CLEANSING SYSTEM FOR WASHING FABRIC

Abstract: Cleansing system for washing fabric comprising a fabric washing bar and a light weight polymeric mesh sponge which can be gripped in hand, said sponge being adapted to hold the bar within a cavity provided in the sponge so that in use the bar is enclosed in the sponge and in fluid/lather communication with the outside of the sponge which comes into contact with fabric during washing. The sponge is preferably prepared from a sheet-like or tubular polymeric mesh which is strong and flexible, the sponge preferably has the shape of a soft ball.

Description: Cleansing system for washing fabric Technical field The invention relates to a cleansing system for washing fabric. The cleansing system of the invention is typically a continuation of a washing bar housed in a pouf/sponge. Background and Prior art In a typical fabric washing operation using a detergent bar, the fabric is rubbed with the bar followed by rubbing with a brush for dislodging and removing soil and dirt from the soiled fabric. By the action of rubbing with a standard washing bar followed by rubbing with a hard object the cleaning is satisfactory. Non soap surfactants that are generally used in detergent bar formulations provide good detergency but provide less lather. Even the lather that is produced is perceived as poor quality by the consumer due to its thinness and lack of creaminess. The quantity and quality of lather is perceived as an important parameter and related it to cleaning performance. During washing the consumer tends to put in effort to generate lather and tends to apply more product if satisfactory lather is not generated. It is known that washing of fabric using the conventional bar and scrubbing is effective but lead to substantial wear of the fabric thus reducing the life of the fabric by such method of hand washing. It also leads to common problems such as detergent wastage and non-uniform detergent application, thus enhancing the rate of wear of the bar and thereby making it uneconomical. Various cleaning systems comprising a soap bar are known for cleansing the skin: Systems comprising a hydrophobic sponge are taught in International Patent publication No. WO 95/00116. This literature is specifically directed to a cleansing system being a combination of a hand held sponge made of a hydrophobic, synthetic, diamond mesh netting material and a mild lathering liquid cleansing and moisturising composition for cleansing the skin. US Patent No. 5462378 teaches a wash cloth for retaining a soap bar for use in the bath. The wash cloth is manufactured from a continuous tubular elastic cloth curtailed to predetermined lengths and forming an internal pocket, in which the soap is provided, by stitching together to open ends. The wash cloth has been proposed with a view to overcome handling problems during bathing and under the shower, i.e. slipping of the bars, and also to prevent softening of the bar by contact with water in the soap dish. US Patent No. 4480939 relates to a soap holder and dispenser suitable for installation and use within a shower. The soap holder and dispensing means comprises a pouch formed of synthetic netting material which is capable of holding a soap bar and hanger with a hook that support the pouch in the shower. The soap holder and dispensing means according to the patent aims at ensuring a complete consumption of the bathing bar by preventing loss of the soap in the soap trays and also to improve the handling of the soap. The dispenser is used in respect of soaps for use in showers and for other bathing purposes. US Patent No. 4190550 relates to soap filled pad which is seamless and fibrous and imparts cleansing and mildly stimulating rubbing action to human skin during bathing. European Patent Application No. EP0863201 A2 relates to a soap bar in a pouf/sponge for enhancing lather and also to decrease perception of mush. The pouf with the soap bar inside is found to be advantageous because it has a stimulating effect on the skin and gives a better grip. All the aforesaid literature deal with toilet soaps and bars but none of these addresses the problems associated with detergent bars used in fabric washing. Brief description of the invention The applicants have found that problems described above relating to the use of detergent bars for cleaning fabric may be eliminated by using a cleansing system in which there is provided a light weight, polymeric mesh, hand held sponge in which a washing bar is housed. It has been found that using the system according to the invention leads to significantly higher lather generation, better