The present invention relates to a device for the washing of textile articles and the related method of use of said device.

In particular, the present invention relates to a device that allows the simultaneous washing, in a same washing bath, of a combination of textile articles (e.g. clothes) having different colors and wherein at least one of the textile articles is susceptible to becoming discolored during washing, releasing colored compounds in the washing bath that can deposit on the other textile articles present.

A recurrent problem in the washing of colored textile articles with either household or industrial washing machines, relates to the release of coloring compounds in the washing bath, followed by their subsequent deposition on other textile articles having a lighter color, present in the same bath. For the purposes of the present description, said coloring compounds released in the washing bath are also called "fugitive dyes".

Various solutions have been proposed in the state of the art for overcoming the problem of the undesired depositing of fugitive dyes on textile articles in a washing bath, none of which, however, can be considered entirely satisfactory at present time.

A first solution is represented by the addition of devices having a particular affinity with fugitive dyes to the garments loaded into the washing bath. These devices are generally composed of cellulose substrates, in the form of sheets, carrying chemical compounds capable of catching the fugitive dyes dispersed in the washing bath, thus preventing them from being transferred to the textile articles. These devices are also known with the name "color-catcher".

The use of color-catcher devices in the form of sheets, however, is not a completely satisfactory solution to the problem of the undesired coloring of textile articles during washing. Their effectiveness, in fact, is greatly influenced by the quantity of textile articles present in the washing bath and also the number and position of color-catcher devices with respect to the textile articles during washing.

As a result of their moderate effectiveness, in practice, the use of color-catcher devices in sheet form is only limited to washing baths in which only colored textile articles, preferably having a similar color, are simultaneously present. Color-catcher devices in sheet form, in fact, do not adequately prevent the transfer of fugitive dyes on light-colored textile articles, especially white, which are known to be prone to absorbing fugitive colors.

Furthermore, color-catcher devices in sheet form are not adequately effective when colored textile articles are present in the washing bath, having a high tendency to release fugitive colors, such as, for example, brand new colored garments, (i.e. garments that the user has not washed yet after purchase) .

For the washing of white or light-colored textile articles, the only satisfactory solution is as a matter of fact washing separately from other textile articles.

In the case of brand new colored garments, on the other hand, the only solution available is to effect at least the first washings (about 4-5 washings) separately, before washing said garments simultaneously with other textile articles that are susceptible to absorbing fugitive dyes.

Color-catcher devices in sheet form are described for example in the following documents: EP 0033815, US 3694364, US 2006/0058212 and EP 1621604.

Color-catcher devices in the form of reclosable bags (color-catcher bags) are also known in the state of the art.

With respect to devices in sheet form, color- catcher bags have the advantage of guaranteeing a better separation of textile articles susceptible to becoming discolored from textile articles prone to/susceptible to absorbing fugitive dyes present in the washing bath, more effectively preventing the deposition of fugitive dyes on the latter due to the greater color-catching surface available.

Examples of reclosable color-catcher bags are described in the documents US 4,494,264 and WO 2009/083777.

According to US 4,494,264, the color-catcher bag consists of a textile material with high grammage (up to 600 g/m ² ) and thickness (e.g. honeycomb fabrics, knitted fabrics or multilayer materials based on non- woven-fabrics) . The high grammage gives the bag a mechanical resistance which is sufficiently high as to allow the bag to be re-used for a certain number of consecutive washings. The high thickness of the textile material, on the other hand, is considered as being essential for ensuring that the bag exerts an effective catching action of the fugitive dyes, as it guarantees a sufficiently long contact time between the fugitive dyes and the color-catcher compounds supported on the surface of the bag.

WO 2009/083777 Al describes reclosable color- catcher bags produced at least externally with a textile material having a permeability to particles measured according to the standard EN 1822-3:1988 which is such that, in a stream of 5 cm/s, the textile material withholds at least 54% of the particles with dimensions equal to or higher than 1 micrometer. The textile materials described in this document have a permeability to air within the range of 25-95 l/dm ² *min (equal to 41.75 - 158.65 mm/s) (EN ISO 9237) .

Although in at least one embodiment, the textile materials can be impregnated with color-catcher compounds, in WO 2009/083777 Al it is maintained that the deposition of fugitive dyes on textile articles is substantially avoided due to the filtering capacity of the textile material forming the bag. The low permeability of the textile material, in fact, would prevent the fugitive dyes present in the bath from passing through the wall of the bag and being deposited on textile articles susceptible to absorbing fugitive dyes. The mechanical resistance characteristics of the fabrics used for their production, moreover, are such as to allow the bags to be re-used for a certain number of consecutive washings.

