Methods of using a soil release polymer in a neutral or low alkaline prewash

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9890350-B2
Application number	US-201514925195-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 28, 2015
Priority date	Oct 28, 2015
Publication date	Feb 13, 2018
Grant date	Feb 13, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides methods of cleaning including the use of a soil release polymer. In some embodiments, the soil release polymer can be included in a neutral to low alkalinity prewash or main wash that is substantially free of hydroxide-based alkalinity. In some embodiments, the soil release polymer can be included in a neutral to low alkalinity prewash that is substantially free of hydroxide-based alkalinity, followed by an alkaline main wash with any alkalinity source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of cleaning an article, the method comprising:
(a) providing an article to be cleaned;
(b) contacting the article in a prewash step with a prewash composition and water,

wherein said prewash step is performed at a pH of from about 6.5 to about 7.5, and wherein said prewash composition comprises a soil release polymer and has less than 0.5 wt % hydroxide based alkalinity;
(c) contacting the article with an alkaline detergent and a hydroxide-based alkalinity source in a main wash step, wherein said main wash step is performed at a pH of at least 10.5:
(d) rinsing the article: and
(e) contacting the article with an acid sour composition.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said prewash step is performed at a pH of about 7.5 and further comprises an alkalinity source.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said alkalinity source is selected from the group consisting of alkanolamines, carbonates, silicates, and combinations thereof.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the alkalinity source is a silicate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prewash composition further comprises one or more surfactants.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the prewash composition further comprises an enzyme.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the enzyme is a protease, amylase, or combination of protease and amylase.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the hydroxide-based alkalinity source is part of the alkaline detergent.

9. A method of cleaning an article, the method comprising:
(a) providing an article to be cleaned;
(b) contacting the article in a prewash step with a prewash composition and water,

wherein said prewash step is performed at a pH of about 6.5 to about 7.5, and wherein said prewash composition comprises a soil release polymer and has less than 0.5 wt % hydroxide-based alkalinity;
(c) contacting the article with an alkaline detergent and an alkalinity source in a main wash step, wherein said alkaline detergent has less than 0.5 wt % hydroxide-based alkalinity, and wherein said main was step is performed at a pH of at least 10.5;
(d) rinsing the article: and
(e) contacting the article with an acid sour composition.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein said prewash step is performed at a pH of about 7.5 and further comprises an alkalinity source selected from the group consisting of alkanolamines, carbonates, silicates, and combinations thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the alkalinity source is a silicate.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the prewash composition further comprises an enzyme, an enzyme stabilizer, a defoaming agent, a surfactant, or combinations thereof.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the alkalinity source is selected from the group consisting of alkanolamines, carbonates, silicates, and combinations thereof, and is part of the alkaline detergent.

Assignees

• Ecolab Usa Inc

Inventors

• Lundberg Steven
• Fast Jonathan P
• Duerrschmidt Thomas
• Merz Thomas
• Lang jason

Classifications

• C11D3/30

  Amines; Substituted amines {; Quaternized amines} · CPC title

• C11D3/08

  Silicates · CPC title

• C11D3/3715

  Polyesters or polycarbonates · CPC title

• C11D3/10

  Carbonates {; Bicarbonates} · CPC title

• C11D11/0064

  Chemistry & Metallurgy · mapped topic