cleaning, reduced wear and mush of the detergent bar, less effort on washing and reduced wear of the fabric. The washing operation is milder to the skin as the detergent bar does not come in direct contact with the skin. The use of brush or scrubber is dispensed with. Detailed description of the invention Thus the present invention relates to a cleansing system for washing fabric comprising a fabric washing bar and a light weight polymeric mesh sponge which can be gripped in hand, said sponge being adapted to hold the bar within a cavity provided in the sponge so that in use the bar is enclosed in the sponge and in fluid/lather communication with the outside of the sponge which comes into contact with fabric during washing. Such light weight polymeric mesh sponge is also known in the art as pouf. During a cleaning operation the bar is provided in the cavity in the sponge/pouf. The pouf containing the bar is rubbed on wet fabric in the same manner as a bare bar is rubbed. Poufs have not been used before for cleaning fabric. Moreover, the combined use of the bar and the pouf provides a synergistic cleaning action and other advantages over and above those obtained by their separate use. Fabric washing bars The fabric washing bar used in the present invention is a synergistic detergent bar composition comprising 5-80% by wt . surfactant system, 1-50% by wt . builders and optionally fillers, abrasives, alkaline salts, perfumes, colouring agents, flourescers, bleaching agents, enzymes and other ingredients. Preferably the washing bar comprises 5-40% surfactant system. Surfactant system The surfactant system's role is to assist in removal of soil from the fabric and its suspension in the wash liquor. The surfactant system will comprise detergent actives which are generally chosen from anionic, nonionic, cationic, zwitterionic or amphoteric detergent actives or mixtures thereof. Suitable anionic detergent active compounds are water soluble salts of organic sulphuric reaction products having in the molecular structure an alkyl radical containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, and a radical chosen from sulphonic acid or sulphuric acid ester radicals and mixtures thereof. Examples of suitable anionic detergents are sodium and potassium alcohol sulphates, especially those obtained by sulphating the higher alcohols produced by reducing the glycerides of tallow or coconut oil; sodium and potassium alkyl benzene sulphonates such as those in which the alkyl group contains from 9 to 15 carbon atoms ; sodium alkyl glyceryl ether sulphates, especially those ethers of the higher alcohols derived from tallow and coconut oil ; sodium coconut oil fatty acid monoglyceride sulphates ; sodium and potassium salts of sulphuric acid esters of the reaction product of one mole of a higher fatty alcohol and from 1 to 6 moles of ethylene oxide ; sodium and potassium salts of alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulphate with from 1 to 8 units of ethylene oxide molecule and in which the alkyl radicals contain from A to 14 carbon atoms; the reaction product of fatty acids esterified with isethionic acid and neutralised with sodium hydroxide where, for example, the fatty acids are derived from coconut oil and mixtures thereof. The preferred water-soluble synthetic anionic detergent active compounds are the alkali metal (such as sodium and potassium) and alkaline earth metal (such as calcium and magnesium) salts of higher alkyl benzene sulphonates and mixtures with olefin sulphonates and higher alkyl sulphates, and the higher fatty acid monoglyceride sulphates. The most preferred anionic detergent active compounds are higher alkyl aromatic sulphonates such as higher alkyl benzene sulphonates containing from 6 to 20 carbon atoms in the alkyl group in a straight or branched chain, particular examples of which are sodium salts of higher alkyl benzene sulphonates or of higher-alkyl toluene, xylene or phenol sulphonates, alkyl naphthalene sulphonates, ammonium diamyl naphthalene sulphonate, and sodium dinonyl naphthalene sulphonate. Suitable nonionic detergent active compounds can be broadly described as compounds produced by the condensation of alkylene oxide groups, which are hydrophilic in nature, with an organic hydrophobic compound which may be aliphatic or alkyl aromatic in nature. The length of the hydrophilic or polyoxyalkylene radical which is condensed with any particular hydrophobic group can be readily adjusted to yield a water-soluble compound having the desired degree of balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic elements. Particular examples