With respect to the effectiveness of the cleansing action exerted by the washing bath on the textile articles washed with the aid of color-catcher bags, documents US 4494264 and WO 2009/083777 indicate that this is satisfactory, as the washing bath can freely penetrate the textile materials forming the bags. In both documents, however, no experimental evidence is provided of the actual cleansing effectiveness of the washing bath.

As far as the re-use of color-catcher bags in consecutive washing cycles is concerned, it can be observed that, as the color-catching action of these devices is partially and irregularly exhausted during each washing, the re-use of color-catcher bags raises the risk of accidentally damaging the textile articles subjected to washing, as it cannot be predicted with certainty whether the partially exhausted device will still be sufficiently effective with a certain washing cycle.

Furthermore, as it is known, during the washing, the textile material forming the bag tends to also accumulate textile residues (so-called fluff) deriving from the rubbing of the bag with the textile articles subjected to washing. When re-using the bag, in subsequent washing cycles, these textile residues can be transferred to other textile articles.

Considering the above state of the art, the Applicant has set the primary objective of providing a washing device in the form of a reclosable bag, which is effective in preventing the deposition of fugitive dyes on textile articles subjected to washing and, at the same time, guarantees a high cleansing action with respect to the same textile articles.

Within this overall task, a first objective of the present invention is to provide a washing device in the form of a reclosable color-catcher bag that guarantees an adequate circulation of the washing bath containing detergent compounds (e.g. surfactants, softeners, etc.) through the walls of the bag, so that the washing bath can exert its own cleaning action also with respect to the textile articles contained therein, and at the same time exerts an effective color-catching action with respect to fugitive dyes.

A second objective of the present invention is to provide a washing device in the form of a reclosable color-catcher bag that allows to effectively wash, simultaneously in a same washing bath, colored textile articles susceptible to becoming discolored during washing releasing fugitive dyes in the washing bath together with light-colored textile articles, in particular white, effectively preventing the deposition of said fugitive dyes on the light-colored or white textile articles.

A third objective of the present invention is to provide a washing device in the form of a reclosable color-catcher bag that allows colored textile articles susceptible to becoming discolored during washing, releasing high quantities of fugitive dyes in the washing bath (e.g. colored textile articles subjected to washing for the first time) , to be effectively washed simultaneously in the same washing bath, together with textile articles prone to absorbing fugitive dyes, in particular white articles, effectively preventing the deposition of fugitive dyes, without requiring that said textile articles susceptible to becoming discolored be previously subjected to one or more separate washings.

A fourth objective of the present invention is to provide a washing device in the form of a disposable reclosable color-catcher bag that substantially completely exerts its specific effectiveness in a single washing cycle.

A fifth objective of the present invention is to provide a washing device in the form of a reclosable color-catcher bag that can be produced in a simple and economical manner.

The Applicant has now found that the above and further objectives that will appear more evident in the following present description, can be achieved, according to a first aspect of the present invention, by means of a device for washing textile articles that comprises at least one water-permeable bag comprising at least one portion consisting of a textile material supporting at least one color-catcher compound for catching coloring compounds dispersed in a washing bath, said textile material having a grammage within the range of 40-200 g/m ² and an air permeability (UNI EN ISO 9237:1997) within the range of 1,000 - 3,500 mm/s.

According to a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for simultaneously washing a set of textile articles in a same washing bath, said set comprising at least:

(i) a first type of textile article which is colored with at least one coloring compound susceptible to being at least partially released in said washing bath;

(ii) a second type of textile article capable of at least partially absorbing said coloring compound released in said washing bath,

said method comprising the following steps: (a) providing the above-mentioned device comprising at least one water-permeable bag, said bag comprising at least one portion consisting of a textile material supporting at least one color-catcher compound for catching coloring compounds dispersed in a washing bath, said textile material having a grammage within the range of 40-200 g/m ² and an air permeability (UNI EN ISO 9237:1997) within the range of 1,000 - 3,500 mm/s;

(b) isolating the textile articles of the first type from the textile articles of the second type, by closing one of said types of textile articles inside said bag of said device;

(c) subjecting said device containing said first or said second type of textile article to washing in a washing bath together with the textile articles of said second type or of said first type, respectively.

