Patent ID: 7971302

Claim:
A method of washing fabric articles in a continuous tunnel washer, comprising the steps of: a) providing a continuous tunnel washer having an interior, an intake, a discharge, and a plurality of sectors that divide the interior into a plurality of zones; b) moving the fabric articles from the intake to first and second of said sectors that are pre-wash zones; c) counter flowing liquid in the washer interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles; d) transferring the fabric articles to a main wash zone; e) adding a washing chemical to the main wash zone; f) stopping counter flow during step “e” to provide a standing bath for a selected time interval that is sufficient in length to enable the added chemicals to separate soils from the fabric articles and suspend the soils in the standing bath; g) commencing counter flow after step “f” to provide a rinse that rinses the washing chemicals and suspended soils from the fabric articles; and h) using an extractor to remove excess water from the fabric articles after step “g”.