include the condensation product of aliphatic alcohols having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms in either straight or branched chain configuration with ethylene oxide, such as a coconut oil ethylene oxide condensate having from 2 to 15 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of coconut alcohol; condensates of alkylphenols whose alkyl group contains from 6 to 12 carbon atoms with 5 to 25 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alkylphenol; condensates of the reaction product of ethylenediamine and propylene oxide with ethylene oxide, the condensate containing from 40 to 80% of polyoxyethylene radicals by weight and having a molecular weight of from 5,000 to 11,000; tertiary amine oxides of structure R3NO, where one group R is an alkyl group of 8 to 18 carbon atoms and the others are each methyl, ethyl or hydroxyethyl groups, for instance dimethyldodecylamine oxide; tertiary phosphine oxides of structure R3PO, where one group R is an alkyl group of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms, and the others are each alkyl or hydroxyalkyl groups of 1 to 3 carbon atoms, for instance dimethyldodecylphosphine oxide; and dialkyl sulphoxides of structure R2SO where the group R is an alkyl group of from 10 to 18 carbon atoms and the other is methyl or ethyl, for instance methyltetradecyl sulphoxide; fatty acid alkylolamides; alkylene oxide condensates of fatty acid alkylolamides and alkyl mercaptans. Suitable a photeric detergent-active compounds that optionally can be employed are derivatives of aliphatic secondary and tertiary amines containing an alkyl group of 8 to 18 carbon atoms and an aliphatic radical substituted by an anionic water-solubilizing group, for instance sodium 3-dodecylamino-propionate, sodium 3-dodecylaminopropane sulphonate and sodium N-2-hydroxydodecyl-N-methyltaurate . Suitable cationic detergent-active compounds are quaternary mmonium salts having an aliphatic radical of from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, for instance cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide. Suitable zwitterionic detergent-active compounds that optionally can be employed are derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium, sulphonium and phosphonium compounds having an aliphatic radical of from 8 to 18 carbon atoms and an aliphatic radical substituted by an anionic water- solubilising group, for instance 3- (N-N-dimethyl-N- hexadecylammonium) propane-1-sulphonate betaine, 3- (dodecylmethyl sulphonium) propane-1-sulphonate betaine and 3- (cetylmethylphosphonium) ethane sulphonate betaine. Soap In addition to non soap detergent actives some amount of soap may also be used as active in the formulations. The term soap denotes salts of carboxylic fatty acids. The soap may be derived from any of the triglycerides conventionally used in soap manufacture - consequently the carboxylate anions in the soap may contain from 8 to 22 carbon atoms. For a soap having 18 carbon atoms, an accompanying sodium cation will generally amount to about 8% by weight. Other cations may be employed as desired for example potassium, alkyl ammonium, aluminium and their mixtures thereof. The soap may be obtained by saponifying a fat and/or a fatty acid. The triglyceride may be fats or oils generally used in soap manufacture and includes tallow, tallow stearines, palm oil, palm stearines, soya bean oil, fish oil, caster oil, rice bran oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, babassu oil, palm kernel oil, and others. In the above process the fatty acids are derived from oils/fats selected from coconut, rice bran, groundnut, tallow, palm, palm kernel, cotton seed, soybean, castor etc. The fatty acid soaps can also be synthetically prepared (e.g. by the oxidation of petroleum or by the hydrogenation of carbon monoxide by the Fischer-Tropsch process) . Resin acids, such as those present in tall oil, may be used. Naphthenic acids are also suitable. Tallow fatty acids can be derived from various animal sources and generally comprise about 1-8% myristic acid, about 21-32% palmitic acid, about 14-31% stearic acid, about 0-4% palmitoleic acid, about 36-50% oleic acid and about 0-5% linoleic acid. A typical distribution is 2.5% myristic acid, 29% palmitic acid, 23% stearic acid, 2% palmitoleic acid, 41.5% oleic acid, and 3% linoleic acid. Other mixtures with similar distribution, such as those from palm oil and those derived from various animal tallow and lard are also included. Coconut oil refers to fatty acid mixtures having an approximate carbon chain length distribution of 8% C8, 7% CIO, 48% C12, 17% C14, 