The Applicant has surprisingly found that by using a textile material having a certain permeability and a certain grammage, a color-catcher device in the form of a reclosable bag can be produced, which not only effectively prevents the deposition of fugitive dyes on the textile articles subjected to washing, but also guarantees an effective cleansing of all the textile articles subjected to washing, i.e. both those subjected to washing inside the bag (for example, articles susceptible to absorbing fugitive dyes) and also those subjected to washing outside the bag (for example, articles susceptible to releasing said fugitive dyes) .

In particular, the device according to the present invention enables the simultaneous washing in a washing bath of light-colored textile articles, in particular white, together with colored textile articles that can release fugitive dyes in the washing bath, substantially avoiding the transfer of the fugitive dyes onto the light-coloured or white articles.

The device according to the present invention also allows the simultaneous washing of colored textile articles that can release high quantities of fugitive dyes, such as, for example, colored textile articles at the beginning of their useful life cycle (e.g. colored garments just purchased by a user and not yet subjected to any washing) , together with other textile articles, substantially avoiding the transfer of fugitive dyes onto the latter.

As shown by the experimental tests described in the present description, in addition to the color-catching action, the device according to the present invention guarantees a higher cleansing level of both textile articles susceptible to releasing fugitive dyes in the washing bath, and also textile articles susceptible to absorbing the above fugitive dyes from the washing bath, with respect to color-catcher devices in the form of bags according to the known art.

The high color-catching effectiveness of the device according to the present invention and the low grammage of the textile material used for its production advantageously allow the above device to be used as a disposable device, thus overcoming the problem of accidentally damaging textile articles during washing and the undesired transfer of textile residues from one textile article to another.

Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will appear more evident from the following description.

For the purposes of the present description and enclosed claims, the verb "comprise" and all the terms deriving therefrom also include the meaning of the verb "consist" and the terms deriving therefrom.

The device according to the present invention comprises at least one water-permeable bag. The bag comprises at least one portion consisting of a textile material supporting at least one color-catcher compound capable of catching coloring compounds dispersed in a washing bath. The bag is preferably entirely composed of the above textile material.

The textile material is preferably selected from: fabric, non-woven fabric (TNT) , knitted fabric or braided fabric.

The textile material is composed of fibers and/or yarns on which colour-catcher compounds can be stably and substantially irreversibly fixed during the washing cycle. The textile material, moreover, preferably has a wet mechanical strength and abrasion resistance which are such that it can be subjected to washing, in particular in washing machines for household or industrial use, without undergoing substantial breakage, even at high temperature (60°C or higher) .

The textile material can be composed of natural, synthetic, artificial fibers or mixtures thereof.

In a preferred embodiment, the textile material comprises natural fibers, such as cellulose fibers or cellulose-based fibers, such as cotton, bamboo, corn fibers or mixtures thereof.

In another preferred embodiment, the textile material can be a textile material having mixed artificial-synthetic fibers, i.e. a textile material comprising at least artificial fibers and synthetic fibers in a weight ratio of artificial fibers/synthetic fibers within the range of 90:10 - 10:90.

Color-catcher properties can, in fact, be easily imparted to the above textile materials having mixed fibers thanks to the presence of the artificial fibers; at the same time, the above mixed-fiber textile materials can be easily processed in industrial production processes in which, thanks to the presence of synthetic fibers, thermowelding techniques can also be used, for example for the production of the bag.

Examples of synthetic fibers that can be used for the purposes of the present invention are: polyethylene fibers, polypropylene fibers, fibers of polyester polymers (PES) (e.g. polyethylene-terephthalate (PET) and polybutylene-terephthalate (PBT) , fibers of acrylic polymers and bi-component fibers composed of filaments comprising at least two different polymers. The synthetic fibers are preferably bi-component fibers, more preferably bi-component fibers comprising polypropylene and polyester.

Examples of artificial fibers, i.e. fibers obtained starting from natural organic polymers, that can be used for the purposes of the present invention are: viscose fibers, acetate fibers, triacetate fibers, preferably viscose fibers .

The textile material preferably comprises yarns having a count within the range of 0.9 - 3 deniers.

According to the present invention, the textile material has a grammage within the range of 40 - 200 g/m ² , preferably within the range of 50 - 160 g/m ² , even more preferably within the range of 60 - 120 g/m .

