Fabric color care method

• US 6,790,819 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2001
• Issued: 09/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Gardner, Robb Richard, Coffindaffer, Timothy Woodrow, Smith, John William, Barnabas, Mary Vijayarani, Tordil, Helen Bernardo, Trinh, Toan, Gosselink, Eugene Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): BOYER, CHARLES I
• Application Number:
  US09/999,270
• Publication Number:
  US 20020112293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,034 Days
• Field of Search: 510/276, 510/279, 510/287, 510/406, 510/466, 510/470, 510/499, 510/500, 510/504
• US Class Current: 510/287
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/222 Natural or synthetic polysaccharides, e.g. cellulose, starch, gum, alginic acid or cyclodextrin
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/227 with nitrogen-containing groups
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/37 Polymers polymeric surface-active agents C11D1/008; polysaccharides C11D3/222
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3742 Nitrogen containing silicones
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3769 (Co)polymerised monomers containing nitrogen, e.g. carbonamides, nitriles or amines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3773 in liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3776 Heterocyclic compounds, e.g. lactam
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/38 Products with no well-defined composition , e.g. natural products

Abstract

The present invention relates to fabric care methods for restoring and/or rejuvenating color of worn, faded fabric, by applying to said fabric a fabric color care composition which comprises: water soluble and/or water dispersible polymers; surfactant capable of forming a bilayer structure; and mixtures thereof. Optionally, the composition can contain other ingredients to provide additionally fabric care benefits, and/or to improve performance and formulability. The composition is preferably applied as small particle size droplets, especially from spray container that preferably are in association with a set of instructions for use.

Claims

1. A method for restoring and/or rejuvenating color of a worn, faded color fabric, wherein the color benefit can be detected after the treated fabric is washed one time, and wherein said method comprises applying an effective amount of an aqueous fabric color care composition comprising a fabric color care active to said fabric using a spray dispenser, wherein said fabric color care active is selected from the group consisting of:

(A) water soluble and/or water dispersible cationic polymer, substituted materials thereof, derivatised materials thereof, and mixtures thereof;

(B) water dispersible reactive silicone, and mixtures thereof; and

(C) mixtures thereof;

and wherein the color restoration and/or rejuvenation is characterized by the ability of said active to change the properties of a worn, faded black cotton (chino) twill test fabric, said changes in properties comprising;

(a) a percentage reflectance reduction Δ

R of at least about 3%; and

(b) a percentage pill number reduction Δ

P of at least about 10%.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the percentage reflectance reduction Δ

R is at least about 8%, and the percentage pill number reduction Δ

P is at least about 40%.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said fabric color care composition is essentially free of any material that would cause the treated fabric to feel sticky to the touch.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said fabric color care active is present at a level of from about 0.05% to about 10%, by weight of said fabric care composition.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said fabric color care active is present at a level of from about 0.3% to about 2%, by weight of said fabric care composition.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said spray dispenser comprises a trigger spray device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said spray dispenser comprises a non-manually operated sprayer selected from the group consisting of:

power sprayer;

air aspirated sprayer;

liquid aspirated sprayer;

electrostatic sprayer; and

nebulizer sprayer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said composition is applied uniformly to the entire visible surface of the fabric.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said fabric is wet, and wherein said fabric color care composition contains said fabric color care active at a level of from about 0.01% to about 25%, by weight of the composition.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said fabric is wet, and wherein said fabric color care composition contains said fabric color care active at a level of from about 0.2% to about 5%, by weight of the composition.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein said fabric color care active is water soluble and/or water dispersible cationic polymers derived from natural sources, selected from the group consisting of polysaccharides;

proteins;

glycoproteins;

glycolipids;

substituted versions thereof;

derivatised versions thereof; and

mixtures thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said polysaccharide is selected from the group consisting of arabinogalactan;

substituted versions thereof;

derivatised versions thereof; and

mixtures thereof.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein said cationic polymer comprises cationic monomers.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein said water dispersible reactive silicone is an aminofunctional silicone conforming to the following general structure:

15. The method of claim 14 wherein in each R group is methyl;

R³ group is a methyl and/or ethyl group; and

wherein said silicone polymer is linear.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said reactive silicone conforms to the following general structure:

17. The method of claim 16 wherein each R group is methyl;

R³ group is a methyl and/or ethyl group; and

wherein said silicone polymer is linear.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said reactive silicones comprises poly(alkyleneoxy) D groups selected from the group consisting of:

pendant and/or terminal poly(ethyleneoxy) groups capped with a C₁-C₄ alkyl group, a hindered alcohol group, or a protected alcohol group;

pendant uncapped poly(ethyleneoxy) groups comprising at least about 11 ethyleneoxy units;

pendant poly(ethyleneoxy) groups capped with cationic E groups and comprising at least about 11 ethyleneoxy units;

internal poly(ethyleneoxy) groups comprising at least about 11 ethyleneoxy units, and mixtures thereof.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein said fabric color care composition additionally comprises at least one of the following adjunct materials:

perfume, odor control agent, surfactant, brightener, antimicrobial active and/or antibacterial preservative, chelating agent, enzyme, antioxidant, static control agent, suds suppressor, dye transfer inhibiting agent, soil release agent, dispersant, insect repelling agent, moth repelling agent, and/or liquid carrier.

20. An article of manufacture comprising a fabric color care composition in a package comprising a spray dispenser in association with a set of instruction for use comprising an instruction to apply at least an effective amount of said fabric color care active and/or said fabric color care composition, to provide the color restoration and/or rejuvenation benefit, and wherein said color benefit can be detected after the treated fabric is washed one time, said composition comprising:

(A) a fabric color care active selected from the group consisting of water soluble and/or water dispersible cationic polymer, substituted materials thereof, derivatised materials thereof, and mixtures thereof;

water dispersible reactive silicone; and

mixtures thereof; and

mixtures thereof;

(B) optionally, an effective amount to provide olfactory effects of perfume;

(C) optionally, to reduce surface tension, and/or to improve performance and formulatability, an effective amount of surfactant;

(D) optionally, an effective amount to absorb malodor, of odor control agent;

(E) optionally, an effective amount, to kill, or reduce the growth of microbes, of antmicrobial active;

(F) optionally, an effective amount to provide improved antimicrobial action of aminocarboxylate chelator;

(G) optionally, an effective amount of antimicrobial preservative; and

(H) optionally, an aqueous and/or alcoholic carrier;

wherein said composition being essentially free of any material that would cause the treated fabric to feel sticky to the touch; and

wherein said set of instructions for use optionally comprises pictures and/or icons.

21. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein said fabric color care composition is an aqueous composition containing from about 0.1% to about 5%, by weight of said composition, of said fabric color care active.

22. The article of manufacture of claim 20 wherein said composition additionally comprises at least one of the following adjunct materials:

perfume, odor control agent, surfactant, antimicrobial active and/or antibacterial preservative, metal chelating agent, enzyme, static control agent, fabric softening active, dye transfer inhibiting agent, soil release agent, brightener, antioxidant, suds suppressor, insect repelling agent, moth repelling agent, and/or liquid carrier.

23. The article of manufacture of claim 22 wherein said set of instructions for use further comprises an instruction to apply an amount of composition to provide from about 0.005% to about 4% of fabric color care active, by weight of the fabric.

24. The article of manufacture of claim 23 wherein said set of instructions for use further comprises an instruction to apply said composition uniformly to the entire visible surface of the fabric.