixture of 419.5 g demineralised water, 0.5 g Kathon CG,. 20 g propylene glycol and 10 g Solan E50 • (comprising 50% water) was heated to 65 C. A mixture of 25 g orange terpenes, 10 g glycerol monostearate and 15 g Cithrol 6MS was mixed and heated to 70 C. The two heated mixtures were mixed together well, and the product was cooled, with mixing, to 30 C. The product, which contained 83.9% water and 5% orange terpenes, could be used as a hand cleanser. Example 3 The procedure of Example 1 was successfully repeated, using grapefruit terpenes rather than orange terpenes.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A composition which comprises citrus oil and a solubilising agent having a HLB value above 10. 2. A composition according to claim 1, in which the HLB value is from 12 to 18. 3. A composition according to claim 1 or claim 2 , which from 0.05 to 5 parts by weight of the solubilising agent per part by weight of the citrus oil. 4. A composition according to any preceding claim, which additionally comprises a component having a HLB value of 2 to 8, to aid homogeneity. 5. A composition according to claim 4, which comprises 0.05 to 5 parts by weight of the additional component per part by weight of the citrus oil. 6. A composition according to any preceding claim, homogeneously dispersed in water. 7. An aqueous composition according to claim 6, which comprises at least 75% w/w water. 8. A carrier material impregnated with a composition according to claim 6 or claim 7. 9. A method for cleaning the hands or clothing, which comprises wiping the hands or clothing with a carrier material according to claim 6.

Inventors: TAYLOR GEORGE EDWARD, TAYLOR, GEORGE, EDWARD
Applicants: CHRISTY LTD THOMAS, THOMAS CHRISTY LTD
Application year: 1986
Main classification: C11D3
IPC codes: A47K7, A61K8, A61Q19, C11D1, C11D3, D06L1