Method of sanitizing textile articles and the like

Abstract

Provided herein is a method of removing hair from a textile article or the like. The method comprises providing a solid or liquid composition comprising sodium hydroxide, dispersing the solid or liquid concentrate in an aqueous medium that is contacted with the textile article or the like, such that the concentration of sodium hydroxide in the aqueous medium is 1-15% w / w, and maintaining the aqueous medium in contact with the textile article or the like at a temperature between 10° C. and 120° C. for a period of between 1 and 180 minutes. The sodium hydroxide causes dissolution of hair from the textile article. There is also provided a concentrate comprising sodium hydroxide used in such method. Such method is particularly useful in treating human hairwear, especially hairwear used in sanitary conditions, such as food production, and for pet products to which animal hair may adhere.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application claims priority to GB 1221027.4 filed on Nov. 22, 2012 and GB 1314327.6 filed on Aug. 9, 2013, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.TECHNICAL BACKGROUND[0002]This invention relates to a method of sanitizing textile articles and the like. In particular, this invention relates to a method for removing hair from items of workwear as part of a laundering process, as well as in other domestic sanitary applications. The invention may also be of particular utility in the removal of animal hair from textile articles and the like that are used by or in association with domestic pets or other animals.BACKGROUND[0003]In many environments, such as food preparation and medical establishments, it is important that high levels of hygiene are maintained. As part of maintaining appropriate hygiene levels, it is important to ensure that all clothing and other workwear worn by those working in such environm...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The patent is about a method for cleaning articles made from hair-carrying materials, such as brushes and combs. The invention provides a way to efficiently launder these materials without having to dispose of them in land-fill sites. By using a concentrated composition of sodium hydroxide, the treatment can be carried out at a lower concentration and temperature for a shorter time period. The preferred conditions include a concentration of sodium hydroxide between 1 and 10% w / w, a weight ratio of articles to liquor of between 1:1-7 parts by weight, and a temperature between 50°C and 100°C. The concentrated composition can also contain additional ingredients such as detergents, antimicrobial agents, and softening agents. The method allows for a more environmentally friendly and efficient way to clean small quantities of articles.

Problems solved by technology

Normal laundering processes are appropriate for removing dirt and stains, but they may not effectively remove hair that has become attached to clothing and other garments during use.

Hair easily becomes caught on the surface or inside the structure of textiles.

For example, the movement of a hat against a wearer's head, or of an arm cover against a wearer's arm, causes hairs to become lodged in the fabric structure of the hat or arm cover.

Textiles can also become contaminated with hair through contact with other items.

For example, if two items of workwear come into contact with each other or are washed together using conventional laundering processes, hair and other dirt can be transferred between the garments, thereby spreading contamination.

Because of this, the removal of hair from textiles is difficult.

As a result, it is common for workwear to be disposed of after a single use, because there is no appropriate method for reliably removing all of the hair from a garment, and so maintaining an appropriate level of hygiene.

The same problem is also found in domestic environments and commercial environments involving animals such as horse stables or veterinary surgeries where, for example, dog and / or cat hairs easily become caught in clothing, on furniture or carpets and on pet / animal bedding and accessories.

The presence of large amounts of hair is a common cause of domestic washing machine breakdowns and the transfer of hairs from contaminated items to other non-contaminated items during the cleaning process is also highly undesirable.

However, being very labor-intensive, such hand-held devices have limited application in environments in which large quantities of items need to be cleaned.

In addition, rollers may not be effective in removing hairs that have become lodged within the structure of the fabric, making it impossible to ensure that all hairs have been removed.

Similar problems are encountered with other commercially available mechanical devices for removing hairs, such as vacuum cleaners, which are sometimes specifically sold for removing (pet) hair.

Where it is important that all of the hair is removed from an item, e.g., due to a need to maintain a high level of hygiene, the difficulty in reliably removing all of the hair often results in items being thrown away and replaced after a single use.

For example, in automotive paint spraying, food preparation, food processing and the packaging industry, hats and hairnets are often disposed of at the end of each day as they cannot be effectively cleaned for re-use.

Particularly where large numbers of people require clean and hygienic workwear on a daily basis, such a practice is expensive and environmentally unfriendly.

In the domestic environment, incomplete removal of hair when laundering items affects the efficiency of the cleaning process as hair left behind can necessitate additional washing machine cycles to remove residual hair or ultimately the need for additional servicing or replacement of the washing machine itself due to blockages caused by the build-up of hair.

Such practices are expensive and environmentally unfriendly.