Bleaching using peroxyformic acid and an oxygen catalyst
First Claim
1. A method of antimicrobial sanitizing and/or disinfecting treatment and bleaching of laundry, the method comprising:
- a. washing the laundry with a peroxyformic acid composition at a pH range from about 4 to about 7 in a laundry washing machine for antimicrobial efficacy on the laundry, wherein the peroxyformic acid composition comprises peroxyformic acid, formic acid and hydrogen peroxide;
thereafterb. adding an alkalinity source to the washing machine to increase the pH range to at least above 9 in the laundry washing machine;
thereafterc. adding a bleach activator and/or catalyst composition to boost the bleaching efficacy of the peroxyformic acid composition on the laundry in the laundry washing machine; and
d. optionally applying a detergent use solution to remove soil from the laundry at any point in the method of sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching of the laundry;
e. draining the peroxyformic acid composition, the detergent use solution and the bleach activator and/or catalyst composition from the laundry,wherein (i) the peroxyformic acid composition has a ratio (w/w) of peroxyformic acid to hydrogen peroxide of 1;
1 or greater hydrogen peroxide, and/or (ii) the method comprises an additional step of adding additional hydrogen peroxide to the wash of the laundry washing machine at any time during the method before the draining of the peroxyformic acid composition, the detergent use solution and the bleach activator and/or catalyst composition from the laundry, to increase the bleaching efficacy of the peroxyformic acid composition.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for enhancing bleaching efficacy for treatment of articles, including for example laundry is disclosed. Methods for sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching laundry and other articles is provided by washing the articles with a peroxyformic acid composition at a first pH for effective antimicrobial efficacy, thereafter applying an alkaline source to increase the pH for addition of a bleaching activator and/or catalyst for the bleaching agent at a second pH, and lastly draining the remaining components of the peroxyformic acid composition, and the bleaching agent and bleach activator/catalyst from the articles. The methods can be provided as part of a laundry cleaning operation and can be utilized in industrial and commercial applications.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of antimicrobial sanitizing and/or disinfecting treatment and bleaching of laundry, the method comprising:
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a. washing the laundry with a peroxyformic acid composition at a pH range from about 4 to about 7 in a laundry washing machine for antimicrobial efficacy on the laundry, wherein the peroxyformic acid composition comprises peroxyformic acid, formic acid and hydrogen peroxide;
thereafterb. adding an alkalinity source to the washing machine to increase the pH range to at least above 9 in the laundry washing machine;
thereafterc. adding a bleach activator and/or catalyst composition to boost the bleaching efficacy of the peroxyformic acid composition on the laundry in the laundry washing machine; and d. optionally applying a detergent use solution to remove soil from the laundry at any point in the method of sanitizing and/or disinfecting and bleaching of the laundry; e. draining the peroxyformic acid composition, the detergent use solution and the bleach activator and/or catalyst composition from the laundry, wherein (i) the peroxyformic acid composition has a ratio (w/w) of peroxyformic acid to hydrogen peroxide of 1;
1 or greater hydrogen peroxide, and/or (ii) the method comprises an additional step of adding additional hydrogen peroxide to the wash of the laundry washing machine at any time during the method before the draining of the peroxyformic acid composition, the detergent use solution and the bleach activator and/or catalyst composition from the laundry, to increase the bleaching efficacy of the peroxyformic acid composition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification