Patent ID: 8277935

Claim:
A cleaning implement comprising a modified open-cell foam with a density in the range from about 5 to about 1,000 kg/m3 and with an average pore diameter in the range from about 1 μm to about 1 mm, wherein said modified open-cell foam comprises a dried aqueous formulation dispersed in an unmodified open-cell foam, the formulation comprising about 0.05 to about 40% by weight of at least about one water-insoluble polymer, selected from the group consisting of: polystyrenes, styrene copolymers, polybutadienes, butadiene copolymers, polyvinylesters, polyvinylethers, copolymers from (meth)acrylic acid with at least one (meth)acrylate, polyurethanes obtained via reaction of at least one diol and at least one diisocyanate, polyethylene and wax derivatives thereof, polypropylene and wax derivatives thereof, polyethylene-copolymers, polypropylene-copolymers, ethylene-propylene-diene-copolymers and combinations thereof; with the proviso that styrene-acrylonitrile-C1-C10-alkyl (meth)acrylate terpolymers, styrene-butadiene-n-butyl acrylate terpolymers, and styrene-maleic anhydride copolymers are excluded; and the formulation further comprising abrasive particles, wherein the unmodified open-cell foam is a melamine foam and is a rigid foam with a compression strength of 1 kPa or above at 40% compression, the unmodified open-cell foam having a core and an outer surface, wherein the cleaning implement is adapted to clean a hard surface, and wherein the formulation is within the core of the unmodified open-cell foam and the outer surface of the unmodified open-cell foam is completely free of formulation.