FIELD OF THE VENTION The present invention relates to components fc r and processes concerning the dry-cleaning of te7itilcs and garments that are especially adapted fo non-commercial use.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Classically, the term"dry-cleaning"has been used to refer to processes involving the cleaning of textiles through the use of non-aqueous solvents. In fact, cleaning with solvents has been known for some time, having been first recorded in the United Kingdom as early as the 1860's.

Dry-cleaning processes find greatest applicability for'es such as linens, rayons, woolens and

silks, that are subject to shrinkage in aqueous launderi g processes. Moreover, dry-cleaning is also<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> favored where garments are determined to be too valua le or too delicate to be subjected to aqueous laundering techniques. Various hydrocarbon and halo solvents have traditionally been used in dry-cleaning processes, but the need to handle and rcclaim such solvents has primarily restricted the practice of conventional dry-cleaning to commercial establishments. Further, such solvents of late have encountered increasing criticism due to environmental concerns.

While solvent-based dry-cleaning processes are quite effective for removing oily soils and stains, they arc not optimal for removing certain parti ate matter such as clay soils, nor are they particularly effective at removing proteinaccous stains which may require specialized treatments.

Conventional techniques for the removal ofparticulates and proteinaceous stains involve the use of detersive ingredients and operating conditions which ae more akin to aqueous laundering processes than to conventional dry-cleaning.

In general, fabric cleaning and refreshment processes such as laundering and dry-cleaning are used to clean entire garments. However, in some cJrcumstances, it may be desirable to clean portions of a larger sarment, or only localized areas o fabnic. Altematively, it may be desirable to spot-clean a stain in a localized region before subjecti g the entire garment to an overall dry-cleaning or laundering process.

In addition to the cleaning function, dry-cleaningalso provides "refreshment" benefits. So-called kitswhichfrcshenand/orspot-cleansoiledfabricsdry-cleaning have becn described in the prior art, and commercial products arc appearing with increasing frequency in the consumer market. These non-comma Icial dry-cleaning products remove undesirable odors and extraneous matter such as hair and lint front textiles. The use of such products is targeted

to reduce the number of visits a consumer must make to commercial dry-cleaning establishments in those instances where garments may be only lightly soi cd or malodorous.

One method for dry-cleaning fabrics in a laund dryer is disclosed in EP 0 429 172Al by Lcigh, et al., which involves the placing of fabrics into a flexible container, such as a bag, along with one or more flexible treated substrate articles. fabrics and treated substrate article are then tumbled together inside the flexible container in a launc dryer, after which the container is opened and the fabrics are removed. Another method for treating fabrics in a laundry dryer is disclosed by Smith, er al., in U. S. Pat. No. 5,238,587. Snuth diselo a fabric cleaning article for use with a home dry-cleaning kit comprising a porous substrate sheet impregnated with a gollcd cleaning composition. The gelled cleaning composition consists water, a gelling agent. an organic solvent,<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> and a surfactant. Yet another home dry-cleaning compostion intended for use in contacting garments in domesticclothesdryersisdisclosedbySidoti,etal.,U.S.Pat.No5,8 65,851.with The compositions of Sidoti, et al., comprise water, a ananionicsurfactantsurfactant, selected from among sulfosuccinates and sulfosuccinamates as well as salt formes thereof ; and an organic solvent. Thickeners and gelling agents are mentioned as possible adjuvants. One disadvantage of the Sidoti formulations is that the cleaning compositions require two different surfactants in addition to an organic solvent. Furthermore, the formulation is intended to provide effective cleaning while featuring substantial thickening levels of 92.5% water. Yet further compositions for treating garments in home dry-cleaning processes are disclosed by Siklosi, et al., in U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,547,476 and 5,632,780, which teach aqueous system comprising two or more solvents. Other compositions for the treatment of garments in home dry-cleaning processes are taught by Roetker in U. S. Pat. Nos. 5,591,236 and 56i0, 847 ; and Siklosi in 5,547,476.

One disadvantage of several of the prior art techniques is that the cleaning compositions

require thickeners and/or gelling agents that may or may not contributc to the cleaning efficacy of the formulations. An additional disadvantage of many of ire prior art compositions is the fact that residual powders or particles may be left behind on or utrained in the articles or garments with <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> which they have been contacted. Finally, another theseveralpriorartdry-cleaningof <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> techniques is that the pre-treatment process may resultin incomplete removal of the stain(s), and/or the formation of"rings"or other unsightly residues on: he fabrics.

None of the prior art references teach the use c f a cleaning composition for non-commercial dry-cleaning purposes that obviates the need for extr ous thickeners or gelling agents. In addition, none of the prior art techniques for non-commetcial I-cleanin feature compositions that leave no visible residues either in or on the surface of the articles being refreshed and/or cleaned. Moreovcr, none of the prior art techniques for in-home dry-cleani ing provide a containment bag that has high heat resistance, mamans its flexibility and provides acceptable hand-feel to the consumer with repeated usage.

