Method for determining the percentage of allergens picked up from a surface

• US 7,976,639 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 07/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SC Johnson & Son Incorporated
• Inventors: Jeng, Chwen-Jyh, Padden, Timothy J., Rogers, Robert E., Gipp, Mark M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Coleman; Ryan
• Application Number:
  US11/840,824
• Publication Number:
  US 20090044643A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,425 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 134/6
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/16 Cloths; Pads; Sponges metal scraping sponges A47L13/07

Abstract

A test method is disclosed that can be used to test cleaning products. The test method includes applying a known amount of test material to a surface, cleaning the surface and calculating the amount of allergens picked-up from the surface. The calculated amount of allergens picked-up is then corrected for several measurable variables to provide a more accurate determination of the percentage of allergens picked up with the cleaning product.

Claims

1. A method of determining the amount of allergens picked up by a cleaning product from a surface, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a deposition efficiency of a process used to deposit test material onto a surface;

determining an extraction efficiency of a process used to extract allergens from a cleaning product that is used to remove the test material from the surface;

applying the test material to the surface;

removing the test material from the surface with the cleaning product;

extracting allergens from the cleaning product;

determining a percentage of allergens removed from the surface; and

determining a pick-up efficiency for the cleaning product from the percentage of allergens removed; and

modifying the pick-up efficiency by the deposition efficiency and the extraction efficiency to obtain a corrected pick-up efficiency for the cleaning product,

wherein the corrected pick-up efficiency is defined by the equation;

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the allergen-containing test material is dust, and wherein the dust is applied to the surface through a dust containment unit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the allergens are at least one of:

cat allergens, dog allergens, dust mite allergens, mold allergens, pollen allergens and cockroach allergens.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the cleaning product comprises a furniture polish applied to a dusting cloth.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the dusting cloth is a cotton cloth.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

advertising the percentage of allergens removed from the surface by the cleaning product.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein advertising the percentage of allergens removed includes displaying a numerical value correspond to the percentage on packaging for the cleaning product.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the test material is a synthetic product designed to simulate household dust.

7. A method of determining the percentage of allergens picked up by a cleaning product, the method comprising the acts of:

applying allergen-containing test material to a surface;

using the cleaning product to remove a majority of the test material from the surface;

extracting the allergens from the cleaning product;

calculating a percentage of allergens picked up by the cleaning product; and

modifying the percentage by inefficiencies in the application of the test material to the surface and by inefficiencies in the extraction of the allergens from the cleaning product to determine a corrected allergen pickup percentage, and

wherein the corrected allergen pick-up percentage is defined by the equation;

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising the act of:

determining a concentration of allergens in the test material.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising the act of:

determining a percentage of allergens deposited onto the surface when the test material is applied to the surface.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the cleaning product comprises furniture polish applied to a cleaning cloth.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the act of:

determining a percentage of allergens extracted from the cleaning product.

16. The method of claim 10 wherein the cloth is made of cotton.

17. The method of claim 7 wherein the allergens are at least one of:

cat allergens, dog allergens, dust mite allergens, mold allergens, pollen allergens and cockroach allergens.

12. A method of determining the percentage of allergens picked up by a cleaning product from a surface, the method comprising the acts of:

determining an allergen concentration in a test material (C_{allergen-in-dust});

measuring the mass of the test material (M_dust-PU);

applying the test material to a surface;

removing a portion of the test material with a cleaning product;

measuring a volume of a wash solution (V_PU);

extracting a portion of the allergens from the cleaning product in the solution;

measuring an allergen concentration in the solution (C_allergen-PU);

calculating an allergen pick up efficiency (PU) using the following equation;

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the act of:

communicating the corrected allergen pick up efficiency (PU_corrected) to a consumer.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the allergens are at least one of:

cat allergens, dog allergens, dust mite allergens, mold allergens, pollen allergens and cockroach allergens.