MXPA00010380A - Fabric sanitization process - Google Patents

Abstract

A process for sanitizing a fabric article which is contaminated with one or more microbials. The process steps include:a) placing the fabric article in a vapor venting bag together with a cleaning/refreshing composition comprising water;and b) subjecting the vapor venting bag to a heat source which supplies sufficient heat to vaporize the water, thereby exposing the microbials to the resulting water vapor. This process results in at least about 50%of the microbials being killed. The cleaning/refreshing composition preferably comprises at least one antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, trichlorocarbanalide, hydrogen peroxide, other oxygen bleaches, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, iodine/iodophors, chlorhexidine, phenols, phospholipids, thymol, eugeniol, geraniol, oil of lemon grass, limonene and mixtures thereof. The process of this invention preferably further comprises the step of pre-treating at least a portion of the fabric with a pre-treating composition comprising an antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol, trichlorcarbanilide, hexachlorophene, chlorhexadine, o-phenylphenol, benzylquaternium salts and mixtures thereof.

Description

PROCEDURE OF DISINFECTION OF FABRICS FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to disinfection procedures for use on fabrics or other solid objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Disinfection of small solid objects such as eating utensils, children's toys and paraphernalia, personal care items such as combs and hairbrushes, and the like, against bacteria, can be done by applying various antiseptic chemicals to them. However, such chemicals may not be useful against fungi. In any case, the disinfection of larger objects such as clothing by the direct application of antiseptic chemicals is expensive and inconvenient. The present invention provides an effective disinfection process that can be used at home and is especially useful for treating fabrics in a non-immersion process. Specifically, a treatment procedure for disinfecting fabrics in the home is described. Along with the removal of stains and dirt from a typical dry-cloth treatment process, there is also a What is the need for the consumer for what can be called disinfection and "freshness" of fabrics? In this way, garments having lint, hair or other solid debris adhered to their surfaces, which can absorb bad odors, or which have wrinkled or otherwise lost their fresh appearance, are frequently subjected to cleaning procedures in Conventional commercial dry mainly to restore its appearance of freshness. These procedures can also help disinfect garments by removing or destroying microorganisms. Attempts have been made to provide dry cleaning systems in the home. One type of system for cleaning and freshening garments, non-immersion, for the home, comprises multiple carrier, single-use sheets containing various liquid or gel cleaning agents and a reusable plastic containment bag. The garments are placed in the bag together with a sheet, and then put to spin with heat in a conventional clothes dryer. After the garments are cleaned and cooled, the bag, which can retain remnants of moisture, can be stored for later reuse when the procedure is repeated. It has been discovered that, when properly constructed and operated, the present method can annihilate or otherwise obstruct the growth of bacteria and other microbes that may be present on solid items such as soiled garments. Unexpectedly, when driving in steam ventilation mode ^^^ M ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ jg ^ j ^^^^^^^^^^^^ fc ^^^^^ g ^^^^^ j ^^^^^^^^^^ of this invention, the fungi are also removed or their growth It is inhibited. As a further advantage, the inner surfaces of the containment bag are also disinfected. Hence, when the bag is stored between uses, the growth in the "mildew" bag or bacteria is minimized.

TECHNICAL BACKGROUND The use of H202 in disinfection procedures is described in E.U.A. 4,230,663 to Forstrom, et al., Issued October 28, 1980 and E.U.A. 4,169,124 to Forstrom, et al., Issued September 25, 1979 and E.U.A. 4,169,153 to Moore, et al., Issued September 25, 1979. WO 97/00993 A1, published January 9, 1997 to Weller., Et al .; WO 97 / 00990A2, published on January 9, 1997 to Tyerech, et al .; GB 2,302,553A, published January 22, 1997 to Telesca, et al .; GB 2,302,878A, published February 5, 1997 to Weller, et al .; and GB 2,302,879A, published February 5, 1997 to Sidoti, et al; all refer to fabric cleaning in a dryer. The document E.U.A. 4,532,722 issued to S.H. Sax, on August 6, 1985, refers to a fabric conditioning device for use in a washing machine dryer. A dry cleaning composition containing peracid is described in E.U.A. 4,013,575, issued to H. Castrantes, et al., March 22, 1977. Dry cleaning procedures are described in E.U.A. 5,591, 236, issued on January 7, 1997 to Roetker; E.U.A. 5,547,476, issued on 20 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ g ^^^^^^ August 1996 to Siklosi and Roetker; EP 429,172A1, published on 05/29/91, Leigh, et al .; and in E.U.A. 5,238,587, issued on 8/24/93, Smith, et al. Other references that refer to dry cleaning compositions and methods, as well as wrinkle treatments for fabrics, include GB 1, 598, 911; and the patents of E.U.A. 4,126,563, 3,949,137, 3,593,544, 3,647,354; 3,432,253 and 1,747,324; and the German applications 2,021, 561 and 2,460,239, 0,208,989 and 4,007,362. The compositions and methods of cleaning / pre-detection of spots are also described, for example, in the patents of E.U.A. 5,102,573; 5,041, 230; 4,909,962; 4,115,061; 4,886,615; 4,139,475; 4,849,257; 5,112,358; 4,659,496; 4,806,254; 5,213,624; 4,130,392; and 4,395,261. Sheet substrates for use in a washing machine dryer are described in Canadian 1,005,204. The documents of E.U.A. 3,956,556 and 4,007,300 refer to perforated sheets for conditioning fabrics in a clothes dryer. The document E.U.A. No. 4,692,277 describes the use of 1,2-octanediol in liquid cleaners. See also the patents of E.U.A. 3,591, 510; 3,737,387; 3,764,544; 3,882,038; 3,907,496; 4,097,397; 4,102,824; 4,336,024; 4,594,362; 4,606,842; 4,758,641; 4,797,310; 4,802,997; 4,943,392; 4,966,724; 4,983,317; 5,004,557; 5,062,973; 5,080,822; 5,173,200; EP 0,213,500; EP 0,261, 718; G.B. 1, 397,475; WO 91/09104; WO 91/13145; WO 93/25654 and Hunt, D.G. and N.H. Morris, "PnB and DPnB Glycol Ethers", HAPPI. April 1989, pp.78-82.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention encompasses a method for disinfecting a cloth article that is contaminated with one or more microbes. The method comprises the steps of: a) placing the fabric article in a vapor ventilation bag together with a cleaning composition comprising water; b) subjecting the steam ventilation bag to a heat source that supplies sufficient heat to vaporize the water, thereby exposing the microbes to the resulting water vapor; and whereby at least about 50% of the microbes are annihilated. The cleaning / refreshing composition of the present invention preferably comprises from 0.05% to 3%, preferably from 0.1% to 2%, and more preferably from 0.1% to 1% by weight of an antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro -2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorocarbanalide, hydrogen peroxide, other oxygen bleaches, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, iodine / iodophors, chlorhexidine, phenols, phospholipids, thymol, eugenol, geraniol, oil of lemon leaf, limonene and mixtures thereof. The cleaning / refreshing composition further preferably comprises a second antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of alkylalkoxy sulfates, linear alkylbenzenesulfonates, amine oxides, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, ethoxylated alcohols, diamines, amides, alkyl polyglucosides, betaines, and mixtures thereof. same. The Fully formulated compositions will typically comprise water, nonionic surfactant, perfume and one or more antimicrobial agents. In a preferred embodiment, said composition is releasably absorbed in a carrier, especially a carrier that is in the form of a sheet. More preferably, said carrier comprises a hydroentangled fibrous network. The process according to this invention preferably comprises additionally subjecting said container to a rotating action concurrently with the heat and vapor ventilation. In a convenient mode, the source of the heat and the rotating action is an integral apparatus such as a conventional hot air clothes dryer. The container used in the process is preferably a flexible bag. This bladder is designed to be reusable and, more preferably, is resistant to heat. As described in more detail below, the preferred container is a vapor ventilation containment bag which has a vapor balance (WE) rating of at least about 40., preferably at least about 60, more preferably no larger than about 90, and more preferably no larger than about 80. In one preferred aspect of the process of this invention a pretreatment step is used. The pretreatment step comprises applying a pretreatment composition to at least a portion of the article £ ^ ^^^^ g¡fe ^^^ ^^^ j¡Í¡fa fabric, in which the composition pretreatment preferably comprises from 0.05% to 3%, preferably 0.1% to 2%, and more preferably from 0.1% to 1%, by weight, of an antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorcarbanilide, hexachlorophene, chlorhexadine, o-phenylphenol, benzyl quaternium salts and mixtures thereof. More preferably, the pre-treatment composition comprises 5-chloro-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol. The pretreatment step is especially effective in combating odor compounds that are commonly associated with human body odor. All percentages, ratios and proportions herein are by weight, unless otherwise specified. All documents are, in part relevant, incorporated herein by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is an exploded view of an article in sheet form (1) useful in the present invention in a pre-assembled state. Figure 2 is a perspective view of the article for cleaning / refreshing (1) assembled. Figure 3 is a perspective article rests loosely on a containment bag notched vent steam, which is in a pre-folded condition.