SUMMARY AND AVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to heat-activated cleaning compositions and methods for the removal of stains, soils and malodors from fabrics and/or related garments. The present invention anticipates the use of cleaning compositions in conjunction with some type of warming or heat source, or a home heat-generating device. By way of example, it is comtemplated that the cleaning processes of the present invention will typically and most generally be employed in conjunction with the use of a rotary clothes-type dryer. However, components of the present invention, such as the pre-treatment compositions and the absorbent pa, may find utility for removing localized stains or soils without subsequently causing the entire garment to be heat treated.

Although the following discussions will be mai ly directed towards the use of a home rotary dryer, it will be understood by those knowledgeable in e relevant area that any of the components of the present invention may be appropriate for use ei alone, i. c., without exposure to a rotary drycr, or through exposure to some other heat source such as a hotair gun, hair blower, heat fan, microwave oven, the sun, etc.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a process for the dry-cleaning of a garment or other textile article comprises: (a) optionally pre-treating a textile contaii a localized area of stain by subjecting it to a fluid pre-trcatment composition in combination with an absorbent stain receiving medium; and heat treating a textile that has been optionally procreated according to step (a) together with an activator cloth containing an activatorl solution into a flexible, sealable containment means.

In a preferred embodiment, the fluid pre-treatrßent composition for use in dry-cleaning textile article processes is non-thickened and comprises about each of one or more anionic surfactant (s), about each of one or more nonionie surfactant (s), about amine oxide, about 0.0-1.0% preservative, about 0.01-4.0% sodium borate, and about 50.0-99.99% one or more fluid solvent (s).

As stated above, the heat treatment procedure javill typically involve tumbling the sealable pouch or bag 110 and its contents at elevated temperatures in a home rotary-type clothes dryer. The various components for use with the dry-cleaning process will now be discussed in greater detail.

It is therefore an object and an advantage of tge present invention to provide a composition

for non-commercial dry-cleaning that avoids the need for thickeners or gelling agents.

It is also an object and an advantage of the présent invention to provide a composition for the non-commercial spot dry-cleaning of fabric, which composition effectively cleans a localized region without leaving behind unsightly residues or "rings" on the fabric.

It is yet a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide a composition for the non-commercial dry-cleaning of garments or otherarticles that leaves behind no residues or build-up of materials either in or on the surface of the articles being refreshed and/or cleaned.

It is further an object and an advantage of the present invention to provide a composition for the non-commercial dry-cleaning of garments or other articles which does not discolor treated garments upon exposure to high temperature hcating conditions.

It is also a further object and advantage of the present invention to provide an improved containment bag for whichbagdry-cleaning exhibits high heat resistance, yet improved flexibility and hand-feel, even with repeated usage.

I Tt is yet a still further object and advantage of the present invention to provide an activator solution which provides the refreshing or cleaning of fåbric articles while minimizing wrmkling.

It is still further an object and advantage of the present invention to provide a surfactantless activator solution for the cleaning and/or refreshing of articlesin a dry-cleaning process.

It is yet another object and another advantage presentinventiontoprovideaborate-the containingcontainingpre-treatment fluid for use in an whichnowash-outisrequired.in It is yet another object and another advantage'f the present invention to provide an activator cloth loaded with a minimal amount of activator solutic n, thereby reducing wrinkling and minimizing the unnecessary use of volatile, potentially harmful vapors and/or other chemicals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a representative schematic view of a preferred embodiment of the dry cleaning kit 100 of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The description that follows is presented to en rible one skilled in the art to make and use the present invention, and is provided in the context of a particular application and its requirements.

Various modifications to the disclosed embodiments will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principals discussed below may be appliedto other embodiments and applications without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Therefore, the invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments disclosed, but the invention is to be given the largest possible scope which is consistent with the principals and features described herein.

Unless specifically indicated otherwise, all amounts given in the text and the examples which follow are understood to be modified by the and"about" those figuresexpressed in terms of percent (%) are understood to refer to weight percent, otherwise.indicated FIG. 1 is a representative schematic view of preferred embodiment of the dry cleaning kit

100 of the present invention. In a preferred embodimett, the kit 100 comprises one or more portions of a predetermined dimension of absorbent stain rcmovd medium 102 for absorbing the stain partitioned from the article to be cleaned. An activator cloth 104 or other absorptive substrate is impregnated, soaked or otherwise loaded with a volatileor other liquid activator solution 106 (shown as a vapor for illustrative purposes) for partitioning the stain from the article to be cleaned.