8% C16, 2% C18, 7% oleic and 2% linoleic acids (the first six fatty acids listed being saturated) . Other sources having similar carbon chain length distributions, such as palm kernel oil and babassu kernel oil, are included within the term coconut oil. The alkali selected to effect the neutralisation may be in any convenient form. Preferably it comprises an aqueous solution. Suitable alkalis include alkali metal and alkaline earth metal hydroxides and carbonates. Two preferred alkalis are sodium hydroxide and sodium carbonate . The formulations according to the invention may preferably contain 0.1 to 5% soap. Further examples of suitable detergent-active compounds are compounds commonly used as surface-active agents given in the well-known textbooks "Surface Active Agents", Volume I by Schwartz and Perry and "Surface Active Agents and Detergents", Volume II by Schwartz, Perry and Berch. The non-soap detergent active is preferably anionic and the total amount of non-soap detergent active compound to be employed in the detergent composition of the invention will preferably be from 10 to 30% and more preferably from 10 to 25% by weight. Builders The detergency builders used in the bar formulation are preferably inorganic and suitable builders include, for example, alkali metal aluminosilicates (zeolites), alkali metal carbonate, sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), tetrasodium pyrophosphate (TSPP) , citrates, sodium nitrilotriacetate (NTA) and combinations of these. Builders are suitably used in an amount ranging from 1 to 50% by wt, preferably from 5 to 30% by wt . Abrasives A particulate abrasive phase is a useful ingredient of the bar used in the present invention. Preferably, the particulate phase comprises a particulate abrasive which is insoluble in water. In the alternative, the abrasive may be soluble and present in such excess to any water present in the composition that the solubility of the abrasive in the aqueous phase is exceeded and consequently solid abrasive exists in the composition. Preferred levels of abrasive range from 15-45wt % on product, preferably in the range 20-40wt%. The physical form of the product will be influenced by the level of abrasive present. The most preferred abrasives are mixtures of calcium and magnesium carbonates (as dolomite), potassium sulphate, alumina, hydrated alumina, feldspars, talc and silica. Fillers Fillers suitable for use in the formulation include kaolin, calcium carbonate (calcite), soapstone, china clay and the like, used singly or in combination, suitably in an amount ranging from 10 to 75% by weight, preferably from 30 to 70 wt%. Other Ingredients Other ingredients such as structurants for e.g alumino- silicate formed in situ as described in our GB patent 2099013 or added externally, perfumes, colouring agents, polymers, flourescers, enzymes, bleaches can also be used in the formulation, for example, in an amount up to 10 wt%. Sponge The polymeric mesh sponge or pouf can be prepared from readily available raw materials or with specially designed mesh materials. The polymeric mesh sponge is suitably prepared from netting mesh sheet or a tubular netting mesh which has been prepared from strong and flexible polymeric material . The polymeric mesh sponge comprises a plurality of plies or folds of the sheet-like or tubular mesh so as to obtain a voluminous three dimensional shape. Thus, the tubular mesh may be folded upon itself so many times as is necessary to obtain a soft ball-like polymeric mesh sponge. The polymer is preferably a synthetic polymer of the group consisting of addition polymers of olefin monomers, polyamides, or polyesters. The sponge may be made from from a closed polymer sheet which on cutting in a suitable way and stretching is converted into a net, from polymer fibers which are woven or knotted into a net, or in any other suitable way. Most preferred is a diamond-mesh polymeric hand held balllike bath sponge having a rope handle. The cleansing polymeric mesh sponge can be held in the hand with ease. The multi-layered netting mesh is preferably held together by a band to form the polymeric mesh sponge. Two or more netting tubes can be used to make a ball sponge. They can be bundled manually with a loop or rope to form a ball-like polymeric mesh sponge. Other designs such and rectangular gloves and washing implements made with the mesh material also work very well in the system of the present invention. The invention will now be illustrated with respect to the following non-limiting examples. Examples Process for preparation of the bar : The formulation shown below in Table 1 was