Cleaning textile, and use thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cleaning textile for cleaning a surface, wherein the cleaning textile is designed to be attached to a carrier and has a rear side facing the carrier and a cleaning side facing the surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning textile comprises a pile fabric, pile warp-knitted fabric or pile knitted fabric having pile filaments on the cleaning side, and wherein the pile fabric, pile warp-knitted fabric or pile knitted fabric is formed from one or more multifilament yarns based on synthetic polymers. At least the pile filaments are formed from a multifilament yarn based on one or more synthetic polymers which contain at least one additive for improving biodegradability, and / or which comprise at least one modified polymer for improving biodegradability.

Description

[0001] A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0003] Cleaning textile and its use

[0004] The present invention relates to a cleaning textile for cleaning a surface, wherein the cleaning textile is provided for attachment to a carrier and has a back side facing the carrier and a cleaning side facing the surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning textile comprises a pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric with pile filaments on the cleaning side, and wherein the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric is formed from one or more multifilament yarns based on synthetic polymers.

[0005] Cleaning textiles of this type are used particularly for wet or steam cleaning of smooth surfaces. The carrier to which the cleaning textile is attached can be either a handheld device, such as a mop for floor cleaning or a handle for window cleaning, or part of a cleaning machine, such as a steam cleaner or a hard floor cleaner with rollers. The attachment of the cleaning textile to the carrier can be reversible or irreversible, depending on the application.

[0006] To ensure high mechanical resistance, durability, and effective cleaning, synthetic polymers are used as materials for cleaning textiles, such as polyester, especially polyethylene terephthalate, and polyamides. From an ecological perspective, these materials are problematic due to their lack of or extremely low biodegradability: fibers or fiber particles that detach during the cleaning process or subsequent washing of the cleaning textiles can remain in water and soil as microplastics for decades or centuries, posing a health risk to humans and animals.

[0007] The invention is therefore based on the objective of providing cleaning textiles with improved ecological properties. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0010] This problem is solved in the cleaning textile of the type mentioned at the outset according to the invention by the fact that at least the pile filaments are formed from a multifilament yarn based on one or more synthetic polymers which contain at least one additive to improve biodegradability, and / or which comprise at least one modified polymer to improve biodegradability.

[0011] Within the scope of the present invention, the term "pile filaments" is used throughout, since these are preferably formed from continuous fibers (filaments). The term "pile fibers" is also frequently used synonymously, but strictly speaking, it only applies to staple fibers or yarns made therefrom.

[0012] By adding appropriate additives to the synthetic polymer during the melt extrusion of fibers, biodegradability of the synthetic polymers, and consequently of the fibers, yarns, and textiles produced from them, is made possible within a manageable timeframe, for example, approximately four years in the case of PET. These additives create points of attack for microorganisms on the polymer molecules. As an alternative to using additives that do not affect the chemical structure of the synthetic polymers themselves, modified polymers can also be used. These modified polymers exhibit significantly improved biodegradability compared to their non-modified counterparts. The modified polymers can also be copolymers.

[0013] It was found that the addition of additives to the synthetic polymers (or the use of modified polymers) and the resulting improved biodegradability have no negative impact on the mechanical resistance and cleaning performance of the cleaning textiles according to the invention. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0016] According to the invention, additives to improve biodegradability are used at least in the pile filaments of the cleaning textile. These pile filaments, which come into direct contact with the surface to be cleaned and are essential for the cleaning effect, are naturally also the most susceptible to abrasion of material particles. By improving the biodegradability of the pile filaments, the environmental impact of persistent microplastics can therefore be significantly reduced.

[0017] However, it is even more preferred if the pile fabric, knitted fabric, or pile knit is entirely composed of one or more multifilament yarns based on one or more synthetic polymers containing at least one additive to improve biodegradability, and / or comprising at least one modified polymer to improve biodegradability. This can further reduce the environmental impact. In many cases, the pile filaments and the base fabric (or knitted fabric) are already based on the same synthetic polymer.

[0018] Additives for synthetic polymers to improve biodegradability are already known, but have not yet been used in cleaning textiles. Within the scope of the invention, it was found that the addition of such additives to the synthetic polymers and the resulting improved biodegradability have no negative impact on the mechanical resistance and cleaning performance of the cleaning textiles.

