Method Of Washing In An Automatic Laundry Machine And Machine Configured For The Method

Abstract

A method of washing in an automatic laundry machine having a wash tank, including the following steps: delivering a first composition comprising a bleach composition to the tank in a first step; delivering a second composition comprising at least one surfactant composition to the tank in a second step; delivering a third composition comprising at least one enzyme to the tank in a third step; wherein water is added to the wash tank at the same time or after the first step but prior to the third step; the temperature of the water in the wash tank is elevated before, during or after the first step and/or the second step; and the temperature of the water in the wash tank is subsequently reduced before the third step.

Claims

1. A method of washing in an automatic laundry machine having a wash tank, comprising: delivering a first composition comprising a bleach to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine in a first step; delivering a second composition comprising a surfactant to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine in a second step; delivering a third composition comprising an enzyme to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine in a third step, wherein water is added to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine at the same time or after the first step but prior to the third step, wherein the temperature of the contents in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is elevated before the third step; and wherein the temperature of the contents in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is subsequently reduced before the third step.

2. The method according to claim 17, wherein the temperature of the contents in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is reduced by adding water to the wash tank that has at a temperature lower than that of the water in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine.

3. The method according to claim 17, wherein the third composition further comprises one or more surfactants.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein at least one enzyme is dispersed in a solution of the one or more surfactants.

5. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first step further comprises delivering a quantity of the third composition.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the quantity of third composition added in the first step is less than or equal to the amount of third composition delivered in the third step.

7. The method according to claim 17, wherein the bleach is an oxygen bleach.

8. The method according to claim 17, wherein the first composition further comprises one or more ingredients selected from the group consisting of a bleach activator a bleach catalyst a builder and an alkalizer.

9. The method according to claim 17, wherein the third composition is substantially bleach free.

10. The method according to claim 17 further comprising: removing contents from the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine in a fourth sequential step; and delivering a fourth composition comprising esterquats to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine in a fifth sequential step.

11. The method according to claim 17, wherein each step has a maximum temperature, wherein the maximum temperature reached during the first step is between at least 15 C. and no more than 70 C.

12. The method according to claim 17, wherein the contents in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is cooled before the third composition is added to the wash to a maximum temperature of no more than 40 C., and a maximum temperature reached during one or both of the first and second steps is at least 15 C.

13. The method according to claim 17, wherein the length of time between the first step and third step is no more than 60 minutes, and the length of the second step is no more than 60 minutes.

14. The method according to claim 17, wherein the volume of wash water used in each step is no more than 20 litres.

15. An automatic laundry washing machine configured to carry out a method according to claim 1.

16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first composition comprises a bleach composition; wherein the second composition comprises a surfactant composition; wherein water is added to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine at the same time or after the first step; and wherein the temperature of the contents in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is elevated at one or more of before, during or after the first step and before, during or after second step.

17. A method of washing in an automatic laundry machine having a wash tank, comprising: in a first step, delivering a first composition comprising a bleach composition to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine; in a second step, delivering a second composition comprising at least one surfactant composition to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine; in a third step, delivering a third composition comprising at least one enzyme to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine; wherein the first, second and third steps are sequential; wherein water is added to the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine prior to the third step; wherein the temperature of the water in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is elevated at one or more of before, during or after the first step and before, during or after second step; and wherein the temperature of the water in the wash tank of the automatic laundry machine is subsequently reduced before the third step.

18. The method according to claim 7, wherein the inorganic bleach is selected from the group consisting of an inorganic perhydrate and a percarbonate.

19. The method according to claim 17, wherein the third composition further comprises a builder.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the maximum temperature reached during the second step is at least 15 C.

Description

EXAMPLES

[0049] FIG. 1 shows the water temperature profile during a 40 C. cotton wash programme according to an embodiment of the present invention. Initially, the first composition is added at the start of the washing cycle as the water in the tank is heated. This can take place at or between points A and B as shown in FIG. 1. The second composition may be added at the same time as the first composition or after, i.e. between points A and C. The temperature of the wash water is then reduced, as shown in FIG. 1 by line C to D. In the Example shown in FIG. 1, the temperature of the water in the tank is reduced from 45 C. to 37 C. Once the water has been reduced in temperature, the third composition is added. For example, the third composition may be added at point D or after. The temperature of the wash water may be adjusted during the remainder of the wash cycle or maintained at a set temperature.

[0050] FIG. 2 shows the water temperature profile obtained from a Smeg LSE 147ES automatic laundry washing machine. The step of reducing the water temperature before the addition of the third composition is shown at point 14.

[0051] Example 1 demonstrates a method according to the present invention.

[0052] Comparative Example 1 demonstrates the of use of the leading brand of automatic laundry detergent in the United Kingdom (Ariel Excel Washing Gel, produced by Proctor and Gamble), together with a commercial stain remover (Vanish Gold powder, produced by Reckitt Benckiser), in a standard washing cycle of a 40 C. cotton wash programme on a Smeg LSE 147ES automatic washing machine.

