Laundry System Having Unitized Dosing

Abstract

Compositions, articles and methods are provided for supplying fabric care benefits to clothing or fabrics in an automated washing machine and by manual washing. The fabric care compositions preferably have less than about 5% detergent surfactants, more preferably less than 3%, even more preferably less than 1% and are most preferably free of detergent surfactants. Similarly, the fabric care compositions preferably have less than about 5% fabric softener actives, more preferably less than 3%, even more preferably less than 1% and are most preferably free of detergent surfactants. The laundry articles can take a variety of forms in a variety of physical states all of which will rapidly dispense a unitized amount of one or more selected fabric care agents to a wash and/or rinse bath solution during the laundering process under a variety of conditions. The invention also pertains to laundry kits that contain a variety of such articles and instructions concerning their use Likewise, methods for preparing a customized laundry solution to obtain a specific fabric care benefit selected based on the user's personal preferences and/or the fabric care needs of the fabrics being laundered are also provided. Further, the present invention also concerns methods for assisting a consumer in identifying the unitized articles to be used in preparing a laundry solution that will impart desired fabric care benefits as well as merchandising displays for dispensing the articles, assembling customized laundry kits and instructing the consumer on the selection and use of laundry articles.

1 . A method of treating fabric comprising the step of dosing a macro-encapsulate to a laundry washing machine, wherein the macro-encapsulate comprises: polyethylene glycol; perfume; and weighs from about 0.05 g to about 2 g. 
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the macro-encapsulate further comprises a perfume microcapsule. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the macro-encapsulate is chosen from a capsule, bead, pastille, tablet, sphere, or combination thereof. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the macro-encapsulate comprises a pastille. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight from about 1,500 to about 10,000. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight from about 1,500 to about 10,000. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the polyethylene glycol has a molecular weight of about 8,000. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the perfume microcapsule comprises a perfume microcapsule capable of releasing perfume by pressure. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the perfume microcapsule comprises a perfume microcapsule capable of releasing perfume by pressure. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the macro-encapsulate comprises less than 1% by weight of a fabric softening active. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the macro-encapsulate comprises less than 1% by weight of a detergent surfactant. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the macro-encapsulate comprises less than 1% by weight of a detergent active. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the detergent active is chosen from detergent surfactants, detergent builders, chlorine bleaching agents, and mixtures thereof. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein each macro-encapsulate comprises: less than 1% by weight of a fabric softening active; and less than 1% by weight of a detergent active. 
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises the step of removing the plurality of macro-encapsulates from a plastic bottle before said dosing step. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the macro-encapsulate consists essentially of: polyethylene glycol; free perfume; perfume microcapsule; and weighs from about 0.05 g to about 2 g. 
   
   
       17 . A method of treating fabric comprising the step of dosing a unit dose of macro-encapsulates, wherein each of the macro-encapsulate comprises: polyethylene glycol; perfume; and weighs from about 0.05 g to about 2 g; and wherein the unit dose comprises from about 5 g to about 60 g of macro-encapsulates. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises the step of removing the unit dose of macro-encapsulates from a plastic bottle before said dosing step. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the plastic bottle contains a plurality of unit does of macro-encapsulates. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein each of the macro-encapsulates further comprises a perfume microcapsule.