The textile material also has an air permeability within the range of 1,000 - 3,500 mm/s, preferably within the range of 1,400 - 3,200 mm/s, even more preferably in the range 1,600 - 3,000 mm/s (measured according to the standard UNI EN ISO 9237:1997) .

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the textile material is a non-woven fabric (TNT) . The non-woven fabrics (TNT) can be prepared with techniques known to person skilled in the art, such as for example, spunlace, spunbonding, thermobonding processes, including production processes of non-woven fabrics starting from cellulose pulp (e.g. SPC, Arwell, etc . ) .

The bag of the device according to the present invention comprises at least one reclosable opening through which the textile articles to be washed can be introduced. For reclosing the opening, the bag can comprise one or more closure elements. The closure elements are preferably selected from: hinges, buttons, velcro® closures, strings or a combination thereof.

The closure of the bag serves to ensure that during washing, the washing bath permeates inside the bag in a controlled manner, i.e. passing through the textile material so that this can effectively exert a color- catching action with respect to the fugitive dyes present in the fraction of bath that passes through the bag .

Although the grammage and air permeability of the textile material according to the present invention can also be obtained by superimposing two or more layers of textile material (multilayer) , in a preferred embodiment, the washing device comprises a textile material supporting the color-catcher compounds in the form of a monolayer.

The use of a monolayer textile material, in fact, simplifies the production process of the color-catcher bag and reduces the quantity of textile material used.

A monolayer textile material is preferred in particular in the case of disposable devices.

The single layer of textile material preferably has a thickness within the range of 0.4 - 1.5 mm.

The bag according to the present invention can be produced in various forms and dimensions, according to the requirements of the user.

For use in a household environment, the bag can be formed, for example, in adequate dimensions for containing one or more garments or one or more textile articles for household use (e.g. tablecloths, sheets, etc . ) .

The textile material not only either totally or partially forms the bag of the device in which the textile articles to be washed can be enclosed, but also exerts the function of supporting the color-catcher compounds .

For this purpose, one or more color-catcher compounds can be stably fixed onto the textile material in accordance with techniques known to person skilled in the art. The colour-catcher compound can be applied, for example, by means of absorption, impregnation, spraying, printing and similar techniques.

The colour-catcher compound can be applied on one or, more preferably, on both sides of the textile material . The colour-catcher compounds are capable of reacting with the fugitive dyes present in the washing bath forming complexes therewith that remain substantially stably anchored, at least under the washing conditions, to the textile material on which the colour-catcher compounds are supported.

Colour-catcher compounds are typically of a cationic nature, as most of the fugitive dyes in aqueous washing baths are present in anionic form.

Colour-catcher compounds can also be used, however, that interact with fugitive dyes according to mechanisms different from cation-anion interaction, for example by interaction between the electrons of molecular aromatic systems, as described for example in US 2003/0158075.

Examples of color-catcher compounds that can be used for the purposes of the present invention are: quaternary ammonium salts of hydroxy-haloalkyl compounds, epoxyalkyl-ammonium salts, polymeric quaternary ammonium salts, cationic heterocyclic polymers, substituted amides, chitin, chitosan, choline chloride, polyvinyl amine, polyethylene imine or mixtures thereof.

In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the color-catcher compound is a compound having general formula (I)

I 4

X-CH ₂ -CHOH-CH2-N- Y

R

(I) or general formula (II)

R

(ID

wherein:

X is a halogen radical; Y is an anionic group selected from: chloride, bromide, sulfate and sulfonate; R is a group selected from: methyl, ethyl, butyl, benzyl and benzyl substituted with at least one hydroxyl .

A preferred example of a color-catcher compound having general formula (I) is (3-chloro-2- hydroxypropyl ) trimethylammonium chloride.

A preferred example of a color-catcher compound having general formula (II) is epoxy-trimethylammonium chloride .

For the purposes of the present invention, the textile materials supporting color-catcher compounds can be prepared as described, for example, in EP 003815, US 5698476 and US 2006/0058212. A preferred form of impregnation of the textile materials with color-catcher compounds is described in patent application IT MI2010A000767 of the same Applicant.

An example of a process for fixing the color- catcher compounds to the textile material is as follows .

The textile material is passed inside a diluted solution of the color-catcher compound in order to impregnate it completely. The concentration of the color-catcher compound can, for example, be within the range of 1-10% by weight with respect to the weight of the solution. The quantity of solution applied to the textile material can, for example, be equal to the weight of the textile material to be impregnated. The solution, moreover, can be kept at a basic pH, for example by the addition of a base, such as sodium hydroxide. The solution can also contain surfactants for enhancing the wettability of the textile material.

