A densified fluid barrier cleaning system is disclosed in which a pressure vessel encases a movable basket positioned so as to cross a barrier such that one opening of the pressure vessel resides in a first environment and a second opening of the pressure vessel resides in a second environment. A tubular basket within the pressure vessel is positioned such that its central longitudinal axis is aligned with both the first and second opening of the pressure vessel. Responsive to the successful completion of a cleaning cycle, soiled articles that are introduced to the basket via the first opening from the first environment can be removed through the second opening and into the second environment thus bridging the barrier without fear of introducing contaminants from the first environment to second environment.

The present invention provides a method for cleaning fabric articles which comprises the steps of: washing the fabric articles with a cleaning solvent in a rotatable drum; rotating the drum at a high spin speed for a high spin period of time after the performance of said washing step; and heating the fabric articles for at least a period of time during the performance of said rotating step. During the heating step, at least some of the cleaning solvent is removed from the fabric articles in both liquid and vapor phases. Heating the fabric articles decreases attractive forces between the liquid phase cleaning solvent and the fabric articles, facilitating the separation and hence removal of additional quantities of the cleaning solvent from the fabric articles.

A garment processing unit is provided that can carry out ironing, deodorizing, screen printing, dry cleaning, wet vacuuming, steam cleaning and the like over multiple garments simultaneously. The unit delivers heat and/or steam, air, water, detergents and fragrances to clothing, garment or fabrics and the like for removing wrinkles and or applying heat transfer, cleaning, drying, deodorizing, and perfuming to single or multiple articles of clothing simultaneously.

One variation of a method includes: receiving a garment within a chamber of a kiosk; accessing a garment type and a fabric type of the garment; allocating a volume of a cleaning fluid for application on a target region of the garment, predicted to contain odorous molecules based on the garment type, based on the fabric type; dispensing the volume of the cleaning fluid onto the target region of the garment via a nozzle to modify odorous molecules in the target region of the garment and perfume the garment; articulating a steam nozzle to expel a steam jet across an interior surface of the garment, tension local regions of the garment, and locally heat regions of the garment above a transition temperature; and cooling the garment below the transition temperature to set the garment in an unwrinkled state.

The present invention provides a method for cleaning fabric articles which comprises the steps of: washing the fabric articles with a cleaning solvent in a rotatable drum; rotating the drum at a high spin speed for a high spin period of time after the performance of said washing step; and heating the fabric articles for at least a period of time during the performance of said rotating step. During the heating step, at least some of the cleaning solvent is removed from the fabric articles in both liquid and vapor phases. Heating the fabric articles decreases attractive forces between the liquid phase cleaning solvent and the fabric articles, facilitating the separation and hence removal of additional quantities of the cleaning solvent from the fabric articles.

A laundry treating apparatus includes a 2-tank structure including a distillation tank and a washing tub. The laundry treating apparatus includes the washing tub that defines an inner space configured to receive laundry, the distillation tank configured to store liquid carbon dioxide, a compressor configured to receive gaseous carbon dioxide evaporated from the liquid carbon dioxide in the distillation tank, the compressor being configured to discharge the gaseous carbon dioxide, a cooler configured to cool the gaseous carbon dioxide discharged from the compressor and to supply the liquid carbon dioxide to the washing tub, and a controller configured to perform a control method. In some cases, a laundry treating apparatus includes a 3-tank structure including a storage tank, a washing tub, and a distillation tank.

One variation of a method for autonomously processing a garment within a kiosk includes: accessing a set of garment characteristics of the garment, the set of garment characteristics including a garment type and a fabric type; based on the set of garment characteristics, selecting a target processing temperature, a target processing humidity, and a set of steam-processing parameters including a steam nozzle path and a steam nozzle speed. This variation of the method also includes: heating air within the kiosk toward the target processing temperature; injecting steam into the kiosk to drive humidity within the chamber toward the target processing humidity; articulating a steam nozzle along the steam nozzle path at the steam nozzle speed to impinge a steam jet across an interior surface of the garment, tension local areas of the garment against the steam jet, and heat local areas of the garment above the transition temperature.

One variation of a method for autonomously processing a garment within a kiosk includes: accessing a set of garment characteristics of the garment, the set of garment characteristics including a garment type and a fabric type; based on the set of garment characteristics, selecting a target processing temperature, a target processing humidity, and a set of steam-processing parameters including a steam nozzle path and a steam nozzle speed. This variation of the method also includes: heating air within the kiosk toward the target processing temperature; injecting steam into the kiosk to drive humidity within the chamber toward the target processing humidity; articulating a steam nozzle along the steam nozzle path at the steam nozzle speed to impinge a steam jet across an interior surface of the garment, tension local areas of the garment against the steam jet, and heat local areas of the garment above the transition temperature.

A method for cleaning and decontaminating apparel includes placing the apparel into a pressurizable cleaning vessel. The cleaning vessel is filled with a solvent comprising a mixture selected from at least one of propylene glycol ether, water, organic acid and carbon dioxide. After the apparel has been in contact with the solvent for a first selected period of time, carbon dioxide gas under pressure is introduced into the cleaning vessel to carbonate the solvent. After appropriate agitation, at least a portion of the solvent is then removed from the cleaning vessel while under pressure. A rinsing solution, comprising liquid carbon dioxide and alcohol, is then introduced into the cleaning vessel under pressure. After a third selected period of time, the rinsing solution is removed from the cleaning vessel under pressure. Finally, the cleaning vessel is depressurized and the apparel is removed from the cleaning vessel.