[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the synthetic polymer(s) contain, as additives to improve biodegradability, an aliphatic polyester with 2 to 6 carbon atoms between the ester groups and calcium carbonate. The improvement of the biodegradability of synthetic polymers by adding these additives is described in WO 2020 / 005399 A1. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0022] Further additives to improve the biodegradability of synthetic polymers are described in WO 2019 / 136049 Al and in KR 10-2023-0102477 A.

[0023] The multifilament yarn(s) of the pile filaments (or of the pile fabric, knitted fabric, or pile knit) are preferably based on polyesters, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and / or polyamides (PA), and more preferably entirely or predominantly based on PET. In particular, 100% PET can be used as the synthetic polymer, or another polymer (e.g., another polyester or a PA) can be added, preferably in a proportion of approximately 5 to approximately 20 wt.%. These percentages refer to the total synthetic polymer content, without taking into account any additives for improving biodegradability.

[0024] In particular, a partially or fully recycled polymer, especially a partially or fully recycled PET, can also be used as a synthetic polymer.

[0025] Depending on the type and structure of the pile fabric, knitted fabric, or pile weave, the pile filaments on the cleaning side can be present, in particular, as pile or pile loops. Within the scope of the invention, pile filaments are defined as all structures that protrude from the two-dimensional base structure of the fabric, knitted fabric, or weave. These can be integrally formed with the base structure, especially in the case of a pile fabric (cut pile or velour) or in the case of a knitted fabric with pile loops (i.e., a knitted or weave pile such as terry cloth). However, the pile filaments can also be subsequently attached to the base structure, for example, by sewing on loops.

[0026] The pile filaments on the cleaning side typically have a pile height of approximately 2 to 30 mm, preferably approximately 4 to 15 mm. The pile filaments are crucial for the cleaning effect of the cleaning textile. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0028] - 5 - by loosening contaminants from the surface to be cleaned and, at least in most applications, trapping them in the cavities formed between the polar filaments. The optimal length of the polar filaments therefore depends on the specific cleaning application.

[0029] The multifilament yarn(s) of the pile fabric, knitted pile, or pile construction, in particular the multifilament yarn of the pile filaments, are preferably textured multifilament yarns. Texturing improves the properties of the multifilament yarns. In particular, it increases the volume, thereby improving the absorption capacity for water and dirt particles.

[0030] The multifilament yarn(s) in the pile fabric, knitted pile, or pile knit of the cleaning textile according to the invention generally have a yarn count of approximately 100 to approximately 1,500 dtex, preferably approximately 100 to approximately 1,000 dtex. Depending on the type and structure of the pile fabric, knitted pile, or pile knit, as well as the intended use of the cleaning textile, the optimal yarn count can vary within this range.

[0031] The multifilament yarn(s) are preferably made from continuous fibers with a fiber fineness of approximately 0.4 to 45 dtex, though in most applications, the range is approximately 1 to 24 dtex. Alternatively, multifilament yarns made from staple fibers can also be used. Generally, finer fibers exhibit better water absorption due to the capillary effect. Fibers with a fineness of up to 1 dtex are referred to as microfibers.

[0032] Depending on the intended use, the cleaning textile according to the invention can either comprise the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric with pile filaments on the cleaning side as the single textile layer, or the cleaning textile can comprise one or more further textile layers, in particular a textile backing layer on the reverse side. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0035] While the features and preferred embodiments of the invention described above apply to all or most applications of the cleaning textile, specific applications of the cleaning textile according to the invention will be discussed in detail below.

[0036] Use of the Reiniounos textile as a mop

[0037] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning textile is provided for reversible attachment to a flat support for the wet cleaning of solid floor coverings. Such a cleaning textile is referred to as a mop or cleaning mop and is essentially rectangular with a length of usually 30 to 60 cm and a width of usually 10 to 20 cm.

[0038] The flat carrier, attached to a handle, can be reversibly fastened to the cleaning textile in various ways, e.g., by means of pockets, tabs, hook-and-loop fasteners, or snap fasteners. For this purpose, the cleaning textile preferably comprises a textile carrier layer that incorporates the corresponding fastening elements. Furthermore, it is preferred if the cleaning textile includes an additional water-retaining layer between the pile fabric, pile knit, or pile knitted fabric and the textile carrier layer.

