Professional Laundry Rinse Polymer Dosing for Food Stain Removal
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Solution Overview
Problem
Professional laundries face challenges in removing food stains, especially from polyester and table linen, due to high soil levels and repeated use, which existing solutions address with harsh conditions or excessive soil release polymers.
Innovation Solution
A method involving a professional laundry process that uses a soil release polymer in a rinse cycle with a liquor containing 0.01 to 0.8 grams of polymer per kilogram of load, preferably 0.05 to 0.15 grams, as an additive in the form of an aqueous structured liquid, along with a suds suppressor and optimal pH, to effectively remove food stains without damaging textiles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If harsh conditions (extremely high pH) and large amounts of soil release polymer are used, then soil removal effectiveness is improved, but textile damage and economic cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pH parameter from extremely high (conventional) to moderate (invention), and optimizes the soil release polymer concentration to a specific range (0.1-5 g/L), achieving effective soil removal without textile damage through controlled parameter optimization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a composite detergent composition containing both detergent agents and soil release polymers in specific ratios, creating a synergistic effect that improves soil removal while reducing the need for harsh conditions that would damage textiles
2Reliability
If harsh conditions (extremely high pH) and large amounts of soil release polymer are used, then soil removal effectiveness is improved, but economic cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the soil release polymer concentration to a specific range (0.1-5 g/L), finding the optimal point where effective soil removal is achieved without excessive polymer usage, thus reducing economic cost while maintaining reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The composite detergent composition combines detergent agents with soil release polymers in optimized ratios, creating synergistic effects that improve soil removal efficiency and reduce the total amount of chemicals needed
3Reliability
If a separate pre-treatment step is added, then soil removal effectiveness is improved, but process complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the soil release polymer treatment into the main wash cycle, combining multiple functions (detergent action and soil release) into a single integrated process, eliminating the need for separate pre-treatment steps while maintaining effective soil removal
Solution Approach 2:
The detergent composition is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously - providing both detergent cleaning action and soil release polymer functionality in a single product, simplifying the washing process while maintaining effectiveness
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method achieves excellent soil removal, including greasy and water-based stains, while being gentle on textiles and economically viable, with improved results after multiple washes and reduced allergen retention.
Implementation Method 1
contacting the load during a rinse cycle with a liquor containing a soil release polymer
Data Source
AI summary
A method of cleaning a textile load in a professional laundry machine the method comprises subjecting the load to main-wash, rinse and optionally pre-wash cycles wherein the load is contacted during a rinse cycle with a liquor containing a low level of soil release polymer.