LIQUID COMPOSITION OF FABRIC SOFTENER.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- MX · MX
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- CHURCH & DWIGHT CO INC
- Filing Date
- 2022-03-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
Abstract
Description
LIQUID FABRIC SOFTENER COMPOSITION FIELD OF INVENTION The present invention relates to compositions for improving the softness of fabrics. More specifically, the compositions can provide fabric softening during rinsing. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Several different compositions have been proposed to improve the softness of textiles, particularly clothing and other fabrics intended for prolonged body contact. Aqueous compositions, in particular, are known for use during washing and can specifically be provided as a rinse formulation to be added during a rinse cycle of a washing process. The softening agents used in fabric softener compositions added to the rinse often include quaternary ester compounds. While such compounds have been found to be effective softening agents, they can also cause undesirable buildup on the surface of a fabric over time. This buildup of the softening agent can reduce the water absorption of the underlying fabric, which in turn increases drying time.This can be particularly undesirable with specialty fabrics, such as sportswear, which is designed for rapid moisture wicking and therefore requires quick drying. Moisture-wicking sportswear is typically designed to draw sweat away from the body through the fabric, allowing it to evaporate quickly. However, buildup from typical fabric softeners can clog the fabric fibers and significantly impede sweat from reaching the surface. Consequently, there remains a need for suitable fabric softening formulations that provide effective softening without unwanted chemical residue buildup on the fabric surface. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides compositions adapted or configured to impart softness to textiles, more particularly to fabrics such as garments. These softening compositions may be suitable for a variety of applications, but may be particularly suitable for use as an additive during the rinse cycle in laundry. As such, the present compositions may be characterized as rinse-in formulations or formulations that are added to the rinse cycle. In one or more embodiments, the present invention can provide a liquid fabric softener composition comprising: a conditioning agent in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 1.5% by weight of the total weight of the composition, wherein the conditioning agent includes at least one quaternary ammonium polymer salt; and water in an amount of approximately 90% or more by weight of the total weight of the composition. In further embodiments, the liquid fabric softener composition can be characterized with respect to one or more of the following claims, which can be combined in any number and order. The conditioning agent may include at least one polyquaternium material. The conditioning agent may be present in an amount of approximately 0.4% to approximately 1.2% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Water may be present in an amount of approximately 96% to approximately 99.5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii The liquid fabric softener composition may further comprise an antistatic agent that includes at least one non-polymeric quaternary ammonium salt. The quaternary ammonium salt, at least the non-polymeric one, can be laurtrimonium chloride. The antistatic agent may be present in an amount of approximately 0.6% to approximately 3% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition. The liquid composition of fabric softener may also include a chlorine eliminator. The chlorine eliminator can be a polyethyleneimine. The chlorine eliminator may be present in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.3% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition. The liquid composition of fabric softener may also include an acidifying agent. The acidifying agent may be present in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.8% by weight with respect to the total weight of the composition. The liquid composition of fabric softener may also include one or more preservatives. One or more preservatives may be present in a total amount of approximately 0.003% to approximately 0.008% by weight of the total weight of Lfrcrnn / zznz / E / Yi the composition. The liquid composition of fabric softener may exclude conditioning agents other than quaternary ammonium polymer salts. The conditioning agent can be polyquaternium-37. In some embodiments, a liquid fabric softener composition may specifically consist essentially of: one or more polymeric quaternary ammonium salt conditioning agents; one or more acidifying agents; one or more preservatives; optionally one or more fragrances; and water. These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from reading the following detailed description. The invention includes any combination of two, three, four, or more of the embodiments mentioned above, as well as combinations of two, three, four, or more features or elements set forth in this description, regardless of whether such features or elements are expressly combined in a description of a specific embodiment in this patent application. This description is intended to be read holistically, so that any separable feature or element of the disclosed invention, in any of its various aspects and embodiments, should be seen as being intended to Lfrcrnn / zznz / E / Yi can be combinable unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The invention will now be described in more detail by reference to various embodiments. These embodiments are provided to make this description comprehensive and complete, and to fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In fact, the invention can be embodied in many different ways and should not be interpreted as being limited to the embodiments set forth in this patent application; rather, these embodiments are provided to enable this invention to satisfy applicable legal requirements. As used in the specification and in the appended claims, the singular forms a, an, the, and a include plural referents unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The present invention relates to fabric softener compositions suitable for use with a wide variety of textiles. These compositions are particularly advantageous because they provide highly effective softening while requiring only a relatively small amount of softening agents. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii In addition, the softening agents used can significantly reduce or even eliminate the unwanted buildup of residues on fabrics that can limit the useful attributes of the fabrics, such as quick-drying ability and effective absorption capacity. In one or more embodiments, the present invention can provide a liquid fabric softener composition that is added during the rinse cycle or to the rinse cycle, which can be beneficially safe for use on substantially all fabrics, including those that typically include warnings against the use of fabric softeners, such as sportswear and delicates. The present invention arises at least in part from the recognition that limiting a fabric softener composition to a relatively small group of softening agents can be beneficial in providing a softener that is effective and safe for use with a wide range of textiles.The softening agents used according to the present invention have been specifically identified as differentiated from many known softening agents in that they can provide effective softening capability without the undesirable effect of leaving a chemical residue or buildup on the fabric that may be waxy and / or induce a level of [unclear]. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii hydrophobicity in the fabric that may limit desired properties such as absorption and quick drying. In some embodiments, the present softening composition may utilize a polymeric quaternary ammonium salt as the softening or conditioning agent. The term conditioning agent is particularly appropriate since polymeric quaternary ammonium salts have previously been recognized as useful as conditioners in personal care products, such as liquid hair conditioners. Such polymeric quaternary ammonium salts can be beneficial according to the present invention in providing a rinse-off formulation that imparts conditioning effects to the fabrics to which they are applied without leaving an unwanted buildup, as described above. Instead, the excess softening agent is rinsed away, and the treated fabric is left with a conditioned effect and virtually no residue or buildup. The conditioning agent may be a cationic polymer. Alternatively, or additionally, the conditioning agent may be a hydrophilic polymer. In certain embodiments, a polymeric quaternary ammonium salt used as a conditioning agent may include one or more polymers of Polyquaternium. Polyquaternium polymers are polycationic polymers designated as polyquaternium by the International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI). The term polyquaternium may emphasize the presence of quaternary ammonium centers in the various polymers. In certain embodiments, polyquaternium-37, also called poly(2-methacryloxyethyltrimethylammonium chloride), can be used, as a non-limiting example, as a softening agent. The present compositions may include one or more conditioning agents in a total concentration of up to approximately 1.5% by weight of the total weight of the composition. Therefore, the fabric softener composition may comprise at least an effective amount of one or more conditioning agents, but the one or more conditioning agents may be present in an amount of less than 2% by weight, less than 1.5% by weight, or less than 1% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, one or more conditioning agents may be present in a total amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 1.5%, approximately 0.2% to approximately 1.4%, approximately 0.3% to approximately 1.3%, approximately 0.4% to approximately 1.2%, or Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii approximately 0.5% to approximately 0.8% by weight, based on the total weight of the fabric softener composition.In some embodiments, the composition described herein may be defined with regard to the specific exclusion of softening agents that would be expected to produce adverse effects, such as the formation of unwanted buildup on treated fabrics. For example, in some embodiments, the present compositions may expressly exclude any known softening agent other than a quaternary ammonium polymer salt. In some embodiments, the present compositions may expressly exclude any known softening agent other than a polyquaternium. In some embodiments, the present compositions may expressly exclude any known softening agent other than polyquaternium-37. More particularly, the present compositions may exclude quaternary ester compounds that are typically used as softening agents in liquid fabric softeners.For example, compounds such as diethyl ester dimethylammonium chloride and dehydrogenated palmoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate may be excluded. Therefore, in some embodiments, the compositions described herein may be referred to as including a Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii conditioning agent consisting essentially of a quaternary ammonium polymer salt or consisting essentially of a polyquaternium. In addition to the conditioning agent, the present compositions may include one or more additional components as desired. For example, in some embodiments, it may be desirable to include one or more antistatic agents, a chlorine eliminator, a preservative, a pH adjuster, and a fragrance. Preferably, any additional components that may be combined with the conditioning agent in the fabric softener composition will not cause substantial buildup on the treated fabrics. In certain embodiments, non-polymeric quaternary ammonium salts can be used as an antistatic agent. Laurtrimonium chloride is a non-limiting example of a non-polymeric quaternary ammonium salt that can be useful as an antistatic agent. Centrimonium chloride is another non-limiting example. In some embodiments, an antistatic agent may be present in an amount of 0% to 5% by weight relative to the total weight of the fabric softener composition. More specifically, when present, the antistatic agent may be added in a total amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 5% of the fabric softener composition. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii approximately 0.2% to approximately 4.5%, approximately 0.5% to approximately 4%, or approximately 0.6% to approximately 3% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, an antistatic agent may be expressly excluded. In some embodiments, the chlorine scavengers that may be used in the present compositions include any material that is adapted or configured to react with chlorine, or with chlorine-generating materials such as hypochlorite, to eliminate or reduce the activity of the chlorine materials. Again, the chlorine scavenger is preferably a material that does not cause substantial buildup on the treated fabrics. As a non-limiting example, polyethyleneimine may be used as a chlorine scavenger, although other polymers with amine functionality and other known chlorine scavengers may be used additionally or alternatively. In some embodiments, a chlorine scavenger may be present in an amount of 0% to 1% by weight based on the total weight of the fabric softener composition. More particularly, when present, the chlorine scavenger may be added in a total amount of approximately 0.0.1% to approximately 1%, from approximately 0.05% to approximately 0.8%, from approximately 0.08% to. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii approximately 0.5%, or from approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.3% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, a chlorine scavenger may be expressly excluded. Any preservative suitable for use in a fabric softener composition according to the present invention may be used. As non-limiting examples, 1,2-benzisothiazolin-3-one and / or 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one may be used. In some embodiments, a preservative may be present in an amount of 0% to approximately 0.1% by weight based on the total weight of the fabric softener composition. More particularly, when present, the preservative may be added in a total amount of approximately 0.001% to approximately 0.1%, approximately 0.002% to approximately 0.05%, or approximately 0.003% to approximately 0.008% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, a preservative may be expressly excluded. The present fabric softener compositions are preferably provided with a substantially acidic pH. Preferably, in some embodiments, the pH of the fabric softener composition may be less than 7, less than 6.5, less than 6, or less than 5.5 (for example, it being understood that the lower range of the pH may be greater than 0). In particular, the pH may be in the range of approximately 3.0 to Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii about 6.0, about 3.5 to about 5.5, about 3.5 to about 5.0, or about 4.0 to Approximately 4.5. Since the conditioning agent and / or other components of the composition may tend to increase the pH of the composition, it may be useful to include an adequate amount of an acidifying agent (i.e., an acidic pH adjuster) to achieve the desired pH level. In some embodiments, an organic acid, such as citric acid, may be used as the pH adjuster. In some embodiments, a pH adjuster may be present in an amount of 0% to 1.5% by weight based on the total weight of the fabric softener composition. More specifically, when present, the pH adjuster may be added in a total amount of approximately 0.01% to approximately 1.5%, approximately 0.05% to approximately 1.2%, or approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.8% by weight based on the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, a pH adjuster may be expressly excluded. In one or more embodiments, the fabric composition described herein may be formed predominantly from water. Beneficially, these compositions are effective in providing the desired conditioning effect to a wide variety of textiles without the need to incorporate a substantially large concentration of chemical additives. As such, these compositions may consist of approximately 90% or more, approximately 92% or more, approximately 95% or more, or approximately 98% or more water, based on the total weight of the composition, with the composition having a maximum of 99.9% water by weight. More specifically, the fabric softener compositions may comprise 90% to 99.9%, 92% to 99.8%, 95% to 99.7%, or 96% to 99.5% water by weight, based on the total weight of the composition. In some embodiments, the compositions described herein may be characterized with respect to one or more physical properties of the composition. For example, the compositions may be substantially clear or transparent. Transparency, for instance, may be assessed using known methods, such as ASTM E2680. Alternatively, or additionally, transparency or clarity may be assessed by measuring the transmittance through a sample of the composition using a UV-Vis spectrophotometer. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii The present fabric softener compositions may include any combination of materials described in this patent application. Preferably, the composition includes at least one conditioning agent as provided above and water. Therefore, the present compositions can be surprisingly effective as fabric softeners despite the relative simplicity of their formulation. By way of non-limiting examples, the present compositions may be defined in relation to any of the following embodiments. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may include a conditioning agent consisting essentially of a quaternary ammonium polymer salt. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may include a conditioning agent consisting of a polymeric quaternary ammonium salt. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may include a conditioning agent consisting essentially of a polyquaternium material. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may include a conditioning agent consisting of a polyquaternium material. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more antistatic agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more antistatic agents; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more chlorine eliminators; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more Lfrcrnn / zznz / B / Yu chlorine removers; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more antistatic agents; one or more chlorine eliminators; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; one or more antistatic agents; one or more chlorine eliminators; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may consist of: water; one or more quaternary ammonium polymer salts; optionally one or more antistatic agents; optionally one or more chlorine eliminators; optionally one or more acidifying agents; optionally one or more fragrances; and optionally one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more antistatic agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more antistatic agents; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more chlorine eliminators; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more chlorine eliminators; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more antistatic agents; one or more chlorine eliminators; and one or more preservatives. Lfrcrnn / zznz / E / Yi A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may essentially consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; one or more antistatic agents; one or more chlorine eliminators; one or more acidifying agents; and one or more preservatives. A liquid fabric softener composition according to the present invention may consist of: water; one or more polyquaternium conditioning agents; optionally one or more antistatic agents; optionally one or more chlorine eliminators; optionally one or more fragrances; optionally one or more acidifying agents; and optionally one or more preservatives. EXPERIMENTAL EXAMPLES EXAMPLE 1 Several samples of liquid fabric softener compositions were evaluated to compare their static reduction and softening performance according to ASTM D5237 and their rewetting capabilities according to CSPA DCC-13D. All samples were prepared for testing by machine washing five times: twice with detergent and three times without. Washing was performed using a General Electric GTW330ASK0WW washing machine. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii was washed with warm water and rinsed with cold water using tap water. Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent was used at a rate of 46.04 g as detergent for each load. After washing, the samples were dried individually in a General Electric Model DDE-9200N dryer using a normal cycle (60 minutes drying time). A designated amount of each test fabric softener was added to the corresponding rinse cycle in the amounts described below. The dryer was cleaned with alcohol before each use. The samples included sheet fabrics, pillowcases, terry cloth hand towels, and samples of acrylic, acetate, nylon, polyester, and rayon. Athletic T-shirts (Kohl's Men's Tek-Gear Core Performance Polyester Tee) were added to the loads to adjust the weight. A total of eight samples were analyzed. The control was washed only with leave-in detergent and fabric softener. Comparatives 1, 2, and 3 were washed using fabric softeners from the brands Downy (25.43 g), Hex Booster (29.49 g), and Lubrizol Oleic (29.90 g), respectively. In Experiment 1, 29.55 g of a softener composition comprising 1.6 wt% polyquaternium-37 (PQ-37) and 10 wt% of a 30% laurtrimonium chloride (LTC) solution was used. In Experiment 2, 29.61 g of a softener composition comprising 1.6 wt% PQ-37 and 2 wt% of a 30% LTC solution was used. In Experiment 3, 29.58 g of a softener composition comprising 1.6 wt% PQ-37 and 2 wt% of a 30% LTC solution was used. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii of a softening composition comprising 1.6 wt% PQ-37 and 5 wt% a 30% LTC solution. In experiment 4, he used 29.63 g of a softening composition containing 1.6 wt% PQ-37, 2 wt% a 30% LTC solution, and 1 wt% FloSoft 222. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii STATIC REDUCTION After completing the drying cycle, the synthetic samples were removed one at a time and hung on a wooden rack. Static charge was measured in each quadrant and at the center of the sample using a Simco SS-2X electrostatic locator at a distance of two inches. Humidity was measured with a hygrometer during these measurements. For all tests, the relative humidity was 28 to 32% and the ambient temperature was 70 to 74°F (21.1 to 23.3°C). Fifty readings were totaled for the synthetic samples in each wash load, and the percentage static reduction was calculated using the formula: % Reduction = 100 - (100X / Con) where X is the sum of the static readings in a softened wash load and Con is the sum of the static readings in the control load (wash with laundry detergent without adding any fabric softener to the rinse cycle). The static reduction results are shown in the Table 1. SMOOTHNESS The softened towels and sports shirts were arranged in pairs so that one towel / shirt treated with a given softener was paired three (3) times with towels / shirts treated with the other softener and the blank item. Ten (10) panel members evaluated each pair of towels and chose the softest of each pair. Thus, each combination of two towels was judged 30 times. The results were then tabulated and analyzed as described in Sensory Evaluation Techniques by Meilgaard, Civille, and Carr, pp. 103–106. The outcome was a score for each product and the difference between the scores that was statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. If the samples differed by this statistical difference, they were considered to be different. Higher scores indicated more softening. The softness results are shown in Table 1. REHUMECTATION PROPERTIES The towels and shirts from each wash load were cut into strips measuring 2 inches by 5 inches. A 0.01% solution of rhodamine red in water was prepared, and the strips were immersed to a depth of 1 cm. After six minutes, the strips were removed, and the height of the solution was measured. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / YiAi colorant above the immersion line in millimeters. Four (4) replicates (of different towels) of each sample were cut and measured. The results of the rewetting test are shown in Table 1. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii TABLE 1 Synthetic Package Cotton Terry Towel Moisture-Wicking Polyester Shirt Sample Test % Static Reduction Softness Rewetting (cm) Softness Rewetting (cm) Control N / A 231 7 210 12.3 Comparative 1 87.70% 316 6.2 310 8.4 Comparative 2 68.70% 276 8.7 297 12.1 Comparative 3 24.50% 394 4.7 396 9.9 Experiment 1 79.50% 374 9.2 304 10.9 Experiment 2 28.40% 315 8.2 313 11 Experiment 3 53.10% 265 8.1 326 10.8 Experiment 4 67.90% 349 8.8 364 11.3 EXAMPLE 2 Several samples of liquid fabric softener compositions were evaluated to compare their static reduction and softening performance according to ASTM D5237 and their rewetting capabilities according to CSPA DCC-13D. All samples were prepared for testing by machine washing five times: twice with detergent and three times without. Washing was performed using a General Electric GTW330ASK0WW washing machine with a warm water wash and a cold water rinse using tap water. Arm & Hammer Liquid Laundry Detergent was used at a rate of 46.1 g as detergent for each load. After washing, the samples were dried individually in a General Electric DDE-9200N dryer using a normal cycle (60 minutes drying time). A designated amount of each test fabric softener was added to the corresponding rinse cycle in the amounts described below.The dryer was cleaned with alcohol before each use. Samples included sheet fabrics, pillowcases, terry cloth hand towels, and samples of acrylic, acetate, nylon, polyester, and rayon. Athletic T-shirts (Kohl's Men's Tek-Gear Core Performance Polyester Tee) were added to the loads to adjust the weight. Seven samples were analyzed in total. The control was washed only with leave-in detergent and fabric softener. Comparative 1 was washed using Downy brand fabric softener (25.5 g). In Experiment 1, 29.6 g of a softener composition comprising 1.6 wt% polyquaternium-37 (PQ-37) and 10 wt% of a 30% laurtrimonium chloride (LTC) solution was used. In Experiment 2, 29.6 g of a softener composition comprising 1.6 wt% PQ-37 was used. In Experiment 3, 29.5 g of a softener composition comprising 1.86 wt% PQ-37 and 10 wt% of a 30% LTC solution was used. In Experiment 4, 29.5 g of a softening composition containing 1.86 wt% PQ37 was used. In Experiment 5, 29.5 g of a softening composition comprising 1.86 wt% PQ-37 and 10 wt% of a 30% centrimonium chloride (CTC) solution was used. STATIC REDUCTION After completing the drying cycle, the synthetic samples were removed one at a time and hung on a wooden rack. Static charge was measured in each quadrant and at the center of the sample using a Simco SS-2X electrostatic locator at a distance of two inches. Humidity was measured with a hygrometer during these measurements. For all tests, the relative humidity was 45 to 50% and the ambient temperature was 73 to 77°F (22.7 to 25°C). Fifty readings were totaled for the synthetic samples in each wash load, and the percentage of static reduction was calculated using the formula: % Reduction = 100 - (100X / Con) where X is the sum of the static readings in a softened wash load and Con is the sum of the static readings in the control load (wash with laundry detergent without adding any fabric softener to the rinse cycle). The static reduction results are shown in Table 2. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / YiAi SMOOTHNESS The softened towels were arranged in pairs so that one towel treated with a given softener was paired three (3) times with towels treated with the other softener and with the blank towel. Ten (10) panel members evaluated each pair of towels and chose the softest towel in each pair. Thus, each pair of towels was judged 30 times. The results were then tabulated and analyzed as described in Sensory Evaluation Techniques by Meilgaard, Civille, and Carr, pp. 103–106. The result was a score for each product and the difference between the scores that was statistically significant at the 95% confidence level. If the samples differed by this statistical difference, they were considered different. Higher scores indicated more softening. The softness results are shown in Table 2. REHUMECTATION PROPERTIES Four (4) towels from each wash load were cut into 2-inch by 5-inch strips. A 0.01% solution of rhodamine red in water was prepared, and the strips were immersed to a depth of 1 cm. After six minutes, the strips were removed, and the height of the dye above the immersion line was measured in millimeters. Four (4) replicates (of different Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii towels) or of each sample. The results of the rewetting test are shown in Table 2. Lfrcrnn / zznz / B / Yu TABLE 2 Synthetic Package Cotton Terry Towel Sample Test % Static Reduction Softness Rewetting Control N / A 197 8.8 Comparative 1 89.6% 358 6.3 Experiment 1 93.4% 269 10.0 Experiment 2 27.5% 228 9.8 Experiment 3 77.7% 317 7.3 When several numerical values in this patent application are modified by the use of the word "approximately," it is understood that the values may mean the exact value stated. However, the value indicated, as modified by the word "approximately," may vary by a relatively small amount, such as + / -5%, + / -4%, + / -3%, + / -2%, or + / -1% of the exact value. Many modifications and other embodiments of the invention set forth in this patent application will occur to a person skilled in the art to which this invention belongs, having benefited from the lessons presented in the preceding description. It should therefore be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiments described and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are used herein, they are employed only in a generic and descriptive sense and not for limiting purposes.
Claims
1. A liquid fabric softener composition comprising: a conditioning agent in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 1.5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition, wherein the conditioning agent includes at least one quaternary ammonium polymer salt; and water in an amount of approximately 90% or more by weight based on the total weight of the composition. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii 2. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1, wherein the conditioning agent includes at least one polyquaternium material.
3. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the conditioning agent is present in an amount of approximately 0.4% to approximately 1.2% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
4. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein water is present in an amount of approximately 96% to approximately 99.5% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
5. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an antistatic agent including at least one non-polymeric quaternary ammonium salt.
6. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 5, wherein the at least non-polymeric quaternary ammonium salt is laurtrimonium chloride.
7. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 5, wherein the antistatic agent is present in an amount of approximately 0.6% to approximately 3% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
8. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising a chlorine eliminator. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii 9. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 8, wherein the chlorine eliminator is a polyethyleneimine.
10. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 8, wherein the chlorine eliminator is present in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.3% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
11. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising an acidifying agent.
12. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 11, wherein the acidifying agent is present in an amount of approximately 0.1% to approximately 0.8% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
13. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, further comprising one or more preservatives. Lfrcenn / zznz / E / Yii 14. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 13, wherein one or more preservatives are present in a total amount of approximately 0.003% to approximately 0.008% by weight based on the total weight of the composition.
15. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the composition excludes conditioning agents that are not quaternary ammonium polymer salts.
16. The liquid fabric softener composition according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the conditioning agent is polyquaternium-37.
17. A liquid fabric softener composition consisting essentially of: one or more polymeric quaternary ammonium salt conditioning agents; one or more acidifying agents; one or more preservatives; optionally one or more flavorings; and water.