The present invention relates to compositions useful in cleaning fabric as well as other soft surfaces such as carpeting. In particular, the present invention relates to cleaning dyed fabrics for removing soil and stains while retaining brightness and resisting dye loss and dye transfer from the fabrics.
The large variety of products currently available commercially for use in cleaning fabrics contain various nonionic, anionic and amphoteric surfactants. The conventional nonionic surfactants are primary and secondary alcohol ethoxylates and alkyl phenol ethoxylates. These, however, suffer from several drawbacks. In particular, they are associated with excessive dye transfer and dye loss when they are used to wash dyed fabrics. The conventional anionic surfactants such as alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates, .alpha.-olefin sulfonates etc. are likewise associated with excessive dye transfer and dye loss in such uses.
The conventional nonionic surfactants, as well as anionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof, are conventionally formulated into so-called "built" liquid detergents, or solid particulate products, which require the presence of numerous additional additives to contribute necessary properties and to adjust the performance of the overall compositions. For instance, since liquid products need to be formulated with water, they generally require one or more hydrotropes, suspending agents, stabilizing agents, and/or emulsifying agents. On the other hand, so-called "unbuilt" liquid detergent compositions chemically contain higher surfactant levels to compensate for the absence of builder components. In either case, considerable amounts of material are required to provide phase stability as formulated in water, and to provide cleaning performance which has come to be considered acceptable.
More particularly, the builder components are provided to help deal with water hardness, and to adjust the overall fluidity of the composition. Hydrotropes are required, to help maintain solubility and the desired monophasic state of the composition at the relatively lower temperatures which the composition might encounter upon storage or shipment. Polymeric additives such as polyvinyl pyrrolidone are often necessary, to help impart dye transfer inhibition to the product. Also, it is known to incorporate antiredeposition agents, to prevent soil from being redeposited on the fabric during the washing. Some commercial products suffer from excessive viscosity and gel formation even upon storage in a cold basement. Such a property obviously would contribute to the unpopularity of the product with a consumer.
The conventionally accepted necessity for employing high solids contents, and relatively large amounts of so many additives, contributes to shipping and storage costs, and consumes excessive quantities of packaging. These additives are then wasted when the wash water is discarded; this also poses a burden on wastewater treatment systems.
Thus, it would be desirable to be able to obtain equivalent or superior cleaning performance, coupled with improved dye transfer inhibition, while being able to retain superior physical properties, all in formulations requiring a smaller amount of solids. In that way, greater efficiency can be attained with a lesser amount of product, thereby contributing also to reduction in demand for packaging material, storage space, and transport expense.
The cleaning products disclosed herein containing fatty polyamine alkoxylates, particularly ethoxylates, provide these advantages and many more described herein. The polyamine alkoxylates can be considered multifunctional, in that they contribute several properties to the cleaning formulations which thereby eliminate the need for additives which would otherwise be required. In addition, these alkoxylates are liquid and retain their liquidity even when compounded with other ingredients. Thus, the formulator is not required to add water, so the formulator thereby avoids the need to provide additional components to help stabilize the solids contained in the water. Indeed, the polyamine alkoxylates retain their fluidity even at high total solids content. Conventionally, formulators are unable to make products approaching 80-100 wt. % solids, whereas formulators using diamine and triamine alkoxylates can attain very high solids content. This, in turn, permits formulation of concentrates, which remain liquid even as concentrates, which one may dilute with water if desired to obtain products which are very effective even with lesser solids contents.
It is generally recognized, however, that the ability of a given product to remove soil in general from soiled fabric does not necessarily correlate with an ability to remove a stain or spot from the fabric. Also, soil removal and stain removal do not imply satisfactory retention of whiteness and brightness. It is thus highly desirable to identify cleaning compositions, useful as detergents, which are particularly effective in all desired properties, including cleaning stains and spots from fabric, while retaining whiteness and color brightness, without undergoing loss of dye from dyed fabrics.