^^ * ^ - Figure 4 is a perspective of the article within the pouch is ready to receive fabrics or other articles to be treated in a dryer of hot air or similar apparatus. Figure 5 is a partial view of the notched wall of the bag and its arrangement in relation to the closure flap. Fig. 6 is a perspective of a notched steam vent bag containing a loose leaf shaped article that is used in the form of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The principles of sterilization and disinfection under various conditions are known bieh and reference can be made to standard texts for typical methods. Examples of several microorganisms, which are collectively called herein as "microbes" include germs, bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi / spores and mixtures thereof. It is known that microbes are annihilated or rendered inactive by several agents. Frequently, dead microbes are classified as "cidales", while inactive microbes are classified as "static". This distinction is not important in the present context, because dead and inactive microbes are collectively referred to herein as "annihilated," and any agents that "kill" microbes are collectively referred to herein as "antimicrobials". "or "Antimicrobial agents". The microbial activity can be effected by additional factors including, but not limited to, concentration, pH, time of exposure to the antimicrobial agent, and the like. By "bacteria" or "bacteria" herein means any of 5 prokaryotic microorganisms having round bodies, rod-like, spiral or filamentous single cell or noncellular. By "fungus", "fungi", "fungi / spores" herein means any of the eukaryotic microorganisms (Eumcophyta) comprising saprophytic and parasitic lower plants that lack chlorophyll, and include mold, mildew, rust, blight, yeast and similar. By "mildew" and "mold" in the present they mean common terms for any unwanted fungal growth, often of the families Erysiphaceae and Perdnosporaceae, but not limited thereto. Mildew is a term that is frequently used pejoratively 15 to designate collectively undesirable fungal growth on solid objects including clothing. By "disinfection" herein is meant that a substantial number of microbes on the fabric articles being treated are annihilated. By a "substantial number" it means that at least about 50%, preferably at least 90%, more preferably at least 95%, more preferably at least about 99%, of the microbes present on the fabric articles being treated are annihilated . The present invention includes a method for annihilating microbes which uses a steam vent bag and a cleaning / refreshing composition comprising water. But the antimicrobial agents can be included in the cleaning / freshening compositions present for antimicrobial action if they do not interfere in an adverse way with the surfactants used herein. Examples of animicrobial agents include 5-chloro-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorocarbanalide, hydrogen peroxide, other oxygenated bleach, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, iodine / iodophors, selected alcohols, chlorhexidine, phenols , phospholipids, thymol, eugeniol, geraniol, lemon leaf oil, limonene and mixtures thereof. Certain quaternary surfactants may also show antimicrobial action and may be included as a secondary antimicrobial agent. Certain surfactants also demonstrate antimicrobial action. Examples of surfactants that are agents useful antimicrobials for use herein include anionic, cationic, nonionic, and amphoteric surfactants. Preferred examples are: alkylalkoxy sulfates, including alkylethoxy sulfates, linear alkylbenzene sulphonates, amine oxides, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, ethoxylated alcohols, diamines, amides, alkyl polyglucosides, betaines, and mixtures thereof. When the antimicrobial agent is a cationic surfactant it is preferred that the cationic surfactant is not a quaternary ammonium surfactant. Cleaning / refreshing items The cleaning / cooling compositions of the present invention are preferably carried to the vapor vent bag through an absorbent carrier, which is preferably in the form of a sheet and more preferably is coated with a cover. The individual materials used to assemble the absorbent carriers of the present invention are commercially available. The terms used herein to describe such materials have their conventional meanings. For purposes of clarity, certain terms used herein are defined in the text. The following description relates mainly to the use of the present invention to clean, refresh and disinfect fabrics such as garments. However, it should be appreciated that the same techniques can be used to disinfect other types of solid objects. An absorbent carrier of the type used herein may comprise a single absorbent sheet, preferably constructed from a hydroentangled grid of fibers as described more fully below. As shown in Figure 1, a preferred article (1) of the present type can be assembled as a laminated body comprising an upper fibrous sheet (1a), an absorbent carrier sheet such as the core (1b) and a lower fibrous sheet ( 1 C). The combination of upper sheet and lower sheet comprises a "cover sheet" which helps to avoid formation of water points on fabrics that come into contact with the article during the process of the invention.

The assembled laminate article (1) is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 also shows the joint (1f) extending around the periphery of the article. The purpose of this joint is to ensure that the core of the absorbent carrier maintains its original configuration relative to the cover sheet when the article is used in the manner of this invention. Simply stated, it has been found that if the absorbent sheet comprising the core is not attached to the "wrapper" provided by the cover sheet in use, the carrier sheet tends to wrinkle and bulge within the cover sheet. This can interfere with the supply of the composition of Cleaning / refreshing to the items that are treated. Moreover, it has also been discovered that it is not preferred to tightly attach the cover sheet to the carrier sheet across the entire face of the carrier sheet. The tight connection of the cover sheet closed to the carrier sheet may allow some transfer of liquid through the cover sheet. Accordingly, the carrier sheet is preferably attached to the cover sheet only in small areas. In a modality as shown in Figure 2, this union is only around the periphery of the article. In another modality, the union by means of points in small areas through the face of the article. Various other bonding patterns can be used. Preferably, the bond is made to no more than about 50% of the area of the article, more preferably not more than 10% of the area of the article, more preferably not more than 1% of the area of the article. j ^ ^ i ^^^^^ g ^^^^^^ j- ^ j ^ jjri ^ gjs ^^ Cover Sheet.- The cover sheets used herein are distinguished from the carrier substrate sheets, as that the cover sheets are relatively non-absorbent to the liquid cleaning / refreshing compositions compared to the carrier sheets. The cover sheets are constructed of hydrophobic fibers that do not tend to absorb, "suck" or otherwise promote the transfer of fluids. Although fluids can pass through the voids between the fibers of the cover sheet, this occurs mainly when excessive pressure is applied to the article. In this way, under typical conditions of use, the cover sheet provides a physical barrier that guards the absorbent carrier, which is moistened from its load of aqueous cleaning / freshening composition, to come into direct contact with the fabrics that they are treated However, the cover sheet allows steam transfer of the cleaning / refreshing composition from the carrier through the cover sheet and into the containment bag, and therefore into the fabrics being treated. One type of cover sheet of the present invention comprises a fibrous, permeable, woven or non-woven fabric. Said fibrous non-woven or woven cover sheet offers advantages over formed film-type cover sheets known in the art of menstruation products. For example, formed film cover sheets (as described below) are often manufactured by hydroforming processes which are particularly suitable with polymer films such as polyethylene.

However, although polyethylene can be used herein, there is some prospect that, due to its lower melting point, high dryer temperatures may cause its softening and / or melting during use. This is particularly true if the present article is released from the containment bag and falls into the hot drum of the dryer. Although it is possible to prepare top sheets of formed film using nylon, polyester or other heat-resistant polymeric sheets, such manufacture becomes somewhat more difficult and, therefore, more expensive. It has now also been determined that the present cover sheet should be of a thickness that effectively provides the physical barrier function. Although manufactured from hydrophobic fibers, if the cover sheet is too thin, fluid passage can occur under the designed conditions of use. Accordingly, it has been determined that the thickness of the fibrous cover sheet should preferably be at least 177.8 microns (0.18 mm), preferably from 203.20 microns (0.2 mm) to 609.6 microns (0.6 mm). It has also been determined that the fibers used in the cover sheet are preferably hydrophobic and preferably have a melting point above 240 ° C. The fibrous cover sheets for use herein can be easily fabricated from non-heat resistant fibers such as polyethylene. However, it has now been determined that the preferred fibrous cover sheets can be prepared using nylon (especially nylon-6), polyester, and the like, heat resistant fibers that can even withstand Inadvertent misuse in the present procedure. The permeable, flexible, fabric-like upper sheets made from them are conventional materials in the non-woven and woven fabric manufacturing technique, and their manufacture is not part of the present invention. Non-woven fabrics 5 for use as cover sheets are commercially available from companies such as Reemay, Inc., Hickory, TN. Said cover sheets also collect solid dust particles, wandering fluff and other fibers from the fabrics which are treated in the present process, thereby improving the overall appearance of cleanliness / freshness of the fabrics after the present treatment. Said non-woven or woven fibrous sheet materials may be used in a single flat layer or as multiple layers as the cover sheet for the absorbent carrier core of the present. In another embodiment, the absorbent core carrying the composition of The cleaning / refreshing is coated on a fibrous cover sheet of polyester or polyamide which has been rolled into a ring or otherwise curled to provide a three dimensional volume. Optionally, this cover sheet may also be covered by a second cover sheet in a non-curled configuration. Said fibrous cover sheets, preferably heat resistant and, more preferably, hydrophobic, therefore provide various embodiments of the present article. The right combinations can be used, according to the manufacturer's wishes, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. If desired, the cover sheet can be provided with macroscopic windows through which the lint, fibers or particles of grime can pass, thus helping additionally to trap said strange material inside the article, itself.

