A method and apparatus for treating textiles and textile materials prior to dyeing said textiles or textile materials includes the steps of loading a textile substrate into a vessel and saturating the textile substrate therein with pre-treatment chemicals. The impregnated textile substrate and excess process solution are transferred into a hydraulic press having a flexible bladder. The press squeezes the textile substrate uniformly to remove the excess solution which is captured and recycled for reuse. The squeezed, impregnated textile substrate is stored in airtight containers to allow dyesite formation. The textile substrate is then neutralized, washed, and dried and as thus pre-treated can be dyed in an ecologically sustainable, energy-efficient, and economical process. The method and apparatus ensure uniform moisture pick-up and distribution of the chemical(s) throughout the textile substrate.

The present invention provides a method of treating a commercial or industrial laundry wastewater stream. The method and apparatus treats a commercial laundry waste stream from a commercial washing machine or machines wherein the waste includes total suspended solids, chemical oxygen demand, biological oxygen demand, turbidity, and bacteria. The waste stream is transmitted to a first treatment unit that has a membrane filter that filters particles of between about 6 and 40 nanometers. At the first treatment unit, the waste stream is separated into a permeate stream and a retentate component. The retentate component is transmitted to a second treatment unit that filters particles of between about 3 and 10 nanometers. The permeate stream is then transmitted to a permeate holding vessel after treatment in the second treatment unit. The retentate component is placed in a mixing vessel where it is mixed with a polymer to form a solid waste.

A method and apparatus for treating textiles and textile materials prior to dyeing said textiles or textile materials includes the steps of loading a textile substrate into a vessel and saturating the textile substrate therein with pre-treatment chemicals are described. The impregnated textile substrate and excess process solution are transferred into a hydraulic press having a flexible bladder. The press squeezes the textile substrate uniformly to remove the excess solution which is captured and recycled for reuse. The squeezed, impregnated textile substrate is stored in airtight containers to allow dyesite formation. The textile substrate is then neutralized, washed, and dried and as thus pre-treated can be dyed in an ecologically sustainable, energy-efficient, and economical process. The method and apparatus ensure uniform moisture pick-up and distribution of the chemical(s) throughout the textile substrate.

A washing machine in which a first main heater is not driven while wash water stored in a first tub and wash water stored in a second tub are simultaneously heated, and a method of controlling the same. A washing machine includes: a first tub configured to store wash water; a first main heater configured to heat wash water stored in the first tub; a first sub heater configured to heat wash water stored in the first tub; a second tub configured to store wash water; and a second heater configured to heat wash water stored in the second tub, wherein a power consumption required to drive the first main heater is greater than a power consumption required to drive the first sub heater, and the first main heater is not driven while wash water stored in the first tube and wash water stored in the second tub are simultaneously heated.

A method of washing fabric articles in a tunnel washer that includes moving the fabric articles from the intake of the washer to the discharge of the washer and through multiple modules or sectors. Liquid can be counter flowed in the washer interior along a flow path that is generally opposite the direction of travel of the fabric articles. A dual use zone includes multiple of the modules or sectors. In a dual use zone, a module or modules can be used to both wash and thereafter rinse the fabric articles. While counterflow rinsing, the flow rate can be maintained at a selected flow rate or flow pressure head. One or more booster pumps can optionally be employed to maintain constant counterflow rinsing flow rate or constant counterflow rinsing pressure head. During rinsing, extracted water or reuse water is first used to rinse followed by a clean water rinse.

With respect to an especially efficient use of energy required for drying, a drier for drying items to be dried, comprising a receptacle for the items to be dried, an air guide for guiding air to the receptacle and a heating device for heating the air is designed and further developed in such a way that the receptacle comprises a plurality of modules (1, 2, 3, 4), arranged one behind the other, for heating, drying or cooling the items to be dried, and that at least one module (1, 2, 3, 4) is associated with a conveying device (5) for conveying the items to be dried from this module (1, 2, 3) or any module (1, 2, 3) to the next module (2, 3, 4).

A laundry machine includes first and second washing units including first and second tubs, respectively. First and second drums are mounted inside the first and second tubs, and first and second drive units drive rotations of the first and second drums around first and second rotational shafts, respectively. The second washing unit is arranged above the first washing unit and has a smaller laundry treating capacity than the first washing unit. The first rotational shaft is not parallel to the second rotational shaft. A first recess projects downward from a rear lower surface of the second tub and is configured to heat wash water in the second tub. A metal plate member is provided on an outside lower surface of the second tub, and partially extends to the rear of the second tub to expose a bottom surface of the first recess.

A laundry machine includes first and second washing units including first and second tubs, respectively. First and second drums are mounted inside the first and second tubs, and first and second drive units drive rotations of the first and second drums around first and second rotational shafts, respectively. The second washing unit is arranged above the first washing unit and has a smaller laundry treating capacity than the first washing unit. The first rotational shaft is not parallel to the second rotational shaft. A first recess projects downward from a rear lower surface of the second tub and is configured to heat wash water in the second tub. A metal plate member is provided on an outside lower surface of the second tub, and partially extends to the rear of the second tub to expose a bottom surface of the first recess.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a method of treating a textile with an antimicrobial agent over a plurality of laundry cycles each including a wash cycle and a treatment cycle. The method includes (a) receiving a textile in a wash system for a first laundry cycle, (b) initiating a wash cycle comprising a detergent, (c) initiating a post-detergent treatment cycle comprising dosing the textile with a solution having a predetermined concentration of an antimicrobial agent that comprises a metallic ion, and (c) repeating steps (a)-(c) for each of a plurality of additional laundry cycles. The predetermined concentration is insufficient to achieve a predetermined antimicrobial efficacy for the textile due to the first laundry cycle alone but sufficient to achieve the predetermined antimicrobial efficacy for the textile due to a combination of the first laundry cycle and one or more of the plurality of additional laundry cycles.

A system for monitoring sanitation agents in a laundry machine comprises a plurality of channels. Each channel has an input port, an output port, and a glass tube. Each input port and output port is adapted to be fluidly coupled to the laundry machine. The system includes a monitoring unit associated with each of the glass tubes. Each monitoring unit includes a bubble detector and a flow rate measurement unit. A beeper is configured to generate an indication of an alarm condition based on a determination made by any one of the monitoring units. The system has a display screen, a memory storing computer-readable instructions, and a controller communicatively coupled to each of the monitoring units. The controller is configured to execute the instructions to wirelessly communicate to a web page a volume of a sanitation agent that has passed through each of the glass tubes.