prepared using conventional bar processing technology. The ingredients were mixed in a sigma mixer, extruded into bars and then cut into billets and stamped. Table 1 * comprise china clay, calcite, dolomite and salts Sponge A typical embodiment of the sponge used in the present invention is shown in figures 1 to 3 shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a perspective representation of a diamond-mesh polymeric hand held ball-like bath sponge ; Figure 2 shows the detergent bar encased in the polymeric netting; Figure 3 shows the netting mesh which is used in making the sponge . Figure 1 is a perspective representation of a diamond-mesh polymeric hand held ball-like bath sponge 1 having a rope handle 2 and a detergent bar 3. Figure 2 shows one of the specific methods for encasing the bar A security band is shown at each end of the mesh tube to hold the multi- layered netting mesh together to form the polymeric mesh sponge. The netting mesh that can be used in making the polymeric mesh sponge is illustrated in Figure 3 representing the mesh in stretched position. The fine polymeric filaments used in making the netting are represented by 5 with 6 representing the spot bonding of the filaments to form the open mesh. Two netting tubes at 60 cm length each can be used to make a 3-inch ball sponge. They can be bundled manually with a loop or rope to form a ball-like polymeric mesh sponge. Assessment by an expert Panel: Sensorial attributes and cleaning performance by conventional washing consisting of use of detergent bar and a brush and when the detergent bar was housed in Pouf were evaluated by an expert panel. The assessment was made to determine the following attributes . 1. Product dosage/rub: The detergent bar and the detergent bar housed in pouf was rubbed on the soiled fabric 1, 2 and 3 times and the amount of product delivered on the fabric was calculated based on the detergent active measurements. 2. Lather generated/rub: The detergent bar and the detergent bar housed in pouf was rubbed on the soiled fabric 1, 2 and 3 times and equal number of rubs were given using the brush. The lather generated was measured volumetrically by washing down the lather into a measuring cylinder with water. 3. Detergency : The detergency was measured by taking the reflectance value at 460 nm using a Milton Roy Match Scan II. of the soiled fabric and also after washing it with the detergent bar and the detergent bar housed in pouf. The % detergency was calculated. Table 2 The data presented in Table 2 shows that by housing the detergent bar in the pouf the product wastage is prevented and also that significantly higher amount of lather is generated at considerably low levels of product application without affecting the detergency. Assessment of the bar shows that the system offers better grip of the bar and the rate of wear and mush are also significantly reduced. Thus the housing of the bar in the pouf offers the following advantages: 1. Significantly higher lather is generated with less effort required and product used. 2. Reduced wear of the bar and mush 3. Reduced product wastage of last bits of the bar 4. Improved grip on the bar 5. The bar in the pouf can be provided with a rope handle allowing it to be hanged to dry. 6. The use of the plastic brush is dispensed with. The pouf is less harsh to the fabric leading to increased fabric life. The housing with pouf can be adapted to detergent bars having any standard composition known in the art.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. Cleansing system for washing fabric comprising a fabric washing bar and a light weight polymeric mesh sponge which can be gripped in hand, said sponge being adapted to hold the bar within a cavity provided in the sponge so that in use the bar is enclosed in the sponge and in fluid/lather communication with the outside of the sponge which comes into contact with fabric during washing. 2. Cleansing system according to claim 1 wherein the fabric washing bar comprises 5-80% by wt of a surfactant system and 1-50% by wt . of builders. 3. Cleansing system according to claims 1 or 2 wherein the sponge is prepared from a sheet-like or tubular netting mesh. 4. Cleansing system according to claim 3 wherein the netting mesh is prepared from a synthetic polymer. 5. Cleansing system according to claims 1-4 wherin the sponge has a soft ball-like shape.

Inventors: PACHA FAKHRUDDIN, RUTHERFORD KEITH, PACHA, FAKHRUDDIN, RUTHERFORD, KEITH
Applicants: LEVER HINDUSTAN LTD, UNILEVER NV, UNILEVER PLC, HINDUSTAN LEVER LTD, UNILEVER N.V.
Application year: 2000
Main classification: C11D17
IPC codes: C11D17