A typical fibrous spunbonded cover sheet of the present is commercially available from Reemay and has the following characteristics. (a) Type of fabric - polyester spunbonded, homopolymer 100% virgin bleached, semi-opaque, non-woven. (b) Type of fiber - polyester copolymer, continuous fiber three lobes, of denier of 6.0 straight.

Target network properties Scale a) Base weight, average roll kg / m2 0.54 0.52 to 0.59 b) Thickness 203.20 microns 177.8 / 203.20 microns c) Lint level 15 As measured by the Reemay harrow / lock method based on a scale of 0-5. 5 being the level of lint-free.

Band side 2.5 5.0 1.8 20 Current side 3.4 5.0 2.6 As noted above, another type of cover sheet that can be used with the present articles comprises the cover sheets "formed film" with openings, known in the art and of commercial use in products for menstruation. The films formed with openings are permeable to the compositions for cleaning and / or liquid refreshers and vapors thereof, and yet non-absorbent. In this way, the surface of the formed film that is in contact with the fabrics remains relatively dry, thereby reducing the formation of water points and the transfer of dye. As with the fibrous cover sheets, the apertured films capture and retain lint, fibrous matter such as pet hair, and the like, of the fabric being treated, thereby improving the cleaning / cooling benefits provided by the present articles. Suitable formed films are described in the U.S. patent. A. No. 3,929,135, entitled "Absorptive Structure Having Tapered 'Capillaries", issued to Thompson on December 30, 1975; the patent of E.U.A. No. 4,324,246, entitled "Disposable Absorbent Article Having a Stain Resistant Coversheet ", issued to Mullane and Smith on April 13, 1982, US Patent No. 4,342,314 entitled" Resilient Plástic Web Exhibiting Fiber-Like Properties ", issued to Radel and Thompson on August 3 of 1982; and U.S. Patent No. 4,463,045, entitled "Macroscopically Expanded Three-Dimensional Plástic Web Exhibiting Non-Glossy Visible Surface and Cloth-Líke Tactile Impression ", issued to Ahr, Louis, Mullane and Ouellete on July 31, 1984; US Patent No. 4,637,819 issued to Ouellette, Alcombright &Curro on January 20, 1987; U.S. Patent No. 4,609,518 issued to Curro, Baird, Gerth, Vernon & ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ jj * 4 ^^^^^^^^ gjB ^ ^ ^ Linman on September 2, 1986; the patent of E.U.A. No. 4,629,642, issued to Kemstock on December 16, 1986; and EPO Patent No. 0,165,807 to Osborn published on 8/30/89; all of which are incorporated herein by reference. The openings in said cover sheets may be of a uniform size or may vary in size, as described in the published documents mentioned above, to which reference can be made for technical details, manufacturing methods, and the like. Said openings can also vary in diameter in the manner known as "tapered capillaries". Said film cover sheets formed with apertures of tapered capillaries are preferably located on the carrier sheet so that the smaller end of the capillaries faces the cover sheet and the larger end of the capillaries faces outward. This helps to avoid liquid volume transfer, thus minimizing the formation of water points on the fabrics that are treated. At In the main body, the openings in the formed film cover sheets used herein may have diameters in the range of 0.1 mm to 1 mm, or as described in the patent references mentioned above.

Carrier When used in the dryer step of the present process, the cleaning / refreshing and disinfecting compositions are used in combination with an absorbent carrier. The carrier contains releasable way the compositions. By "releasably containing" it means that the compositions are effectively released from the carrier on the soiled fabrics as part of the cleaning and disinfecting cleaning process not by immersion and / or refreshing fabrics of the present. This release occurs mainly by volatilization of the composition from the carrier substrate through the vapor permeable cover, or by a combination of vapor and liquid transfer, although when the fabrics are treated the liquid volume transfer is desirably minimized by of the cover sheet, as described here above. It should be understood, however, that when the formation of water spots is not a particular concern to the user, it is not necessary to use the cover sheet with the absorbent carrier substrate. The carrier can be in any desired form, such as powders, flakes, fragments and the like. However, it is preferred more than the The carrier is in the form of an integral pad or sheet that substantially maintains its structural integrity throughout the process. Said pads or sheets can be prepared, for example, using well-known methods for manufacturing non-woven sheets, paper towels, fibrous battens, bandage cores, diapers and menstruation materials, and the like, using materials such as wood pulp, cotton, rayon, polyester fibers, and mixtures thereof. Woven cloth pads can also be used, but are not preferred over non-woven pads due to cost considerations. The pads or integral carrier sheets , ^^, »A l- .." ", ~ .. ^ j ^^ * ... ^ .. ^ * ^.» ^^^ * ... * M ji &«- < gs-a. ^ can also be prepared from natural or synthetic sponges, foams, and the like. The carriers are designed to be safe and effective under the designed operating conditions of the present method. The carriers should not be flammable during the process, nor should they interact in a detrimental manner with the cleaning or refreshing composition or with the fabrics being treated. In general, the nonwoven polyester based pads or sheets are quite suitable for being used as the carrier herein. The carrier used herein is preferably non-linting. By "non-linting" herein means a carrier that resists the deposition of visible fibers or microfibers on the fabrics that are cleaned, ie, the deposition of what is known in the common language as "fluff". A carrier can be judged easily and adequately for its acceptability with respect to its lint-free qualities by carving it on a piece of dark blue wool fabric and visually inspecting the lint residue fabric. The lint-free qualities of the sheet or pad carriers used herein can be achieved by various means, including but not limited to: preparing the carrier from a single strand of fiber; using known bonding techniques commonly used with non-woven materials, for example, knit bonding, printing bonding, saturation bonding of adhesive / resin, bonding by ..... l ^^ u .- ^^ ..... , ^ "» ». . -, &, M ^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^ ^^ and ^^ A ^ é spray adhesive / resin bond and stitch-bonding with binder fibers. The size of the carrier should not be so large as to be non-malleable for the user. Typically, the dimensions of the carrier will be sufficient to provide a macroscopic surface area (both sides of the carrier) of at least 360 cm 2, preferably in the range of 360 cm 2 to 3,000 cm 2. For example, a generally rectangular carrier may have the dimensions (X direction) of about 10 cm to 35 cm, and (Y direction) of about 18 cm to 45 cm. The carrier is designed to contain a sufficient amount of effective cleaning / refreshing compositions for its designed purpose. The capacity of the carrier for said compositions will vary according to the designed use. For example, pads or sheets which are designed for single use in cleaning / freshening / sanitizing fabrics require less capacity than such pads or sheets which are designed for multiple uses. For a given type of carrier the capacity for the cleaning or refreshing composition will vary mainly with the thicknesses or "gauge" (Z-direction; dry base) of the sheet or pad. For illustration purposes, leaves typical single-use polyester used herein have a thickness in the range from 0.1 mm to 0.7 mm and a basis weight in the range of 30 g / m2 to 100 g / m2. The typical multipurpose polyester pads will have a thickness in the range of 0.2 mm to 1.0 mm and a basis weight on the scale of 40 g / m2 to 150 g / m2. The sheets of J ^ 3 ^^ ^^^ g ^^^^^ '^ í gg * ^^ ^ e ^ Jto 4S ^^^^ ^^^^ jte¿jdM ^ É = "b | ^ will open cell foam in the thickness scale from 0.1 mm to 1.0 mm. Of course, the above dimensions may vary, as long as the desired amount of cleaning or refreshing composition is effectively provided by the carrier. A preferred carrier herein comprises a hydroentangled absorbent material without binder (or optionally little binder), especially a material that is formulated from a blend of cellulose, rayon, polyester and optional bicomponent fibers. Such materials are available from Dexter, Non-Wovens Division, The Dexter Corporation as HYDRASPUN®, particularly grades 10244 and 10444. The manufacture of such materials forms no part of this invention and as described in the literature. See, for example, the patents of E.U.A. 5,009,747, Viazmensky, et al, 23 April 1991 and 5,292,581, Viazmensky, et al, on March 8, 1994, incorporated herein by reference. Preferred materials for use herein have the following physical properties. g ^^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ - ^^^^^^^^^^ tg ^^^^ g ^ g ^^^^^^^^ fe ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^ Faith Dexter sheet grade 10244 Units Objectives Scales Base weight gm / m¿ 55 35-75 Thickness microns 355 100-1500 Density gm / cc 0.155 0.1-0.25 Dry tension gm / 25 mm DM 1700 400-2500 DT 650 100-500 Wet tension gm / 25 mm DM * 700 200-1250 DT * 300 100-500 Brightness% 80 60-90 Absorption capacity% 735 400-900 (H20) Verbasco dry gm / cm '' 1050 700-1200 * DM - machine address; DT - transverse direction As described in the patents of E.U.A. 5,009,747 and 5,292,281, the hydroentangling process provides a non-woven material comprising cellulosic fibers, and preferably at least 5% by weight of synthetic fibers, and requires less than 2% wet strength agent to achieve improved wet strength and wet strength It has been found that this hydroentangled carrier material provides an unexpected, additional benefit due to its flexibility. In use, the articles herein are designed to operate in a substantially open configuration. However, the items can be packaged and sold to the consumer as sheets that are in a folded configuration. It has been found that carrier sheets made from conventional materials tend to return undesirably to their folded configuration in use. In fact, this tendency to redouble along the lines ^^^^ ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Although the hydroentangled materials used to form the carrier sheet herein have less tendency to redouble during use than do other carrier materials, it has been experimentally determined that up to 60% of the rolling seems to occur under the designed conditions of use. when the fibrous cover sheet is present. In some cases and especially with certain types of fabrics, this can be problematic, while wet impacts can occur along the acute bending lines, presumably due to the pressure exerting force on the liquid composition through the fibrous cover sheet. However, it has been determined that by providing holes or otherwise providing windows to the carrier sheet, this tendency to re-bend is substantially diminished even when the cover sheet is used in the non-immersion / freshener / disinfectant cleaning process. of the present invention. Thus, in a preferred mode of practice of the present invention, a plurality of holes, slots, or other windows are placed in the carrier sheet to help minimize the rolling when the article is used. The number and placement of holes or other windows can be determined by routine experimentation. Example 1 immediately gives the size and number of circular holes that are useful for an article of size and with the load of cleaning / refreshing composition described therein.