[0039] A mop can generally be designed as (1) a pile mop, (2) a terry cloth mop, or (3) a loop mop. Depending on the type of flooring to be cleaned and the degree of soiling, one variant or another may be better suited to fulfilling as many of the following requirements as possible: optimal removal of dirt, good dirt absorption, binding of fine dirt, high water absorption capacity with even water release, low residual moisture on the flooring, low friction on the flooring, long durability, and high mechanical resistance. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0042] In preferred embodiments of the invention according to the three variants above, the cleaning textile for use as a mop is designed in particular as follows:

[0043] (1) Pile mop: The cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 500 to approximately 1,500 g / m². 2 on and comprises on the cleaning side a pile fabric with a pile height of approximately 9 to approximately 13 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approximately 100 to approximately 1,000 dtex based on PET.

[0044] The textured multifilament yarn is preferably made from continuous fibers with a fiber fineness of approximately 1 dtex or less, i.e., from microfibers. In addition to PET, the multifilament yarn preferably contains approximately 15 wt.% PA.

[0045] (2) Terry cloth mop: The cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 200 to approximately 800 g / m². 2 on and includes on the cleaning side a pile woven or knitted fabric (e.g. terry cloth) with a pile height of approx. 4 to approx. 6 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approx. 100 to approx. 800 dtex based on PET.

[0046] The textured multifilament yarn is preferably formed from continuous fibers with a fiber fineness of approximately 6 dtex or less. In addition to PET, the multifilament yarn preferably contains approximately 10 wt.% PA.

[0047] (3) Loop mop: The cleaning textile comprises, on the cleaning side, a carrier fabric, woven or knitted material with sewn-on or tufted loops having a pile height of approximately 8 to approximately 30 mm, wherein the loops are formed from textured multifilament yarn with a yarn count of approximately 1,000 to approximately 5,000 dtex based on PET. In particular, the loops may be formed from several twisted or plied multifilament yarns with a total count of approximately 1,000 to approximately 5,000 dtex. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0050] The textured multifilament yarn is preferably formed from continuous fibers with a fiber fineness of approximately 4 dtex or less. The multifilament yarn preferably contains approximately 100 wt.% PET.

[0051] Use of the cleaning textile for steam cleaners

[0052] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning textile is provided for reversible attachment to a flat support for steam cleaning of solid floor coverings, wherein the steam passes through the cleaning textile.

[0053] The flat carrier to which the cleaning cloth is attached is, in this application, part of a steam cleaner and has openings for the steam to escape. The cleaning cloth, referred to here as a steamer cloth, is typically about 30 to 40 cm long and about 10 to 15 cm wide.

[0054] In addition to the requirements for cleaning textiles already mentioned above, such as good dirt absorption and low friction on the floor covering, the steamer cloth should have the highest possible vapor permeability. This results primarily from the basic textile structure of the woven, knitted, or crocheted fabric of the cleaning textile.

[0055] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning textile for use as a steamer cloth is designed in particular as follows:

[0056] The cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 300 to approximately 800 g / m². 2 on and comprises, on the cleaning side, a pile fabric, knitted or woven material with a pile height of approximately 6 to 8 mm, which is formed from textured multifilament yarn with a yarn count of approximately 100 to 1,000 dtex based on PET. The cleaning textile particularly preferably comprises an A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0059] Pile fabric with a basis weight of approximately 500 to approximately 800 g / m² 2 or a pile knit or woven fabric with a basis weight of approximately 300 to approximately 600 g / m² 2 .

[0060] The steamer cloth is typically single-layered, meaning the cleaning textile consists of pile fabric, knit or knitted fabric as the only textile layer.

[0061] The textured multifilament yarn is preferably formed from continuous filaments, with a fiber fineness of approximately 1 to 2 dtex for the pile filaments on the purified side and a fiber fineness of approximately 2 to 6 dtex for the base fabric, woven, or knitted fabric on the reverse side. The multifilament yarn preferably contains approximately 100 wt.% PET.

[0062] Use of the cleaning textile for hard floor cleaners with rollers

[0063] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning textile is provided for irreversible attachment to the surface of a cylindrical support for the wet cleaning of solid floor coverings.