The textile material thus impregnated is then preferably maintained at a temperature within the range of 18°C - 30°C under controlled humidity conditions to complete the fixing reaction of the color-catcher agent to the surface.

In order to give the textile material greater wet toughness, after impregnation with the color-catcher solution, the textile material can be impregnated with a solution of a binding resin, such as, for example, an aqueous solution of a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin. The quantity of resin deposited on the textile material is preferably within the range of 0.1-1% by weight with respect to the weight of the textile material.

The washing device according to the present invention can be advantageously used for the washing of a set of textile articles, in both a household environment and on an industrial scale.

In particular, the device allows a set of textile articles to be simultaneously washed in a washing bath, avoiding the transfer of fugitive dyes from one textile article to another.

The above-mentioned set of textile articles comprises at least a first type (or group) of textile articles, whose coloring has been obtained with coloring compounds susceptible to being released (at least partially) in the washing bath during the washing itself, and at least a second type (or group) of textile articles susceptible to absorbing the above- mentioned coloring compounds released in the washing bath (fugitive dyes) .

The washing bath is typically composed of an aqueous solution comprising at least one cleansing compound (e.g. surfactants) and one or more possible washing additives (softeners, perfuming agents, etc.) .

The washing of the textile articles in the washing bath can be effected by hand or, more preferably, in a washing machine.

According to the present invention, the washing device is used for keeping the textile articles of the above two types, separate inside the washing bath. A textile article of the second type, for example, (i.e. subject to absorbing fugitive dyes) can be placed inside the bag which, once closed, can be subjected to washing together with a textile article of the first type (i.e. subject to decolouring), which, on the other hand, is introduced directly into the washing bath, i.e. without being enclosed in a device according to the invention.

In an alternative but equally effective embodiment, the textile article of the first type (i.e. subject to decolouring) can be placed inside the bag, whereas the textile article of the second type (i.e. subject to absorbing fugitive dyes) is introduced directly into the washing bath.

Thanks to the advantageous characteristics of the device according to the present invention, the washing bath exerts an effective cleaning action on both the textile article of the second type, enclosed in the device, and also on the textile article of the first type freely introduced into the bath.

The permeability of the textile material forming the bag is, in fact, such as to allow the water of the bath and compounds dissolved or dispersed therein, to pass through the wall of the bag, effectively cleaning the textile articles contained inside the bag, whether they be of the first type or of the second type. At the same time, the color-catcher compounds supported on the bag exert an effective catching action of the fugitive dyes released by the textile article of the first type, wherever this may be (i.e. inside or outside the bag), blocking them on the surface of the bag and preventing their dispersion in the washing bath and subsequent depositing on the textile article of the second type.

In a further embodiment, the textile articles of the first and second type can be introduced inside the respective washing devices, so as to maximize the protection of the textile articles with respect to the transfer of fugitive dyes.

Each washing device can contain one or more textile articles of the same type.

The washing device according to the present invention is particularly suitable for the washing of textile articles for household use, such as clothing, household drapes (sheets, cloths, curtains, rags, etc.) and in general all articles that can be typically washed in a washing machine, including shoes and canvas bags, children" s toys (e.g. cloth dolls, mats, soft toys , etc. ) .

The use of the color-catcher bag according to the present invention also offers further advantages in addition to those indicated above.

The textile articles that are subjected to washing after being introduced into the bag, for example, are protected from the action of wear caused by rubbing with other textile articles or against the walls of the washing machine. This protection effect is particularly advantageous in the case of delicate garments (e.g. underwear) or having decorative elements (e.g. beads, lace) , as it avoids damage, increasing the useful life of the garments.

The washing device according to the present invention is also capable of preventing white textile articles from greying after repeated washings or at least delaying the appearance of a grey coloring.

The following embodiment examples are provided for purely illustrative purposes of the present invention and should not be considered as limiting the protection scope defined by the enclosed claims.

EXAMPLE

Bag nr. 1 (according to the invention)

A color-catcher bag according to the present invention was prepared by joining, on two sides, by means of thermowelding, the edges of a sheet of non- woven fabric (TNT) having dimensions of 30 cm x 76 cm, after folding it in half on the side of 76 cm (final dimensions of the bag: 30 cm x 38 cm), so as to leave only one opening on one of the two short sides. The closure of the bag is effected by means of a string of the same TNT material, which tightens the opening from the outside.

