Patent ID: 7954190

Claim:
A process for increasing liquid extraction from a consumer bundle of fabrics during a washing cycle in a washing machine, the process comprising: delivering to a predetermined volume of liquid in the washing machine during a washing stage or a rinse stage of the washing cycle an amount of a liquid extraction agent having a critical micelle concentration of from about 10 ppm to about 1500 ppm in the liquid, such that the predetermined volume of liquid contains from about 10 ppm to about 3000 ppm by weight of the liquid extraction agent, based on the weight of the predetermined volume of liquid, the liquid extraction agent comprising a nonionic silicone surfactant selected from polyalkylene oxide polysiloxanes of formula (I): R 1 —(CH 3 ) 2 SiO—[(CH 3 ) 2 SiO] a —[(CH 3 )(R 1 )SiO] b —Si(CH 3 ) 2 —R 1 (I), where a+b is from about 1 to about 50; each group R 1 is selected from the group consisting of methyl and a poly(ethyleneoxide/propyleneoxide) copolymer group of formula (II): —(CH 2 ) n O(C 2 H 4 O) c (C 3 H 6 O) d R 2 (II), where n is 3 or 4, c is from 6 to about 100 for all polyalkyleneoxy side groups, c+d is from about 6 to about 150 for all polyalkyleneoxy side groups, and each R 2 is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and an acetyl group; at least one group R 1 in each polyalkylene oxide polysiloxane of formula (I) is a poly(ethyleneoxide/propyleneoxide) copolymer group of formula (II); and each polyalkylene oxide polysiloxane has a weight-average molecular weight of from about 2,000 daltons to about 10,000 daltons, contacting the consumer bundle of fabrics with the liquid in the washing machine such that an effective amount of the liquid extraction agent distributes throughout the consumer bundle of fabrics, and such that the consumer bundle of fabrics acquires a first liquid content consisting of an amount of trapped liquid held interstitially in fabric weaves or void spaces of individual fabrics of the consumer bundle of fabrics, the trapped liquid having a surface tension of 40 mN/m or less; and subjecting the consumer bundle of fabrics to a mechanical extraction to remove at least a portion of the trapped liquid from the consumer bundle of fabrics, such that after said mechanical extraction the consumer bundle of fabrics has a reduced second liquid content, the reduced second liquid content being less than an extraction-only liquid content achievable by performing the same amount of mechanical extraction in the absence of the liquid extraction agent.