[0053] Comparative Example 2 demonstrates the use of identical quantities of the compositions used in Example 1 added together to the washing machine drum at the start of a standard washing cycle of a 40 C. cotton wash programme on a Smeg LSE 147ES automatic washing machine.

[0054] In Example 1 the automatic laundry machine was modified to dose the compositions at predetermined intervals and to reduce the temperature of the wash water by the addition of cool water. Each of the cycles was carried out four times (as identified by A, B, C and D).

[0055] Example 1 and Comparative Example 2 both employed: [0056] a first composition comprising 45.00% by weight coated sodium percarbonate, 12.00% by weight TAED, and 0.20% by weight of a bleach catalyst; [0057] a second composition comprising 25.46% by weight non-ionic surfactant and 29.47% by weight anionic surfactant; and [0058] a third composition comprising 32.58% by weight protease, 16.85% by weight mannanase, 39.33% by weight lipase and 11.24% by weight amylase.

[0059] Example 1 comprised: [0060] (a) adding 30 g of the first composition was added 0 seconds after the start of the wash cycle; [0061] (b) adding 29.12 g of the second composition added at 0 seconds after the start of the wash cycle; and [0062] (c) introducing half of 0.535 g of the third composition at 0 seconds and the second half was added at 1025 seconds after the start of the wash cycle as soon as the wash water was cooled to 37 C.

[0063] Approximately 12 L of water (A 11.78 L, B 11.45 L, C 11.96 L, D 11.45 L) was added during the first step (a). The water in the wash tank was 44 C. before approximately 2 L of cool water (A2.14 L, B2.13 L, C2.13 L, D2.15 L) was added prior to the third step (c). The temperature was thereafter maintained at 37 C. prior, during and after the third step (c).

[0064] Comparative Examples 1 and 2 were also repeated four times.

[0065] The quantity of water used in the drum and the energy consumption for each of the Examples are provided in Table 1 below.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Total amount of water Average amount Average energy consumption measured in drum [L] of water Heating Total Machine Cycle A B C D measure [L] element (KWh) cycle (KWh) Example 1 62.64 60.28 60.03 58.81 60.44 0.524 0.746 Comparative 61.42 59.94 59.94 59.26 60.14 0.636 0.826 Example 1 [40 C. cycle and standard laundry detergents] Comparative 61.48 60.9 60.42 58.81 60.14 0.636 0.826 Example 2 [40 C. cycle and compositions used in Example 1]

[0066] It can be seen from Table 1 that Example 1 uses less energy than a standard 40 C. cotton wash cycle. This is beneficial in both reducing cost to the consumer and of significant benefit to the environment. In addition to these benefits, there was an overall increase in the removal of stains, particularly bleachable and greasy stains, when compared to the market leading brands used above.

[0067] Table 2 below shows the results of stain removing tests as carried out in the cycles shown in Table 1. The listed stains are purchased from Center for Test Materials B.V. as standard stains and are attached to towels before being placed in the drum of an automatic laundry machine. A new set of stains was used for each of tests performed in Table 1. The values given are for the percentages of the stain removed when measured on a Datacolor 650 Spectrophotometer.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Percentage Percentage Percentage Average from Average from Average from cycles A to D cycles A to D cycles A to D of Comparative of Comparative Stains: of Example 1 Example 1 Example 2 Enzymatic Salad Dressing 76.6 77.3 75.7 Starch 80.6 76.8 80.6 Chocolate 55.1 53.8 54.9 Chocolate Ice Cream 75.3 76.7 78.1 Cocoa 61.5 58.8 60.7 Chocolate Pudding 75.1 76.9 73.1 Sheep Blood 85.9 88.7 87.1 AVERAGE 72.87 72.71 72.89 Bleach Coffee 85.1 84.1 84.7 Red Wine 81.1 76.4 80.1 Carrot Baby Food 88.5 84.8 84.1 Blackberry Unaged 81.6 82.7 82.3 Blackcurrant Juice 82.3 78.5 82.5 Fruit Juice 74.1 74.1 73.8 Grass 79.3 75.6 80.0 Coffee Equest 83.8 83.0 84.8 French Squeezy 81.0 83.2 80.7 Mustard Grass/Mud 55.5 54.1 53.1 Coffee Express 71.5 71.7 69.6 Red Wine 81.0 74.1 79.6 Tea 80.1 78.1 79.0 Tomato Puree 84.2 80.7 79.9 AVERAGE 79.2 77.2 78.2 Greasy Skin Grease/Pigment 62.4 59.2 59.8 Make Up 74.2 72.7 73.3 Unused Motor Oil 36.4 31.4 37.7 Spaghetti Sauce 72.5 63.7 67.3 Make Up 78.8 73.5 76.6 AVERAGE 64.9 60.1 62.9

[0068] It is well known to use a stain remover in addition to a laundry detergent to remove stains. However, as shown in Table 2, the present invention effectively removes stains without the addition of a stain remover and outperforms the combination of laundry detergent and stain remover.

[0069] In particular, Comparative Example 2 demonstrates that it is the cooling step prior to adding the third, enzyme-containing, composition that is responsible for the increase in stain removal and decrease in energy consumption.

[0070] The invention is defined by the following claims.