Cleaning and rinsing of textile fabrics

Abstract

A method of washing and rinsing a textile fabric using wash and rinse product comprises: (a) placing in a water permeable receptacle, a wash composition and a rinse composition; (b) contacting a washing step comprising contacting the receptacle and the fabric into contact with a wash liquor; and (c) subsequent to the washing step (b), a rinse step comprising contacting the receptacle and the fabric with a rinse liquor. The rinse composition is formulated such that release of at lest some of the rinse composition is delayed until the rinse step. Unit dose products for use in the method are also claimed.

1 . A method of washing and rinsing a textile fabric, the method comprising: 
 (a) placing in a water permeable receptacle, a wash composition and a rinse composition;    (b) a washing step comprising bringing the receptacle and the fabric into contact with a wash liquor; and    (c) subsequent to the washing step (b), a rinse step comprising contacting the receptacle and the fabric with a rinse liquor;    wherein the rinse composition is formulated such that release of at least some of the rinse composition is delayed until the rinse step.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least the rinse composition is provided in unit dose form.  
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the water permeable receptacle comprises a bag formed of a net material.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the bag is provided means for closure of the bag.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the unit dose form of the rinse composition comprises a component which substantially retains its physical integrity until the rinse step and which is too large to pass through the mesh of the net bag.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinse composition comprises one or more rinse agents selected from fabric softening agents, antistatic agents, ease of ironing agents, anti-wrinkling/crease protection agents, perfumes and optical brighteners.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the rinse composition comprises a fabric softening agent selected from cationic fabric softening compounds, cellulases, clays and polysiloxanes and their derivatives, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the rinse composition is formulated with means for inhibiting a release of the rinse composition during the washing step.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the release inhibiting means comprises a polymer, the solubility of reaching an aqueous environment depends on the pH and/or ionic strength and/or temperature of that environment.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer comprises monomer units selected from one or more vinyl alcohol derivatives, acrylates and alkylacrylates, the acrylates and/or alkylacrylates optionally having basic functionality, said polymer optionally being in admixture with an alkylcellulose and/or a cross-linking agent.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer is an alkyl substituted cellulose ether.  
     
     
         12 . A method of rinsing a textile fabric, the method comprising; 
 (a) placing in a water permeable receptacle, at least one unit dose unit comprising a rinse composition; and    (b) effecting a rinse step of contacting the water permeable receptacle and fabric with a rinse liquor;    wherein the rinse composition is formulated such that release of substantial amount of the rinse composition cannot occur during a prior wash step.    
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein a washing step is effected prior to the rinse step, the washing step comprising contacting the water permeable receptacle containing the unit dose unit comprising the rinse composition with a wash liquor.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the washing step also comprises contacting the wash liquor with a wash composition.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein in step (a), the wash composition is also placed in the water permeable receptacle.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , the wash composition is provided in unit dose form.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the wash composition and the rinse composition are provided in a single combined unit dose form.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the unit dose form(s) is or are independently selected from tablets, water soluble sachets and capsules.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein release of at least some of the rinse composition is delayed until the rinse step.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the water permeable receptacle comprises a bag formed of a net material.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the bag is provided means for closure of the bag.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the unit dose form of the rinse composition comprises a component which substantially retains its physical integrity until the rinse step and which is too large to pass through the mesh of the net bag.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the rinse composition comprises one or more rinse agents selected from fabric softening agents, antistatic agents, ease of ironing agents, anti-wrinkling/crease protection agents, perfumes and optical brighteners.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the rinse composition comprises a fabric softening agent selected from cationic fabric softening compounds, cellulases, clays and polysiloxanes and their derivatives, and mixtures thereof.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the rinse composition is formulated with means for inhibiting a release of the rinse composition during the washing step.  
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the release inhibiting means comprises a polymer, the solubility of reaching an aqueous environment depends on the pH and/or ionic strength and/or temperature of that environment.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the polymer comprises monomer units selected from one or more vinyl alcohol derivatives, acrylates and alkylacrylates, the acrylates and/or alkylacrylates optionally having basic functionality, said polymer optionally being in admixture with an alkylcellulose and/or a cross-linking agent.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the polymer is an alkyl substituted cellulose ether.  
     
     
         29 . A unit dose product for washing and rinsing of a textile fabric comprising a wash composition, a rinse composition and means for inhibiting release of the rinse composition during washing, until the rinse.  
     
     
         30 . The unit dose product of  claim 29 , wherein the wash composition and the rinse composition are located in respective separate zones of the product.  
     
     
         31 . The unit dose product of  claim 30 , wherein the zones comprise separate zones of a tablet.  
     
     
         32 . The unit dose product of  claim 31 , wherein at least the wash composition and preferably also the rinse composition is in solid form.  
     
     
         33 . The unit dose product of  claim 31 , wherein the rinse conditioner zone substantially retains its physical integrity until the rinse step and has at least one dimension greater than the average mesh size of a net or bag in which it is to be dosed.  
     
     
         34 . The unit dose product of  claim 31 , wherein the rinse composition is encapsulated in at least one polymer capsule, sachet or gel matrix combined with the tablet.  
     
     
         35 . The unit dose product of  claim 30 , wherein the zones comprise separate zones of the water soluble sachet, preferably formed of water soluble polymer.  
     
     
         36 . The unit dose product of  claim 35 , wherein at least the wash composition and preferably also the rinse composition is in the form of a powder or tablet.  
     
     
         37 . The unit dose product of  claim 35 , wherein the at least the wash composition and preferably also the rinse composition is in liquid form, especially in the form of a substantially non-aqueous liquid.  
     
     
         38 . The unit dose product of  claim 35 , wherein the separate sachet zones comprise one sachet located inside another, the inner sachet containing the rinse composition and the wash composition being located between the inner and outer sachets.  
     
     
         39 . The unit dose product of  claim 34 , wherein the rinse combination is incorporated in at least polymer capsule, sachet or gel matrix having at least one dimension, preferably a diameter, greater than the average mesh size of a net or bag in which it is to be dosed.  
     
     
         40 . The unit dose product of  claim 29 , wherein the release inhibiting means is pH and/or ionic strength and/or temperature dependent.