[0064] In this type of hard floor cleaner, the floor covering is cleaned by means of several rotating rollers as carriers, to the surface of which the cleaning textile style according to the invention is attached (preferably glued). These textile rollers typically have a length of approximately 12 to 16 cm and a diameter of approximately 5 to 6 cm. The cleaning textile for this application is preferably made of a single layer.

[0065] During the rotation of the textile rollers, they are moistened and wiped clean after contact with the floor covering. In addition to good dirt absorption capacity, a key requirement for the cleaning textile is therefore the efficient release of dirt and water at the wiping edge, so that only minimal residual moisture remains on the floor covering. The water absorption capacity of the cleaning textile is typically approximately 350 to 450%. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0068] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning textile for use as a textile roller is designed in particular as follows:

[0069] The cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 1,000 to approximately 1,300 g / m². 2on and includes on the cleaning side a pile fabric with a pile height of approx. 5 to approx. 10 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approx. 300 to approx. 500 dtex based on PET.

[0070] The textured multifilament yarn is preferably formed from continuous filaments, with a fiber fineness of approximately 1 to 2 dtex for the pile filaments on the purified side and a fiber fineness of approximately 2 to 6 dtex for the base fabric, woven, or knitted fabric on the reverse side. The multifilament yarn preferably contains approximately 100 wt.% PET.

[0071] Use of the cleaning textile for glass surface cleaning

[0072] In a further preferred embodiment of the invention, the cleaning textile is provided for reversible attachment to the surface of a flat carrier for the wet cleaning of glass surfaces.

[0073] In this application, the flat carrier is attached to a handle. The cleaning cloth is moistened with water or cleaning solution, and the glass surface (e.g., a window) is cleaned manually. Dirt and water are then wiped away manually or removed with a window vacuum cleaner (e.g., Kärcher Window Vac®).

[0074] The cleaning textile for this application is typically single-layered and has a length of 25 to 30 cm and a width of 6 to 8 cm.

[0075] In this case too, the cleaning textile should, among other things, enable the best possible removal of dirt from the surface. In contrast to A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0077] - 11 - In the applications described above, however, the dirt should be absorbed by the cleaning textile to the least extent possible, but should remain on the glass surface in order to be subsequently wiped off or vacuumed up.

[0078] Within the scope of the present invention, the cleaning textile for use in cleaning glass surfaces is designed in particular as follows:

[0079] The cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 600 to approximately 1,000 g / m². 2 on and comprises on the cleaning side a pile fabric with a pile height of approximately 6 to approximately 9 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approximately 100 to approximately 1,000 dtex based on PET.

[0080] The textured multifilament yarn is preferably made from continuous fibers with a fiber fineness of approximately 1 to approximately 24 dtex. The multifilament yarn preferably contains approximately 100 wt.% PET.

[0081] The present invention further relates to the use of a cleaning textile according to the invention for cleaning a surface.

[0082] Particular advantages and preferred embodiments of the use according to the invention have already been described in connection with the cleaning textile according to the invention.

[0083] The invention relates in particular to the use of a cleaning textile according to the invention for reversible attachment to a flat support for the wet cleaning of solid floor coverings; for reversible attachment to a flat support for the steam cleaning of solid floor coverings, wherein the steam passes through the cleaning textile; A 501 225 p 3 July 2025

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[0085] - 12 - for irreversible attachment to the surface of a cylindrical support for wet cleaning of solid floor coverings; or for reversible attachment to the surface of a flat support for wet cleaning of glass surfaces.

Claims

A 501 225 p 3 July 2025 P - 13 - Patent claims 1. Cleaning textile for cleaning a surface, wherein the cleaning textile is designed for attachment to a carrier and has a back side facing the carrier and a cleaning side facing the surface to be cleaned, wherein the cleaning textile comprises a pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric with pile filaments on the cleaning side, and wherein the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric is formed from one or more multifilament yarns based on synthetic polymers, characterized in that at least the pile filaments are formed from a multifilament yarn based on one or more synthetic polymers which contain at least one additive for improving biodegradability, and / or which comprise at least one modified polymer for improving biodegradability.