Individual activator cloths 104 are sealed within a foil racket or other containment device 108 such as used for pre-moistened, individual towelettes. A specialized laundry-type bag or containment system 110, shown relatively smaller than would be required, is sized to contain the textile article or articles to be cleaned (nost shown), the absorbent stain removal medium 102, and the activator cloth 104, all within the dryer (not shown). A closure means 112 such as mating pieces of hook and loop material at one end of the containment bag 110 seal or close the containment bag 110 as desired.

Optionally, the kit 100 also comprises a plastic bottlc 120 with a sealing cap 122 over a dropper or other type distal tip 124 to controllably dispense a pre f catment stain formula 126 for pre-treating spots prior to cleamng. For distribution of the kit 100 to consumers or for storagc, it will be useful to provide a specialized receptacle 130 with removable lid or cover 132. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art, therefore, that essentially any combination of the above items can be packaged or distributed together, all individually and in combination included within the scope of this invention, and only some of the most preferred shown in FIG. 1. : Stain-R Medium One of the first steps in the forfabricsorgamentsistoinspecttheprocess item for regions of limited or localized soiling or stains. As heat treatment is known to set stains and make them more difficult to subsequentcleaning,itisoftendesirabletospottreatandduring thereby remove any stains prior to dry-cleaning of an entire article. In order to prevent stains from

re-appearing elsewhere on the garment being treated and avoid the seepage of liquids onto the user or surrounding surfaces, an absorbent stain receiving medum 102 is used in conjunction with a liquid pre-treatment solution 126. An absorbent stain receivertherefore comprises one of the components employed for pro-treating an article, and may optional be used prior to dry-cleaning the entire article.

The absorbent stain receiving medium 102 for use with the dry-cleaning processes the present invention typically comprises an absorbent pad of an appropriate sort. However, the mate<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> present invention typically comprises an absorbent pad of an appropriate sort. However, the material selected for use with the absorbent pad must be one thak is suitable to address a number of criteria, given the manner in which it is used. A particularly well-known and highly effective method for spot- treating stains incorporates the introduction of a ontoonesideofafabric,solution with a relatively more abosbent medium placed on the opposite side of the fabric. During application of the pre-treatmcnt solution 126, the absorbent medium draws the stain-containing prc- treatment solution 126 through the fabric, and wicks it away from the fabric such that the stain is not re-deposited on to the fabric. One criterion for an acceptable absorbent stain receiving medium 102, therefore, is that it must wet sufficiently quickly and be effective at drawing the pre-treatrnent solution 126 away from the item being treated.

Additional criteria for the absorbent stain recefVing medium 102 or absorbent pad include: maintain the integrity of the absorbent pad through repcated use and/or rubbing without ripping, tearing or falling apart; non-or minimal linting, such I.. the absorbent pad does not introduce lint or fine particulate matter onto the article (s) being pre-t eatcd; the surface of the absorbent pad <BR> <BR> <BR> should be smooth such that it does not interfere naporthe surfacetexture of the article being<BR> pre-treated; provide a sufficient barrier to leakage of the pre-treatment solution 126 onto work<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> pre-treated ; provide a sufficient barrier to leakage of t e pro-treatment solution 126 onto work

surfaces or onto other regions of the article being cleaned to prevent undesirable contact with other articles or the user; provide a good"hand feel"such dia, use and placement of the absorbent pad is a pleasant experience; and not contain components which may transfer onto the article being cleaned.

A number of items were evaluated for possible! use with the absorbent pad of the present I invention. These included: papcr toweling; commerciall available diaper material; sponges; pads of polyester, rayon and the like; etc. Paper and ccllulosic-based materials such as the above, howcvcr, were found to be too frangible and/or introduced too much lint onto the target articles to be desirable. Morcover, these items did not retain sufficicrlt pre-treatment solution 126 to prevent further seepage onto surrounding fabrics or workspace Pulp products were sufficiently absorbent, but ripped when rubbed. Various forms of polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester and rayon that were either air-laid or spun-bond were also evaluated. + hc problem with these materials was that they were either not very absorbent and did not wick the pre-treatment solution 126 away from the article being spot-treated, or they provided an insufiiciAnt moisture barrier to keep the pre-trcatmcnt solution 126 from leaking out onto the work surface.

In another series of tests, it was puzzling to discover that white, opaque or yellowing spots occasionally appeared on dry-cleaned articles that had previously been subject to pre-treatment processes. More thorough evaluation then revealed than the appearance of white spots was directly attributable to-and accompanied useof-certainabsorbentpadsinconjunctionwithpre-the treatment solution 126 during the initial pre-treatment process. (In these instances, the application of heat during dryer treatemnt emrely served to"set" the white spots and make them more noticeable.) Somewhat surprisingly, then, it was learned that the wtite spots were actually optical brighteners<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> that had been transferred from the absorbent pad onto e article by the pre-treatment solution 126.