The TNT sheet has a thickness of 0.70 mm. The TNT is produced with viscose fibers and polypropylene/polyester bi-component fibers (85% by weight of viscose fibers, 15% by weight of bi- component fibers) .

The TNT sheet has a grammage of 70 g/m ² and an air permeability (EN ISO 9237:1997 -Akustron Air Permeability instrument) of 2,600 mm/s.

In order to give the TNT color-catcher properties, it was immersed in an aqueous solution comprising (weight percentages referring to the weight of the aqueous solution) :

- 4% by weight of ( 3-chloro-2-hydroxy propyl ) trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC) in an aqueous solution at 65% by weight) ;

- 10% by weight of sodium hydroxide;

- water.

The TNT was then removed from the solution and subsequently passed in a pair of squeezing cylinders in order to uniformly distribute the solution absorbed and eliminate the excess liquid. At the end of the impregnation, the TNT was kept in a thermostat- regulated chamber at 25°C for 20 hours. The TNT was then subjected to rinsing with water to eliminate the excess reagents. The rinsed and wet TNT was subsequently impregnated with an aqueous solution of a polyamide-epichlorohydrin resin and then dried at a temperature of 140°C (resin absorbed by the TNT equal to about 0.2% by weight with respect to the weight of the dry TNT) . Bag nr. 2 (according to the invention)

A second color-catcher bag according to the invention was prepared following the procedure described for Bag 1, using sheets of a textile material consisting of a monolayer (thickness 0.65 mm) of viscose/polypropylene/polyester bi-component TNT (85% by weight of viscose, 15% by weight of bi-component) having a grammage of 80 g/m ² and an air permeability (EN ISO 9237:1997) of 1,800 mm/s. The color-catcher agent was fixed onto the TNT following the procedure described for Bag 1.

Bag nr. 3 (comparative example)

As a comparative example, a bag was prepared following the procedure described for Bag 1, using a textile material consisting of a monolayer (thickness 0.90 mm) of viscose/polyester TNT (70% by weight of viscose fibers, 30% by weight of polyester fibers) having a grammage of 70 g/m ² and an air permeability (EN ISO 9237:1997) higher than 3,500 mm/s. The color- catcher agent was fixed onto the TNT following the procedure described for Bag 1.

Bag nr. 4 (comparative example)

As a comparative example, a color-catcher bag available on the market was used (dimensions: 35 cm x 40 cm) having the characteristics described in WO 2009/083777. The textile material forming the bag is an Evolon® polyester/polyamide TNT (70% by weight of polyester, 30% by weight of polyamide) having a thickness of 0.35 mm, a grammage of 100 g/m ² and an air permeability (EN ISO 9237:1997) of 150 mm/s. Bag 4 was not treated with any color-catcher agent. The opening of the bag can be closed with a zip. Color-catcher sheets (comparative example)

For comparative purposes, color-catcher sheets were prepared, using the same textile material impregnated with the color-catcher agent adopted for Bag 1. The dimensions of the sheets are: 15 cm x 19 cm.

The characteristics of the color-catcher devices are indicated in Table 1.

Table 1 - Characteristics of the color-catcher devices

PES = polyester; VISC = viscose; PA = polyamide; BICO = polypropylene/polyester bi-component .

2 comparative example.

Effectiveness tests of the color-catching action

The effectiveness of the color-catching action of the devices was evaluated as follows.

A receptor fabric composed of a cotton sheet DIN

53919 (dimensions: 33 cm x 20 cm) was inserted in a color-catcher bag and the bag was closed.

The bag containing the receptor fabric was subjected to washing together with a donor fabric (EMPA

134 Direct Orange 39, dimensions: 33 cm x 20 cm) and a ballast (1.9 kg) in a laundry washing machine of the household type (Candy) . The donor fabric was put in direct contact with the washing bath, i.e. not enclosed in any device.

The ballast consisted of a non-optical white polyester fabric substantially incapable of absorbing fugitive dyes.

In the case of color-catcher sheets, 8 sheets were introduced into the laundry washing machine, so as to have an overall color-catcher surface area equal to that of Bag 1. The sheets were subjected to washing in direct contact with the washing bath together with the receptor fabric, the donor fabric and the ballast.

The washings were effected in water, at 50°C (duration of the washing cycle about 2 hours) with the aid of 35 g of a liquid detergent (Dixan® Fresco Pulito (Fresh and Clean) ) .