Cleaning / refreshing compositions The user of the present method can be provided with various cleaning / refreshing compositions for use in the practice of the invention. A problem associated with known fabric treatment compositions is their tendency to leave visible residue on the fabric surfaces. Such residues are problematic and should preferably be avoided in the present because the present process does not involve the conventional rinsing or immersion steps. Accordingly, the compositions used herein should, more preferably, be substantially free of various gelling agents, polyacrylate-based emulsifiers, unsightly polymeric agents, inorganic forming salts and other waste forming materials, except at low levels of approximately 0.1% -0.3%, and preferably 0%, of the final compositions. The water used in the compositions preferably must be distilled, deionized or otherwise converted free of waste formation materials. Established otherwise, the compositions herein should preferably be formulated so as not to substantially leave visible residues on fabrics or other solid surfaces that are treated in accordance with the practice of this. invention. Accordingly, in a preferred aspect of this invention, cleaning / cooling and disinfectant compositions are provided which are substantially free of amounts of materials that are sufficient to leave visible residues on the treated fabrics.

Aqueous compositions for cleaning / freshening or pretreatment compositions 5 (a) Water.- The preferred, low residue compositions herein may comprise about 90%, preferably from 95.5% to 99.9%, by weight, of water. (b) Antimicrobial agents.- The antimicrobial agents can be selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorocarbanalide, hydrogen peroxide, other oxygen bleaches, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, iodine / iodophors, chlorhexidine, phenols, phospholipids, thymol, eugenol, geraniol, lemon leaf oil, limonene and mixtures thereof . A second antimicrobial agent may be selected from the group consisting of alkylalkoxy sulfates, linear alkylbenzenesulfonates, oxides amine, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, ethoxylated alcohols, diamines, amides, alkyl polyglucosides, betaines, and mixtures thereof. (c) Surfactant - the compositions present may optionally comprise, in addition to the antimicrobial agents listed above, from 0.05% to 2%, by weight, of surfactants, Such as MgAES and NH4AES, amine oxides, ethoxylated alcohols or alkylphenols, alkyl sulphates, and mixtures thereof. (d) Optionals - the present compositions may comprise minor amounts of several optional ingredients, . *. ' ^ -i < ^ -:., ..- - - ... .- _ .-: .. »j ..,? -:; :: < .i: --- aa? ss ---, ..i? -? ji including bleach stabilizers, perfumes, and the like. If used, said optional ingredients will typically comprise from 0.05% to 2%, by weight, of the compositions, with due consideration for the residues on the fabrics being cleaned. (e) Chelator.- Compositions containing hydrogen peroxide or other oxygen bleaches will also typically contain a chelating agent. The chelating agent is selected from those which, in themselves, are stable in aqueous hydrogen peroxide and which stabilize the hydrogen peroxide by chelating the wandering metal ions. Such chelating agents are typically already present in low amounts, peroxide stabilization (0.01-1%) in commercial sources of hydrogen peroxide. A variety of phosphonate chelators are known to stabilize hydrogen peroxide. Aminophosphonates are especially useful for this purpose. Various aminophosphonates are available as under the trade name DEQUEST® from the Monsanto Company, St. Louis, Missouri. Representative examples, but not limiting, include ethylenediaminetetrakis (methylene phosphonic acid), diethylenetriaminepenta (methylene phosphonic) acid, and water-soluble salts thereof. Aminotris (methylene phosphonic acid) or its water-soluble salts (such as DEQUEST 2000®) is a preferred chelator. The pH scale of the compositions helps to provide stability to hydrogen peroxide and is typically on the slightly acidic basic scale of about 3 to 8, preferably 6 to about 7. ^ s ^^^ i ^ ^ s ^, Surfactants Nonionic surfactants such as ethoxylated C-io-C-iß alcohols, for example NEODOL 23-6.5, can be used in the compositions. The alkylsulfate surfactants which can be used herein as cleaners and to stabilize aqueous compositions are the C 1 -C 14 alkylsulphates primary ("AS", preferred C 10 -C 14 sodium salts), as well as alkyl sulfates of C10-C20 branched and random chain, and (2,3) secondary C10-C18 alkyl sulfates of the formula CH3 (CH2)? (CHOS03"M +) CH3 and CH3 (CH2) and (CHOS03-M +) CH2CH3 where xy (y + 1) are integers of at least about 7, preferably at least about 9, and M is a cation solubilizing in water, especially sodium, as well as unsaturated sulfates such as oleyl sulfate. AES) used herein are represented in a conventional manner as having the formula R (EO) xS? 3Z, wherein R is C10-C16 alkyl, EO is -CH2CH2-O-, x is 1-10 and can be include mixtures that are reported in conventional manner as averages, for example (EO) 2.5. (EO) d 5 and the like, and Z is a cation such as ammonium or magnesium sodium (MgAES). The C12-C16 alkyl oxide surfactants of dimethylamine can also be used. A preferred mixture comprises MgAE-iS / C12 dimethylamine oxide at a weight ratio of about 10: 1. Other surfactants that improve phase stability and that can optionally be used herein include fatty acid amides polyhydroxy, for example C12-C14 N-methylglucamide. The compositions stabilized from AS preferably comprise 0.1% -0.5% by weight, of the present compositions. MgAES and the amine oxides, if used, they may comprise 0.01% -2%, by weight, of the compositions. The others Surfactants can be used at similar levels.

With due consideration to the aforementioned considerations above, the following illustrates the various other ingredients that may be used in the present liquid compositions, but is not designed to be limitative of them.

Other optional In addition to the water and surfactants described above, the liquid compositions used herein may comprise various other optional ingredients, such as perfumes, preservatives, brighteners, salts for viscosity control, adjusters or pH regulators, and the like. The following illustrates preferred scales for cleaning compositions for use herein, but is not intended to be limiting thereof.

Ingredients Scale of formula% (p) Antimicrobial agent 0-3 Surfactant 0-2 Perfume 0-1.5 Residual water pH scale from 6 to approximately 8 Preferred compositions for use in the process Cleaning / refreshing / disinfectant in dryer of the present are as follows.

