Formulations, methods using such a formulation, and systems encompassing such formulations and methods for reducing energy and/or water usage in an institutional laundry is provided. Such formulations, methods and systems allow for textiles and fabrics to be effectively washed even at temperatures as low as 20° C. A prewash formulation includes a surfactant enzyme booster with the surfactant enzyme booster having one but preferably more enzymes and one or more surfactants. The enzyme of the prewash formulation may include any one or more of a protease, a lipase, an amylase, a cellulase, a mannanase, a pectinase, a peroxidase, and a gluconase. A main wash formulation is used in a wash phase cycle of an institutional laundry where such a main wash formulation includes a bleach, bleach enhancer, a chelating agent, an anti-redeposition agent and/or a soil suspension agent, a surfactant, preferably a nonionic surfactant and an anionic surfactant, a solvent including an aqueous solvent and perhaps an organic solvent, and a builder. An institutional washing process using the formulations provided here are distinguished by the need to only include one rinse cycle—i.e., a rinse cycle between the prewash cycle and the main wash cycle is generally not needed or, at least, a full rinse cycle between the prewash cycle and the main wash cycle is not needed. The formulations, methods and systems provided reduce energy and water usage in an institutional laundry.

A bleaching apparatus has an immersing vessel for immersing clothes in a chemical liquid, and a light source for irradiating the clothes immersed in the immersing vessel with light. The chemical liquid may include an oxidizing agent or a reducing agent in a concentration of 3 to 30% owf. The illumination intensity of the light is 10,000 to 70,000 lx.

The invention relates to compositions and methods of treatment employing compositions comprising polyelectrolyte complexes. The compositions include a water-soluble first polyelectrolyte bearing a net cationic charge or capable of developing a net cationic charge and a water-soluble second polyelectrolyte bearing a net anionic charge or capable of developing a net anionic charge. The total polyelectrolyte concentration of the first solution is at least 110 millimolar. The composition is free of coacervates, precipitates, latex particles, synthetic block copolymers, silicone copolymers, cross-linked poly(acrylic) and cross-linked water-soluble polyelectrolyte. The composition may be a concentrate, to be diluted prior to use to treat a surface.

Sanitizing and disinfecting compositions with relatively low levels of free available chlorine, with good effectiveness against microbes, included in a burstable pouch of a system also including a plurality of initially undosed (e.g., dry) wipes in a resealable package thereof. The composition may include less than 0.5% by weight hypochlorite or other free available chlorine level, with a pH less than 12. The composition is long term stable in the pouch, but upon bursting of the pouch and dosing of the wipes, exhibits only short-term stability. Because of the low level of hypochlorite, the dosed wipes exhibit improved surface compatibility and negligible “bleach” odor, while providing at least a 3-log reduction in C. diff population within 10 minutes.

An automatic dishwashing cleaning composition comprising a variant α-amylase wherein the variant α-amylase comprises amino acid substitution(s) selected from the group consisting of: i) a mutation at position 91 and one or more mutation(s) at an amino acid residue at the base of the α-amylase TIM barrel structure, defined as residues 6, 7, 40, 96, 98, 100, 229, 230, 231, 262, 263, 285, 286, 287, 288, 322, 323, 324, 325, 362, 363 and 364; and/or ii) a mutation at position 172 and a mutation in position 288 or 324; and/or iii) Y364L referring to SEQ ID NO: 1 for numbering.

There is provided a composition that contains a bleach component, and maintains a desired viscosity over a long period. A composition of the present invention comprises a carboxyl group-containing polymer composition (A) comprising a copolymer (a) of monomers including an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid (a-1) and a compound (a-2) having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups per molecule; and a nonionic surfactant (b), the carboxyl group-containing polymer composition (A) having a bulk density of 0.20 g/mL or less; a bleach component (B); an alkalinity buffering agent (C); and water (D). The composition has a pH higher than 10.

There is provided a composition that contains a bleach component, and maintains a desired viscosity over a long period. A composition comprising a carboxyl group-containing polymer composition (A) comprising a copolymer (a) of monomers including an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid (a-1) and a compound (a-2) having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups per molecule; and a nonionic surfactant (b), the carboxyl group-containing polymer composition (A) being obtained by adding, in a step of copolymerizing the monomers, the nonionic surfactant (b) to a system when a polymerization degree of the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid (a-1) reaches 5 to 80%; a bleach component (B); an alkalinity buffering agent (C); and water (D), the composition having a pH higher than 10.

The present invention relates to aqueous compositions of associative polyelectrolyte complexes (PECs), optionally containing surfactants, biocidal agents and/or oxidants, which can provide surface protection to treated articles including reduced soiling tendency, reduced cleaning effort and improved soil repellancy, as well as providing bacteriostatic properties to treated surfaces that thereby gain resistance to water, environmental exposure and microbial challenge. Treatment means and compositions are provided that employ associative polyelectrolyte complexes formed by combining a water soluble cationic first polyelectrolyte with a water soluble second polyelectrolyte bearing groups of opposite charge to the first polyelectrolyte under suitable mixing conditions where the one polyelectrolyte present in molar excess is added in the form of a first aqueous solution during a mixing step to a second aqueous solution comprising the oppositely charged polyelectrolyte present in molar deficiency. Also provided are means to form stable associative polyelectrolyte complexes in aqueous solutions having R values from about 0.10 to 20, including near stoichiometric R values approaching 1, being the ratio of charged groups present on the component polyelectrolytes employed.

The present invention concerns a composition comprising Mn(II) acetate, a protonated salt of a cyclic triamine, a polysaccharide absorbent, and a water-soluble polymer, e.g. polyvinylalcohol. The invention also concerns a method of making such compositions, preferably in the form of a granule, and bleaching formulations comprising the salt and a peroxy compound or precursor thereof. The protonated ligand salt and Mn(II) acetate containing composition and formulations comprising it, are suitable for use in catalysing oxidation, for example as a component of a laundry or dishwasher bleaching composition. The invention further relates to cleaning agents comprising the compositions described herein.

A solid free-flowing particulate laundry detergent composition, wherein the composition including a detersive surfactant, an iron-based bleach catalyst and a peroxygen-based bleach, and the composition having an equilibrium pH at 20 C. at a concentration of 10 g/l in deionized water of 10.0 or less.