GB2204318A - Carpet cleaning composition - Google Patents

Abstract

Detergent carpet cleaning compositions giving reduced drying times without necessitating vacuum removal of residues prior to re-use, comprise at least 20% by weight of a detergent active agent, an organic solvent, and water, the weight ratio of solvent to water being from 1:1 to 5:1 and the evaporation rate of the solvent/water system being above that of water at normal atmospheric pressure.

Description

CARPET CLEANING COMPOSITION The present invention relates to detergent compositions, particularly, but not exclusively, suited to the cleaning of carpet and carpet-like materials. It also extends to methods of cleaning carpet materials by using such compositions.

Methods of carpet cleaning in common use, employ one of three different systems. The first is spray extraction in which aqueous compositions are applied under pressure, at a rate of several litres per square metre to saturate the carpet, after which it must be left for 24-36 hours to dry-out. During this time, the carpet cannot be walked on. Despite this, the removal of carpet soil is relatively good.

The other two methods are aimed at reducing the inordinately long drying times encountered in spray extraction. One is shampooing in which a more volatile aqueous/solvent based shampoo is massaged into the pile at a rate of about 300g per square metre to wet it thoroughly. After a drying time in the order of 4-8 hours, the residues are removed by vacuum cleaner. This method results in a reasonable quality of cleaning although not as good as observed with spray extraction.

The third method employs the so-called spray-bonnet which douses the carpet with a semi-volatile composition using a spray nozzle located under a hood. The composition is still applied at a quite high dose rate (typically around 50-lOOg per square metre) and the semi-volatile nature of the product means that the drying time is reduced to about 1-4 hours. Preferably, residues can then be removed by vacuum cleaning. However, the spray bonnet results in the worst level of cleaning out of all the three methods.

Thus, it can be seen that with the known methods, the quality of cleaning is better, the greater the degree of carpet wetting and the longer the drying time.

Compositions for use with the spray extraction method generally comprise one or more detergent actives, (typically anionic surfactants) and water, such as are described in Belgian Patent Specification 825,846 and German Specification 3,335,705. It the case of the other two methods, some solvent is also incorporated to promote drying. These compositions are described in Swiss specification 530,462 and Canadian specification 985,113.

In the case of the latter, an absorbent powder is incorporated to hold soil and grease released from the pile. It should also be noted that some shampoos do not contain solvent but include some foaming agent as an adjunct to cleaning and drying. Such are described in Dutch specification 7016788.

Despite the aforementioned fall-off in performance with decreased wetting and drying time, we have found that surprisingly, a certain class of compositions with high solvent levels, in fact can be used at application rates significantly lower than any of those referred to, resulting in reduced wetting and much shorter drying time, yet demonstrate a cleaning performance at least equal to that experienced with the spray extraction.

Those compositions according to the present invention comprise at least 20% by weight of one or more detergent active agents, one or more organic solvents and water, the weight ratio of total solvent to water being from 1:1 to 5:1 and the evaporation rate of the solvent/water system being above that of pure water at normal atmospheric pressure.

A further advantage of the compositions according to the invention is that unless a particulate absorbent material (alumia, silica, talc, kaolin, polymer or the like), is included, it is not necessary to vacuum-up the residues after drying. Thus, after only about 30 minutes drying time following application, the carpet is ready for re-use.

In a further aspect, the present invention also comprises a method of cleaning used soiled carpet material within from 30 to 45 minutes prior to re-use of said material, comprising application of a composition as herein before defined, at a rate of from 10 to 20g per square metre, and allowing it to dry in the atmosphere at ambient temperature. In contrast to the more elaborate prior art methods, the cleaning operation can be effected using a floor cleaning machine of the disc mounted brush type.

The compositions are applied neat (i.e. without dilution) which enables small quantities to be used (low application rates).

Within the general classes of ingredient defined for the compositions of the present invention in its broadest aspect, a very wide range of alternatives is possible.

However, of course, this choice must be limited by the requirement that for any set of ingredients so selected, they must each be compatible with one another.

Of the one or more detergent active agents contained in the compositions, these may for example be any described in "Surface Active Agents and Detergents", Volumes I and II by Schwartz, Perry and Berch. In general, they will be selected from anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic and amphoteric surfactant materials. Of these, the anionic species are preferred, and most preferably comprise from 20 to 30% by weight of the total composition.

One preferred class of anionic surfactants comprises the various succinates commonly used in carpet cleaning/shampooing, for example the mono-, ditriethanolamide, as well as the sodium, potassium and ammonium salts, with various alkyl chain lengths.