Incendientes% (P) Scale (% p) Water 98.5 95.1-99.9 Agent 0.1 0.05-3 Antimicrobial Perfume 0.5 0-1.5 Surfactant * 0.5 0.05-2.0 Ethanol or optional isopropanol 0 to 4% * Especially ethoxylated alcohols, as described in present. Compositions for cooling fabrics may also contain anionic surfactants. These surfactants are good known in the detergent manufacturing art. Commercial surfactants available as TWEEN®, SPAN®, AEROSOL OT® and various sulfosuccinic esters are also especially useful in the present.

Fragrance It has been determined that malodorous, high molecular weight, high boiling chemicals tend to be retained on the fabrics, at least to some degree. Those bad smells can be overcome, or "covered", through perfumes. Accordingly, it will be appreciated that the manufacturer of perfume must select at least some perfume chemicals that are boiling high enough so that they do not get lost completely during the procedure. A wide variety of aldehydes, ketones, esters, acétalos, and the like are known as perfume chemicals having boiling points above 50 ° C, preferably above 85 ° C. Said ingredients can be supplied to the fabrics that are treated by means of the carrier substrate of the present during the present process, thereby helping to reduce the user's perception of bad odors. Non-limiting examples of perfume materials with relatively high boiling components include various essential oils, resinoids and resins from a variety of sources including, but not limited to, orange oil, lemon oil, patchouli, balsam from Peru , resinoid of frankincense, storax, lavender resin, nutmeg, cacia oil, benzoin resin, coriander, bleach and lavender. Some other perfume chemicals include phenylethyl alcohol, terpineol and mixed pine oil terpenes, linalool, linalyl acetate, geraniol, nerol, 2- (1,1-dimethylethyl) -cyclohexanol acetate, orange terpenes and eugenol. Of course, lower boiling materials may be included, with the understanding that some loss will occur due to ventilation.

Steam ventilation bag. The compositions are loaded onto the carrier substrate which is preferably encased in the cover sheet and the finished article is placed in a bag environment for use in a clothes dryer ^^^^^^^? ^ ** gfi jg¡íM that operates hot, or similar, to disinfect fabrics and to remove odors from fabrics as an alternative to dry cleaning or "fabric refreshing" procedure. The humid environment, warm, created inside the bag volatizes the aqueous / refreshing cleaning composition resulting in a sterilization of the fabric articles within it and the removal of the malodorous components in the form of a "steam distillation" process ", and moistens the fabrics and stains on it. In addition to the desired disinfection effect, the wetting of the fabrics with the volatilized cleaning / refreshing composition can soften prefixed wrinkles. But it has been discovered that over-wet fabrics can experience the establishment of new wrinkles during the drying stage towards the end of the dryer cycle. Proper selection of the amount of water used in the process and, more importantly, adequate ventilation of the bag in the present form can minimize wrinkling. Moreover, if the bag is not ventilated, volatile odor materials removed from the fabrics can be undesirably redeposited therein. In a highly preferred embodiment, the method of the present invention utilizes a vapor vent containment bag. The bag is preferably designed for multiple uses and reuses, and is specially adapted for use by the consumer in any conventional hot air dryer apparatus, such as those found in the home or in commercial laundry / cleaning establishments. The bag will * V ^^^^^^ H ^ ^^^^^^^^^^^ j # ^^^^ j ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ designs to ventilate water and other vapors (including malodorous materials) that emanate inside the bag when used in the manner described herein. The vapors that are released from the bag are then fired through the air ventilation of the dryer. 5 The design of the ventilation capacity of the bag achieves an adequate balance of the above effects. A tightly sealed "vapor tight" bag will not release a sufficient amount of steam which will excessively moisten the fabrics, resulting in reduced microbial kill. A bag design excessively "open" will not moisten fabrics or stains sufficiently to kill microbes. In addition, the bag must be "closed" enough to hold and create a vacuum volume under steam pressure, in which the fabrics "can freely rotate inside the bag and be exposed to vapors. design with sufficient ventilation to trap a portion of water vapors (especially at the start of the dryer cycle) but to allow most water to escape at the end of the cycle, in other words, the vapor release rate is preferably optimized to ensure a balance of steam ventilation and capture of steam. A preferred bag design utilizes a water vapor impermeable film such as nylon, with a closure flap (preferably with a hook and loop type VELCRO® fastener) similar to that of a large envelope. The degree of freedom in the upper fold portion of the closing flap is ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ In another embodiment, a slot is cut along the edge of the side wall opposite the fin to further adjust the ventilation. The securing device shown in the figures runs only partially along the lock, thus allowing ventilation also to occur at the lateral edges of the closure. As described more in detail below, the preferred vent bag is provided with a steam vent lock that provides one or more recesses through which, during use, the vapors are released from the bag. In a preferred embodiment, the size of this gap is selected to provide controlled vapor release from the bag under the indicated operating conditions. Although other hole sizes and operating conditions can be used, a preferred balance between vapor containment inside the bag - to perform the disinfection of the fabrics together with the function of cleaning / refreshing and releasing steam from the bag - has now been determined using the principles described below. Alternatively, the bag may be provided with a series of holes or other vents that provide vapor ventilation. However, such ventilation is not effective as the steam ventilation lock. In one embodiment, the present invention uses a bag of ^ .. ^^ 4 ^^^^^ .... ^^^ ,, ^. ,,. . . When the vapor vent contains an open end, a closed end and flexible side walls having inner and outer surfaces, the open end of said bag has a section of a side wall extending beyond the open end to provide a flexible fin 5, said fin has a first securing device fixed thereto, the fin is bendable to extend over a portion of the outer surface of the opposite side wall , said fin can be fixed to the outer surface of the opposite wall of the bag by coupling the first securing device on the inside face of the fin with a second securing device present on the outer face of the opposite side wall, said first and second securing devices, when coupled in this way, form an insulator, thereby providing a closure for the open end of the bag. Said first and second insurance devices are arranged such as to provide, when coupled, steam ventilation along the said closure, especially at the lateral edges of the closure. The present bag is preferably formed from film which is heat resistant up to about 204 ° C-260 ° C. Nylon is a preferred film material for forming the bag. In another embodiment, the edge of a wall of the bag has notches along a substantial portion of its wide to facilitate and optimize steam ventilation. In an alternate embodiment, the flap can be bent to provide the closure, mounted within the opposite side wall, and secured by an insulator. In this mode, the vapors are ventilated throughout the closure and especially on the lateral edges of the closure. In yet another mode, the side walls are the same size and fin is not provided. Securing devices placed intermittently along portions of the interior surfaces of the side walls engage when the edges of the side walls are pressed together to provide closure. One or more vapor ventilation voids are formed in those regions of the closure where an insurance device is not present. Although the securing devices herein may comprise chemical adhesives, the bag is preferably designed for multiple uses. Accordingly, reusable mechanical insurers are preferred for use herein. Any reusable mechanical insurer or insuring means may be used, insofar as the insulator elements may be arranged such that, when the bag is closed and the fastener is engaged, a vapor vent closure is provided. Non-limiting examples include: bags in which said first and second securing devices, together, comprise a hook and loop lock (type VELCRO®); Hook insurers such as those described in U.S. Patent No. 5,058,247 to Thomas & Blaney issued on October 22, 1991; bags in which said first and second securing devices, together, comprise a hook-and-rope type insurer; bags in which said first and second securing devices, together, comprise an adhesive insurer; bags in which said first and second securing devices, together, ^^^^^^^^ a ^^^ aWJñ * H? t? r? iri l ^ include a crossover lever type belayer; bags in which said first and second securing devices, together, form a brooch-type insurer; as well as hook-and-eye insurers, ZIP-LOK® style insurers, lock-type insurers, and the like, as long as insurers are positioned so that vapor ventilation is achieved. Other insurers may be used, as long as vapor ventilation is maintained when the bag is closed, and the belayer is sufficiently robust so that the flap does not open the bag and its contents are stirred in the clothes dryer. The securing devices 10 can be positioned so that the multiple vapor vent holes are formed along the closure, or at side edges, or so that the vacuum is raised to one end of the lock. In yet another embodiment, both ends of the bag are provided with a vapor vent closure. The preferred bags of the type mentioned above that are designed to be used in an American-style, hot-air, automatic, conventional household clothes dryer will have a volume in the range of 10,000 cm 3 to approximately 25,000 cm 3. The invention also uses a method for cleaning or cooling fabrics by contacting said fabrics with a fabric cleaning / refreshing composition comprising water in the aforementioned steam vent containment bag. This procedure is conveniently carried out in a hot air clothes dryer "JuáAß? R, - • -i .., .-. '»-« i-te & Aa- «f.'» 'Or * i »- ,.» j > .- -j, «a., and -.-.-. > i. ^ '-, ^ c - ^^ - ». Yes? SM»? Ayy- or similar. Those skilled in the art will recognize that dryers Hot air clothes operate at sufficient temperatures to vaporize water, that is, from 40 ° C to 250 ° C; preferably from 40 ° C to 150 ° C; with which the fabrics and the steam ventilation bag are sterilized, and the bad odors present in the fabrics are ventilated from the bag by means of the steam vent closure.