2. Cleaning textile according to claim 1, wherein the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric is formed as a whole from one or more multifilament yarns based on one or more synthetic polymers which contain at least one additive to improve biodegradability, and / or which comprise at least one modified polymer to improve biodegradability.

3. Cleaning textile according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the synthetic polymer(s) contain, as additives to improve biodegradability, an aliphatic polyester having 2 to 6 carbon atoms between the ester groups, and calcium carbonate.

4. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the multifilament yarn(s) are based on polyesters, in particular polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and / or polyamides (PA), preferably entirely or predominantly based on PET. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025 P - 14 - 5. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pile filaments are present on the cleaning side as a pile or as pile loops.

6. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the pile filaments on the cleaning side have a pile height of approximately 2 to approximately 30 mm, preferably of approximately 4 to approximately 15 mm.

7. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the multifilament yarn(s) of the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted, in particular the multifilament yarn of the pile filaments, are textured multifilament yarns.

8. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the multifilament yarn(s) in the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric have a yarn count of approximately 100 to approximately 1,500 dtex, preferably of approximately 100 to approximately 1,000 dtex.

9. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the multifilament yarn(s) are formed from continuous fibers with a fiber fineness of approximately 0.4 to approximately 45 dtex, in particular of approximately 1 to approximately 24 dtex.

10. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning textile comprises the pile fabric, pile knit or pile knitted fabric with pile filaments on the cleaning side as the single textile layer, or wherein the cleaning textile comprises one or more further textile layers, in particular a textile backing layer on the reverse side.

11. Cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims, wherein the cleaning textile is provided for reversible attachment to a flat carrier for the wet cleaning of solid floor coverings. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025 P - 15 - 12. Cleaning textile according to claim 11, wherein the cleaning textile (1) a basis weight of approximately 500 to approximately 1,500 g / m² 2 has a pile fabric on the cleaning side with a pile height of approximately 9 to 13 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn count of approximately 100 to 1,000 dtex based on PET; or (2) a basis weight of approximately 200 to approximately 800 g / m² 2 has and on the cleaning side comprises a pile woven or knitted fabric with a pile height of approximately 4 to 6 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn count of approximately 100 to 800 dtex based on PET; or (3) on the cleaning side comprises a carrier fabric, knitted or woven fabric with sewn or tufted loops with a pile height of approximately 17 to approximately 23 mm, wherein the loops are formed from textured multifilament yarn with a yarn count of approximately 1,000 to approximately 5,000 dtex based on PET.

13. Cleaning textile according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cleaning textile is provided for reversible attachment to a flat support for steam cleaning of solid floor coverings, wherein the steam passes through the cleaning textile.

14. Cleaning textile according to claim 13, wherein the cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 300 to approximately 800 g / m². 2 has and on the cleaning side comprises a pile fabric, knitted or woven material with a pile height of approximately 6 to approximately 8 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approximately 100 to approximately 1,000 dtex based on PET.

15. Cleaning textile according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cleaning textile is provided for irreversible attachment to the surface of a cylindrical support for the wet cleaning of solid floor coverings. A 501 225 p 3 July 2025 P - 16 - 16. Cleaning textile according to claim 15, wherein the cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 1,000 to approximately 1,300 g / m². 2 has and on the cleaning side comprises a pile fabric with a pile height of approximately 5 to approximately 10 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approximately 300 to approximately 500 dtex based on PET.

17. Cleaning textile according to one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the cleaning textile is provided for reversible attachment to the surface of a flat carrier for the wet cleaning of glass surfaces.

18. Cleaning textile according to claim 17, wherein the cleaning textile has a basis weight of approximately 600 to approximately 1,000 g / m². 2 has and on the cleaning side comprises a pile fabric with a pile height of approximately 6 to approximately 9 mm, which is made of textured multifilament yarn with a yarn fineness of approximately 100 to approximately 1,000 dtex based on PET.

19. Use of a cleaning textile according to one of the preceding claims for cleaning a surface, in particular - for reversible attachment to a flat support for wet cleaning of solid floor coverings; - for reversible attachment to a flat support for steam cleaning of solid floor coverings, whereby the steam passes through the cleaning textile; - for irreversible attachment to the surface of a cylindrical support for the wet cleaning of solid floor coverings; or - for reversible attachment to the surface of a flat carrier for wet cleaning of glass surfaces. * * *