A second preferred group of anionic agents, most preferably in combination with those in the preceding paragraph, are the fatty acid sulphates and sulphonates, again with various alkyl chain lengths.

One preferred combination comprises a composition in which the detergent active agents comprise (i) from 2 to 20% by weight of the total composition of a salt of a Cos~20 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid mono-, di- or triethanolamide sulphosuccinate; (ii) from 2 to 15% by weight of the total composition of a salt of a C8~20 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid sulphate or sulphonate.

Most preferably, component (i) is about 15% by weight of the total composition and component (ii) is about 10% by weight of the total composition.

It is also preferred that compositions according to the present invention comprise from 0.5 to 15% by weight of an acrylate polymer or an acrylate-styrene co-polymer.

The organic solvents may also be selected from wide classes. In general, they are selected from the aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, optionally containing one or more hetero atoms. In all of these agents, any non-cyclic hydrocarbon chain may be straight or branched and with various degrees of saturation, ranging from fully saturated to fully unsaturated. The only requirement is that in the defined weight ratio of total solvent to water (1:1 to 5:1), the evaporation rate of the solvent/water system is above that of pure water when both are determined at normal atmospheric pressure.

The solvents serve to promote the reduced drying time observed with the compositions for the present invention, as well as aiding removal of greasy soil. In some texts, for example, Canadian specification 985,113 mentioned above, a distinction has been drawn between "solvents" incorporated in small quantities for grease removal, and "volatile propellant" present up to 10% by weight for the purpose of accelerating drying. For the avoidance of doubt, in the context of the present invention, all such materials come under the heading of "organic solvents".

Most preferred are the straight or branched C14 alkanols.

It is also preferred that the ratio of total solvent to water is from 1.5:1 to 2.5:1, preferably about 2:1. We have also found it advantageous if the solvent constitutes from about 45 to about 55% by weight of the total composiion.

The compositions may also comprise one or more accessory additives, for example optical brighteners, disinfectants, anti-static agents, anti-resoiling agents and (as mentioned above) particulate absorbent materials. In general, when the absorbent materials are included, vacuum removal will be necessary. However, in the most preferred embodiments, such absorbents are excluded and because the product is then left on the carpet after drying, it is a particularly suitable medium for the other accessory additives hereinbefore described. The present invention will now be better described by way of the following example.

Example 1 (1) Rewopol SBL 203, 40% 14.5% (2) Sulfopon 101 spez. 9.6% Perfume 0.15% Isopropanol 48.1% Preservative (Proxel XL 2) 0.06% (3) Additives 0.01 - 5% Deionised water to 100% (1) Disodium lauric acid ethanolamide sul fosucc inate (2) Sodium lauric sulfate (3) Optical brighteners, disinfectants, anti static, anti resoiling etc.

Claims (10)

1. A detergent composition comprising at least 20% by weight of one or more detergent active agents, one or more organic solvents and water, characterised in that the weight ratio of total solvent to water is from 1:1 to 5:1 and the evaporation rate of the solvent/water system is above that of pure water at normal atmospheric pressure.

2. A composition according to claim 1 in which the detergent active agents comprise from 20 to 30% by weight in total of one or more anionic surfactants.

3. A composition according to claim 2 in which the detergent active agents comprise: (i) from 2 to 20% by weight of the total composition of a salt of a Cos~2 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid mono-, di- or triethanolamide sulphosuccinate; and (ii) from 2 to 15% by weight of the total composition of a salt of a Cog~2 saturated or unsaturated fatty acid sulphate or sulphonate.

4. A composition according to claim 3 in which component (i) is about 15% by weight of the total composition and component (ii) is about 10% by weight of the total composition.

5. A composition according to any preceding claim, which further comprises from 0.5 to 15% by weight of an acrylate polymer or an acrylate-styrene copolymer.

6. A composition according to any preceding claim in which the organic solvent is a straight or branched C14 alkanol.

7. A composition according to any preceding claim in which the ratio of total solvent to water is from 1.5:1 to 2.5:1.

8. A composition according to claim 7 in which the ratio is about 2:1 and the solvent constitutes from 45 to 55% by weight of the total composition.

9. A method of cleaning used soiled carpet material within from 30 to 45 minutes prior to re-use of said material, comprising application of a composition according to any of claims 1-8, at a rate of from 10 to 20g per square metre and allowing it to dry in the atmosphere at ambient temperature.

10. A method according to claim 9 in which the application is effected using a disc mounted brush type floor cleaning machine.