The following is designed to assist the formulator in manufacture and use of steam ventilation bags in the form of this invention, but is not designed to be limiting thereof.

Bag dimensions Figure 4 shows the total dimensions of a notched bag: that is, length (7) to fold line 70.2 cm; width (8) of the bag 66 cm, with a flap to the base of the fold line (11) of 6 cm. In the tests reported right away, this bag is referred to by its dimensions open as of "66.04 cm x 76.20 cm". Figure 5 gives additional details of the placement of the various elements of the bag with notches. In this mode, all the dimensions are the same for the left side and the right side of the bag. The present dimensions are for an open bag that is approximately 76.2 cm in total length (including the fin) and approximately 66 cm in width. The distance (9) from the side edge of the bag to the outermost edge of the securing device (3) located on the inside of the fin (5) is approximately 5 cm. In this modality, the securing device (3) of the interior wall (2a) comprises the vacuum portion of a strip type VELCRO® whose width (13) is approximately 1.9 cm, and whose total length is approximately 55.9 cm. The securing device (6) is similarly located on the outside of the wall 2 (b) and comprises the hook portion of a VELCRO® type strip of 1.9 cm. The distance (9) can be decreased or increased to decrease or increase ventilation at the edges of the flap when the bag is closed and the belayer engages. The distance (10) between the upper edge of the fin and the base of the notch is approximately 7.13 cm. The distance (14) between the lateral edge of the bag and the lateral edge of the notch is approximately 0.64 cm. The distance (15) between the upper edge of the fin and the fold is approximately 6 cm. The distance (16) between the upper edge of the fin and the conductive edge of the VELCRO® type strip (3) fixed to the fin is approximately 0.95 cm. The distance (17) between the fold (11) and the bottom edge of the notch is approximately 1.27 cm. This distance can also be varied to decrease or increase the steam ventilation. A scale of 0.64-3.81 cm is typical. The distance (18) between the upper edge of the VELCRO® type strip (6) and the lower edge of the notch is approximately 1.9 cm. The distance (19) between the lower edge of the VELCRO® type strip (3) and the fold (11) is approximately 3.17 cm. Figure 6 gives further details of the dimensions of a notched envelope bag of the aforementioned total size comprising the side walls (2a) and (2b). Again, each strip type VELCRO® (3) and (6) is approximately 1.9 cm in width and approximately 55.9 cm in length. Each strip is placed so as to be on top of each of the lateral edges of the wall and fin of the bag finished by approximately 5 cm. The distance (12) between the guide edge of the side wall (2b) to the base edge of the securing strip (3) on the flap portion of the bag is approximately 6.35 cm. The distance (20) between the base edge of the securing strip (6) and the guide edge of the side wall (2b) is approximately 5.7 cm. The distance (21) between the guide edge of the securing strip (6) to the guide edge of the side wall is about 3.5 cm. The distance (22) between the fold (11) and the base edge of the insurance strip (3) is approximately 5 cm. The distance (23) between the guide edge of the securing strip (3) and the upper edge of the fin which is an extension 'of the side wall (2a) is approximately 0.64 cm. The distance (24) is approximately 9.2 cm. As in the bag with notches mentioned above, the positioning and length of the insulators can be adjusted to decrease or increase ventilation. The construction of the preferred heat-resistant vapor bag, used herein to contain the fabrics in a hot air clothes dryer or similar device is used in a manner Preferably heat resistant films are provided to provide the temperature resistance necessary for self-sealing internally and external surface deformation sometimes caused by over-heated clothes dryers. In addition, the bags are resistant to chemical agents used in the cleaning or cooling compositions herein. Through the proper selection of the bag material, unacceptable results such as bag fusion, poured holes in the bags, and wall-to-wall bag sealing are avoided. In a preferred embodiment, the insulator is also constructed of a thermally resistant material. As shown in Figures 4 and 6, in one embodiment, nylon-6 film of 0.025-0.076 mm, heat resistant, is folded and sealed in a containment bag. Sealing can be done using standard impulse heating equipment. In an alternate embodiment, a nylon sheet is simply folded in half and sealed along its two edges. In yet another embodiment, the bags can be made by air blowing operations. The method for assembling the bags can be varied, depending on the equipment available to the manufacturer and is not critical to the practice of the invention. The dimensions of the containment bags may vary, depending on the final designed use. For example, a relatively smaller bag may be provided which is sufficient to contain one or two silk blouses. Alternatively, a larger bag suitable for handling a man's suit can be provided. Typically, the bags in the present will have an internal volume of 10,000 cm3 to 25,000 cm3. The bags in this size scale are sufficient to accommodate a reasonable load of fabrics (for example 0.2-5 kg) without being so large as to block the dryer windows in most American-style home dryers. The somewhat smaller bags can be used in i ^ tóμ ^^^ jtí ^^^ i - ^^^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^ & tóÉ * ^^ relatively smaller European and Japanese dryers. The present bag is preferably flexible, however it is preferably durable gh to withstand multiple uses. The bag also preferably has sufficient rigidity that it can swell, in use, thereby allowing its contents to freely rotate within the bag during use. Typically, said bags are prepared from polymer sheets of thicknesses of 0.025 mm to 0.076 mm (26-78 microns). If more rigidity is desired in the bag, somewhat thicker sheets may be used. In addition to thermally stable "nylon only" bags, the present containment bag can also be prepared using co-extruded and / or polyester or nylon nylon sheets and / or outer and / or inner polyester layers surrounding a less suitable inner core thermally such as polypropylene. In an alternate embodiment, a bag is constructed using a non-woven outer "cover" comprising a heat-resistant material such as nylon or polyethylene terephthalate and an inner sheet of a polymer that provides a vapor barrier. The non-woven outer cover protects the fusion bag and provides enhanced tactile printing to the user. Whatever the construction, the objective is to protect the integrity of the bag under thermal stress conditions at temperatures of up to at least 204 ° C to 260 ° C. Under circumstances where excessive heat is not a concern, the bag can be made of polyester, polypropylene or any suitable polymer material.

Steam Ventilation Evaluation In its broadest sense, the preferred vapor vent containment bag used herein is designed to be capable of ventilating at least 40%, preferably at least 60%, up to 90%, preferably not more than 80%, by weight, of the total moisture introduced into the bag within the operating cycle of the clothes dryers or other hot air apparatus used in the present process. (Of course most, if not all, organic cleaning solvents, if any are present, will also be vented together with the water, however, because the water comprises by far the largest proportion of the compositions of cleaning / cooling of the present, it is more convenient to measure and report ventilation as steam ventilation). It will be appreciated by those of knowledge about the operation of hot air clothes dryers and similar appliances that the ventilation speed will not be constant throughout the operating cycle. All dryers have a warm-up period at the beginning of the operating cycle, and this can vary according to the manufacturer's specifications. Most dryers have a cooling period at the end of the operating cycle. Some ventilation may occur from the containment bag during those periods of heating and cooling, but its velocity is generally less than the rate of ventilation during the main period of the drying cycle. Moreover, even during the main period of the cycle, many modern dryers are built with thermostat fasteners that cause the air temperature in the dryer to increase and decrease periodically, thus preventing overheating. In this way, on average, instead of constant, the operating temperature of the dryer on the target scale of from 50 ° C to 85 ° C is typically achieved. Moreover, the user of the present containment bag may choose to stop the operation of the drying apparatus before the cycle has been completed. Some users may wish to make sure that the fabrics are still slightly damp so that they can be easily ironed, hung to dry, or subjected to other finishing operations. Apart from the period of time used, the steam ventilation equilibrium ("WE") for any given type of steam vent closure will depend mainly on the temperature achieved inside the dryer - which, as noted above, is typically reported as an average "air dryer temperature". In fact, the temperature reached inside the containment bag is more significant in this respect, but it can be difficult to measure accurately. Because the heat transmission through the walls of the bag is rather efficient due to the thickness of the walls and the revolving action provided by conventional clothes dryers, it is a reasonable approximation to measure WE with reference to air temperature of average dryer.

