Polymers are important ingredients in washing powders.
They act to promote soil release from the fabric surface and to prevent redeposition of the soil during the remainder of the washing cycle. However the exact mechanisms by which these polymers act is not fully understood. The aim of this project is therefore to gain an understanding of the properties required of polymers to be effective in these areas such that their structures may be optimised. Model surfaces are used to represent the fabric whilst monodisperse particles represent the soil. Various polymer structures are under investigation with and without surfactant present to mimic both the wash and rinse cycles of a washing machine.