The receptor fabric was subjected to spectrophotometric reading (X RITE ci 4200 instrument; wavelength 400 - 700 nm) before and after each washing, in order to evaluate the color variation ΔΕ (according to the scale CMC 2:1) caused by the absorption of the fugitive dyes. The lower the ΔΕ value indicated on the receptor fabric after washing, the more effective the color-catching action exerted by the device will be.

In order to simulate the behaviour of the textile articles subjected to repeated washings, the washing cycles described above were repeated up to 5 consecutive times, substituting the exhausted color- catcher device at each washing with a new color-catcher device, and re-using the same receptor and donor fabrics . The results of the effectiveness tests of the color-catching action are indicated in Table 2.

Table 2 - Effectiveness of the color- catching action

NUMBER Bag 1 Bag 2 Bag 3* Bag 4* Sheets*

OF

(ΔΕ) (ΔΕ) (ΔΕ) (ΔΕ) (ΔΕ)

WASHINGS

1 0.22 0.41 4.56 4.40 8.93 ⁺

2 1.14 0.98 4.63 4.73

5 2.55 1.63 6.59 5.63

comparative examp

average value of the readings effected on the single sheets

The tests effected show that the devices according to the present invention have a high color-catching effectiveness which is exerted in particular in the first washing cycle, wherein the ΔΕ value registered for the receptor fabric is lower than 1 (i.e. the color variation is not substantially perceptible to the naked eye) .

The results of the test after 5 washings show that the color variation of the receptor fabric observed when the devices according to the present invention are used, is significantly lower with respect to that of the receptor fabrics washed with the aid of the comparative devices. This indicates that the devices according to the present invention are also more effective than the comparative devices in limiting the greying phenomenon of the fabrics after repeated washings .

Effectiveness test of the washing action

The effectiveness of the washing action on textile articles subjected to washing with the aid of color- catcher devices was evaluated according to the following procedure.

A stained fabric, consisting of a cotton fabric with standard stains CMS-202-W of WFK, was introduced into the color-catcher bag, and the bag was closed with a string.

The bag containing the stained fabric was subjected to washing together with the polyester ballast under the same washing conditions described above for the effectiveness test of the colour-catching action.

The stained fabric was subjected to spectrophotometric reading to determine the color variation ΔΕ (according to the scale CMC 2:1) before and after each washing, so as to evaluate the removal degree of the stains from the fabric. The higher the ΔΕ value detected for a certain stain, the more effective the washing action with respect to the same will be.

A washing cycle was also carried out as reference, in which the stained fabric was introduced into the laundry washing machine directly in contact with the washing bath (i.e. not enclosed in any washing device) together with the ballast.

The results of the effectiveness tests of the washing action are indicated in Table 3. Table 3 - Effectiveness of the washing action

Type of stain Bag 1 Bag 2 Bag 3 ¹ Reference ²

(ΔΕ) (ΔΕ) (ΔΕ) (ΔΕ)

1) Exhausted 9.58 7.98 8.29 9.41 engine oil

2) Animal fat & 17.49 16.78 16.74 16.326 dye

3) Garden turf 2.95 2.11 1.53 1.48

4) Butter 9.78 7.89 7.63 7.22

5) Grass 17.300 17.08 16.31 16.636

6) Chocolate 20.91 18.37 15.70 18.690 dessert

7) Red wine 10.11 10.425 9.86 10.018

8) Clay 8.39 5.32 4.74 4.084

9) Beta 8.012 8.13 7.36 7.350 carotene

10) Blood 37.208 36.579 36.52 36.184

11) Curry sauce 13.827 11.087 12.86 10.741

12) Baby food 11.319 7.387 5.08 3.971

13) Tea 19.54 19.167 15.90 15.760

14) Tomato 28.55 27.100 27.12 21.871 sauce

15) Cosmetics 11.737 9.083 7.12 7.374

Comparative Example

2 Reference washing The results of the test show that, in general, articles washed inside the bags show a removal degree of the stains comparable to or higher than that of the reference washing.

For different types of stains, in particular types nr. 6, 8, 12, 13, and 15, the washing effected with the aid of the devices of the present invention guarantees a significantly higher removal degree of the stain with respect to the washing effected with the comparative device according to the known art. For other types of stains, the effectiveness of the washing effected with the aid of the devices of the present invention is at least comparable to that of the comparative device, if not higher.