Moreover, it will be appreciated that the vapor ventilation from the containment bag should not be so rapid so that the aqueous cleaning / cooling composition does not have the opportunity to moisten the fabrics that are treated and remove and remove the stains / odors of the 5 same. However, this is not of great concern in the present, in that the supply of the composition from its carrier substrate to the fabrics provided by the rotating action of the apparatus occurs as such at a speed so that the premature loss of the Composition by vaporization and premature ventilation is not a significant factor. In fact, the preferred bag herein is designed to prevent such premature venting, thereby allowing the liquid and vapors of the cleaning / refreshing composition to remain inside the bag for a period that is sufficiently long to perform its functions designed on the fabrics that are treated. 15 The following vapor ventilation evaluation (WET) test illustrates the points mentioned above in more detail. Larger or smaller containment bags can be used, depending on the volume of the dryer drum, the size of the load of fabrics, and the like. As noted above, however, in each instance the containment bag is designed to achieve a degree of ventilation, or "rating" WE of at least about 40% (40 WE), preferably at least 60% (60 WE) , up to approximately 90% (90 WE). * - **** - < - > - * - ** ~ - - - ^. * «« H ** ^ ™ - * * - .. -, li8MHM < MBI? Ili? I? T i ili r ^^ "^ - ^ - .. ^^ - > > -A- ^ i-- Steam ventilation evaluation test Materials Wrap or "standard" control containment bag, which will be evaluated for WE. Substrate carrier (38.1 cm x 27.9 cm) HYDRASPUN® sheet of Dexter carrier substrate with (10444) or without (10244) binder. Wool blouse: RN77390, style 12288, approximate weight 224 grams. 10 Silk blouse: RN40787, style 0161, approximate weight 81 grams. Trim rayon sample fabric: 114.3 cm x 43.2 cm, approximate weight 60 grams. Bag: 12.7 cm x 16.2 cm to contain the carrier substrate and 15 water. Deionized water: the weight is variable to establish the WE.

Fabric pretreatment: 1.- The wool, silk, and rayon materials are placed in a Whirlpool dryer (model LEC7646DQO) for 10 minutes set at high heat, with the heating cycle on the scale of 60 ° C-73.8 ° C to remove moisture that is collected at ambient conditions. 2.- The fabrics are removed after the dryer and placed «Itt ^ i-ti- & - ra» aa-fe_ »it« aA «aafct ^ Md« a-Mitot - ^ _ a_B_ja «i-t *; itm aa ^ ¿^? ai¿iB ^^^ & M & amp; ai in nylon or sealed plastic bags (minimum thickness of 76.2 microns) to minimize moisture collection from the atmosphere.

Test procedure: 1.- Water of several weights measured from 0 to 40 grams is applied to the carrier substrate a minimum of 30 minutes before performing a ventilation bag test. The substrate is folded, placed in a bag and sealed. 2.- Each fabric is weighed separately and dry weights are recorded. Weights are also recorded for the dry carrier substrate, the dry sack containing the substrate, and the dry containment bag that is evaluated. 3.- Each garment is placed in the bag that is evaluated for vapor ventilation together with the substrate containing water (removed from its bag and unfolded). 4.- The bag closes without squeezing the air and is placed in the Whirlpool dryer for 30 minutes in the high heat setting, with rotation by the standard mode of operation of the dryer. 5.- At the end of 30 minutes the bag is removed from the dryer and each fabric, the carrier substrate, the bag and the bag are weighed for weight gain of water in relation to the dry state. (A minor possible loss in weight for the containment bag due to dryer heat is ignored in the calculations). ^^ ^^^^ gg ^^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ The gain in weight of each garment is recorded as a percentage of the total moisture applied to the carrier substrate. 7.- The remaining unmeasured moisture divided by the total humidity is recorded as a ventilated percentage of the dryer bag. 5 8.- When a series of total humidity levels applied are evaluated, it is seen that above about 15-20 ° of water the% vented becomes essentially constant, and this is the equilibrium value of vapor ventilation, or WE, for the particular ventilation bag design. 10 It can be seen from the examination of a series of results WET at several initial moisture levels that water at the lower initial levels is captured disproportionately! by the load of garments, the free space, and the bag of 'nylon, so that the ventilation of water and various volatile odors starts only after the WE value is achieved.

Because this occurs only when approximately 15-20 grams or more of water is initially charged, it is seen that a WE of more than 40 is needed to prevent excessive wetting of the garments, leading to unacceptable wet fixation of wrinkles, as discussed in the present.

Pre-treatment step The total process herein optionally comprises a pre-treatment step which also serves as a step of removing stitches on isolated, heavily stained areas of the fabric.

This pre-treatment step can be effective to neutralize certain chemicals that cause bad odors such as isovalaric acid, short chain amines and short chain sulfur compound. These compounds are known to be bacterial "digestion" by-products of human transpiration components. The pretreatment step preferably comprises the step of applying a pretreatment composition to at least a portion of the fabric, in which the pretreatment composition comprises an antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2. - (2,4- dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorcarbanilide, hexachlorophene, chlorhexadine, o-phenylphenol, benzyl-quatemium salts and mixtures thereof. The pretreatment composition preferably further comprises water, a minor amount of a solvent such as butoxy propoxy propanol (BPP) and surfactants such as those discussed above. The pre-treatment composition can be carved into the fabric using the tip of the bottle containing the pre-treatment composition or with an implement. The excess pretreatment composition can be absorbed by a stain absorbing receiver which is preferably placed on the side of the fabric opposite the side receiving the pre-treatment composition. The stain absorbing receiver can be a conventional paper towel, a thermally bonded air laid sheet, an absorbent polymer foam or the like. After this step of localized pre-treatment, the fabric , ^^ .., ... ,,., -, "...". ^^ .. ^ í * »^ **** ^^ - ..... á *» * *? * m,, ^ ». * ^ ^? J ^ ^ ^. . ^^^ t & ^^ it ^ ..

Complete can be cleaned / freshened in the ventilation containment bag steam. This last step provides a marked improvement in the appearance and total freshness of fabrics, especially with respect to the near absence of bad smells and wrinkles, compared to untreated fabrics. 5 Components of procedure The use of the item with the steam ventilation bag, the compositions and methods of the invention are described in more detail right away. This description is by way of illustration and not limitation of the present invention. The terms of definitions used in the present have the following meanings.

Figure 3 illustrates a shape of a preformed retaining bag, with notches, in an open configuration with the loose article (1), first side wall (2a), second side wall (2b), first device insurer (3), side seal (4) for the bag and flexible fin (5). In use, the flexible flap (5) is folded along the fold line (11) to provide the Vapor ventilation closure for the bag.

Figure 4 shows the bag with notches "wrapper type" in a finished configuration and containing the loose article (1). In use, the fabrics to be cleaned / refreshed are placed in the bag with the item (1) and the flap (5) is folded along the fold line (11) to couple the first securing device (3) with the second device to secure (6) opposite to secure the flap, thereby providing a steam vent closure that is stable enough to withstand the spin in a dryer warm air clothing or similar device. Figure 5 shows a cut-away view of the corner of the notched containment bag illustrating the interior of the first side wall (2a) and the second side wall (2b), the first securing device (3), the second device insurer (6), fin (5), and fold line (11). The distance between the edge of the bag (9) and the depth of the notch (11) in the second side wall (2b) are dimensions that are set forth below. Figure 6 represents a ventilation bag without notches with the article (1) loosely contained therein. The bag dimensions given above are for containment bags that are designed to freely rotate inside the drum of a conventional hot air clothes dryer, for the home, style E.U.A. which has a drum volume of approximately 170-210 liters (size for the home). The bag of the established dimensions is designed to treat up to 5 kg of fabric load in a single use. The dimensions can be adjusted proportionally for larger or smaller bags to achieve the desired WE and to ensure effective use in dryers with larger or smaller drums. For example, the total volume of a containment bag built for used in a European clothes dryer for the average household (or a "department" size of E.U.A, ie, 90 liters of drum volume) would be approximately 60% of the volume for an average American dryer.

Total procedure The entire process is conveniently conducted in a rotating apparatus, preferably in the presence of heat. The heat-resistant steam ventilation bag, nylon or other with the present article plus the aqueous cleaning / freshening composition and containing the treated cloth is closed and placed in the drum of a hot air clothes dryer automatic at temperatures from 40 ° C to 250 ° C, preferably from 40 ° C to 150 ° C. The drum is allowed to revolve, which imparts a rotating action to the bag and agitation of its contents concurrently with the turn. By virtue of this agitation, the fabrics are brought into contact with the article containing the composition. The rotation and heating are carried out for a period of at least 10 minutes, typically from 20 minutes to 60 minutes. This step can be conducted for longer or shorter periods, depending on factors such as the degree and type of fabric stains, the nature of the stains, the nature of the fabrics, the load of fabrics, the amount of heat applied , and similar, according to the needs of the user. During the step, more than 40%, typically from 40% to 80%, of moisture are vented from the bag. The following examples further illustrate the invention, but are not intended to be limiting thereof.

EXAMPLE I A liquid product for cleaning / freshening fabrics, low residue for use in a dryer bag with windows is prepared as follows.

Polyoxyethylene (20) sorbitan monolaurate available from ICI Surfactants. A 26 cm x 36 cm carrier sheet of HYDRASPUN® is prepared. The carrier sheet is covered on both sides with an upper cover and a lower cover of Reemay fabric cover sheet material of 203.20 microns (0.2 mm) of the type described hereinbefore. The cover sheet (ie the top cover and the bottom cover) are attached to the carrier sheet by a standard Vertrod® heat sealing device or other, thereby joining the laminate structure together around the entire periphery of the carrier sheet . The edges of the carrier sheet around its periphery are interleaved between the upper sheet and the lower sheet by the joint. As noted above, the width of the joint is kept to a minimum ^^^^^^^ a ^^^^^^^^ g ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ of approximately 6.4 mm. The bonded laminate structure prepared in this way is folded and placed in a sack. Any plastic bag that does not leak is adequate. For example, a laminated sheet pouch of the type used in the food service industry can be used. Said sacks are well known in the industry and are made of materials that do not absorb food flavors. Similarly, the formulator herein may wish to avoid absorption of the perfume used in the cleaning / refreshing composition by the bag. Several sacks are useful in the present and are commercially available on a routine basis. The folded carrier sheet / cover article is placed in the bag. The fold can be of any type, for example, an accordion type fold, so that the final dimensions of the folded sheet are approximately 13.5 cm x 9.5 cm. This size is not critical but it is suitable for placement in a sack. 23 grams of the liquid product are poured onto the carrier sheet / cover sheet and allowed to absorb for a minimum of 30 minutes, preferably for 4 hours. The bag is sealed immediately after the liquid product is introduced into the bag and stored until the moment of use. In an alternate embodiment, the article may be wound somewhat loosely around a cylindrical recess in a generally tubular shape of approximately 26 cm in length and a diameter of approximately 2-3 cm. The rolled-up article is then folded in half its length in approximately its middle part by means of a blade that also serves to insert the article in a retention bag. It is noted that, with said winding method, severely sharp crests do not form, and the final bend of the rolled tube is under such tension 5 that only in the bending center there are a few sharp ridges. The result is that the permanent rolling along the ridge lines is essentially avoided, and the release of the cleaning / refreshing composition from the article in use is optimized. Any plastic or flexible bag that does not leak is suitable for use in the present. For example, a bag of laminated sheet of the type used in the food service industry can be used. Said sacks are well known in the industry and are made of materials that do not absorb food flavors. In a similar manner, the formulator herein may wish to avoid the absorption of the perfume that is used in the cleaning / refreshing composition by the sack. Several sacs are useful herein and are commercially available on a routine basis. As a point of comparison, the sack containing the rolled / folded article of the present has overall dimensions of 8.5 cm x 17.7 cm, while a sack for a flat article, is approximately 13 cm x 17.7 cm. As a completely optional matter, the carrier sheet may also have holes punched through it in order to further maximize its ability to maintain a configuration . ^ * ». ^. A ..... ^. ^^^^ KÉ ^^^ A ^ Í ^ .. -.a ...-- ..... ft. f || Mfyátt ^ .Éb.Éi - ^^ open in use. In fact, holes can be drilled through the entire article, including the cover sheet itself. For an article having the overall dimensions of 27 cm x 37 cm, 16 round holes, each of 1.27 cm in diameter are evenly spaced through the HYDRASPUN carrier sheet 5. Slots or other perforations can be used similarly. The fabric to be treated is placed in a nylon 66 x 76 cm ventilation bag as shown in the figures together with the sheet (which is removed from its storage bag, unfolded and / or unrolled) that releasably contains the cleaning / cooling product mentioned above. The mouth of the bag is closed to provide steam ventilation, and the bag and its contents are placed in the drum of a conventional hot-air clothes dryer. The dryer is operated in standard mode for 20-60 minutes at a high heat setting (an air temperature scale of 60-70 ° C). After the spinning action of the dryer is finished, the clean, fresh cloth is removed from the bag. The sheet used is discarded. The fabric (which is preferably still wet) is preferably hung on a conventional hook to complete the drying process thus avoiding in a additional wrinkles. - &ia-jji. J ^^ -; a? A - iAl..f ffl ^ y .aaJij »t .. .. > -. ^ .. ^ -. ^^^^ amáñ M ^ imati M ^ ^ ¡s ^^ ¡^ s ^^ sg ^^ i! i ^ EXAMPLE II Aspergillus niger is selected as a typical fungal microorganism, that is, as a test microbe. Fabrics inoculated therewith are treated in the manner of this invention using the ventilation bag. As a control, fabrics are inoculated similarly with the test microbes and left without exposure to the drying treatment. The result indicates that at least 90% of the test microbes initially present were killed by the test treatment. These results would not be expected by those skilled in the art.

EXAMPLE III Escherichia coli is selected as a typical bacterial microorganism, that is, as a test microbe. Fabrics inoculated therewith are treated in the manner of this invention using the ventilation bag. As a control, fabrics are inoculated in a similar manner with the test microbes and left without exposing to the dryer treatment. The results indicate that more than 99.97% of the test microbes initially present were killed by the test treatment. Those results would not be expected by those skilled in the art.

Claims (10)

NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION CLAIMS

1. A method for disinfecting an article of cloth that is contaminated with one or more microbes, the process is characterized by the steps of: a) placing the cloth article in a steam ventilation bag together with a cleaning composition / refreshing characterized by water; b) subject the steam ventilation bag to a source of heat that supplies 10 sufficient heat to vaporize the water, thereby exposing the microbes to the resulting water vapor, and thereby at least 50% of the microbes are annihilated.

2. A method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the cleaning / refreshing composition 15 comprises at least one antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorocarbanalide, hydrogen peroxide, other oxygen bleach, 4-chloro-3,5-dimethylphenol, iodine / iodophors, chlorhexidine, phenols, phospholipids, thymol, eugeniol, geraniol, lemon leaf oil, limonene and mixtures thereof.

3. A method according to claim 2, further characterized in that the cleaning / refreshing composition comprises a second antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of alkyl alkoxy sulfates, linear alkylbenzene sulphonates, oxides of amine, polyhydroxy fatty acid amides, ethoxylated alcohols, diamines, amides, alkyl polyglucosides, betaines, and mixtures thereof, preferably the cleaning / refreshing composition comprises a nonionic surfactant, and even more preferably, in the which the cleaning / refreshing composition comprises a perfume.

4. A method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the cleaning / refreshing composition is removably absorbed in a carrier, in which the carrier is preferably in sheet form comprising a hydroentangled, fibrous network.

5. A method according to claim 1, further characterized in that it additionally comprises the step of subjecting the steam ventilation bag to a rotating action concurrently with the heat source that is preferably provided by a dryer of hot air clothes.

6. A method according to claim 1, further characterized in that the ventilation bag has a WE evaluation of at least 40, preferably at least 60.

7. A method according to claim 6, further characterized in that the The steam vent bag has a WE no greater than 90 and preferably no larger than 80.

8. A process according to claim 1, further characterized by the step of pre-treating at least a portion of the . M ^ .. ^^. . ,? . . . ^^^ fggj ^ ^ ® ^ ^ .. & fabric with a pre-treatment composition characterized by an antimicrobial agent selected from the group consisting of 5-chloro-2- (2,4-dichlorophenoxy) phenol, trichlorcarbanilide, hexachlorophene, chlorhexadine, o-phenylphenol, benzyquatemium salts and mixtures of the same.

9. A method according to claim 2, further characterized in that the cleaning / refreshing composition comprises from 0.05% to 3%, preferably from 0.1% to 2%, and more preferably from 0.1% to 1%, by weight of the antimicrobial agent.

10. A method according to claim 1, further characterized in that at least 90%, more preferably at least 95%, and more preferably at least 99% of the microbes are annihilated. ^ ¡^^^^^^^ ^ ~ ». ~ *. - ^^ ^^^^^ r ^^^ M ^ áM ^^