Apparently, the pre-treatment solution 126 would wick the stain from the article onto the absorbent pad, but simultaneously introduce the brightener from the absorbent to the article being cleaned during pre-treatment! Consequently, prior art dry-clean g kits that indicate that towels, absorbent cloths or paper toweling are acceptable for use as the sain-receiving article can potentially lead to deleterious results if the towels, cloths, cte., are launde ed with cleaning products that contain optical brighteners or are manufactured with the optical bright xiers to enhance their appearance for commercial sale. It is therefore preferred to use a stain-receiving article which does not incorporate optical brighteners at levels which exceed that which would result in a change of fluorescence-on the garment or aStensbyWhitcnessvalueofabout2.than One material that was found to provide especially acceptable stain-wicking and pre- treatment-wetting performance in addition to meeting t other criteria set forth above is a pulp/polypropylene meltblown (coform) absorbent pad commercially available from Kimberly-Clark. A particularly preferred coform absorbent pad has a basis weight of 190 grams per square meter (190 gsm). One or more laminates on thepad provide even better characteristics.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, therefore, a coform absorbent pad features a moisture-resistant backing on one side of the pad. In an alternate embodiment of the present invention, a penetrable laminate that allows moisture penetrate while preventing lint from being transferred from the pad to the article being cleaned is used on one side of the absorbent pad. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <P> According to a preferred embodiment presentinvention,theabsorbentpadfeaturesbothathe <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> moisture-resistant backing on one side of the pad anda ontheoppositelaminate side of the pad.

Pre-Treatment Solution In conjunction with dry-cleaning processes that are intended for home use, it is often

desirable-although not imperative-to use a pre-treatmcnt solution 126 for the spot removal of localized soils or stains on fabrics or garments to be cleaned. Typically, a pre-treatment solution is used in conjunction with an absorbent pad as described in the precedmg section. However, as will be understood by those knowledgeable in the relevant art, c usc of an absorbent pad is not necessarily required in conjunction with a pre treatrncrit solution 106, and such use is therefore optional. A number of different pre-treatment solution 126 evalutedforuseinthedry-were <BR> cleaning processes of the present invention, as will now be described further.

Technology with regards to pre-treatment solution predominately deals with their use prior to aqueous laundering or solvent dry-cleaning.Surprisingly, Applicants found that many such pre- trcatment solutions were not suitable for use in the forwhiletheydidnotinvention, necessarily become manifest upon initial application or cvcn after air-drying, the solutions did exhibit discoloration onto the underlying garment after jeatment and subsequent introduction into a <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> rotary dryer accompanied by high temperature drying, t is therefore a necessary criterion that an<BR> cffcctive pre-treatment solution 126 be so formulated as to avoid discoloration during high temperature drying.

As stated above, in a preferred embodiment tru fluid pre-treatment composition is non- thickened and comprises about 0.01-2.0% each of one or more anionic surfactant (s), about 0.01- <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> 5.0% each of one or more nonionic surfactant (s), about amine oxide, about 0.0-1.0%<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> preservative, about 0.01-4.0% sodium borate, and about 80.0-99.99% one or more fluid solvent (s).

In preferred embodiments, the total surfactantsl concentration is not greater than about 9.0% total weight. In more preferred embodiments, the total surfactaots concentration is not greater than

about 5.0%. In most preferred embodiments, the total surfactants concentration is not greater than about 5.0%.

Anionic and Nonionic Surfactants <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> The anionic surfactants may include a negativelycharged water solubilizing group.<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> areodiumsaltsofsulfonatedbenzene,1,1-oxybis,tetrapropylenede rivativesarePreferredgroups sold under the trademark Dowfax 2A1. Dowfax materials are from Dow Chemical co. and are mixtures of sulfonated alkyldiphenyl ethers. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <P> The nonionic beselectedfrommodifiedpolysiloxanes,alkoxylatedlinearmay <BR> and branched alcohols, alkoxylated phenol ethers, glycosides,and the like. Trialyl amine oxides, such as dimethyl, mondodecyl amine oxide, and other referredtoas"semi-polar"often nonionics, may also be employed. Alkyl polyoxyalkylene ether is sold under the trademark Surfonic JL-80X. Polyethylene glycol ethers including alkylox olyethyleneoxyethanol is sold under the trademark Tergitol 15-S-5 by Union Carbide as a noni nic surfactant.

Also preferred are modified modifiedpolysiloxaneThe can be an alkoxylated dimethylsiloxane, such as those available form Byk Chemic, such as agentshaveThese softening properties and will be included within the scope of the present invention.

The alkoxylated alcohols may include, for andcthoxylatedandethoxylated, propoxylated C6el4 alcohols, with about 2-10 moles ofeihylene oxide, or I-10 and 1-10 moles of ethylene and propylene oxide per mole of alcohol, respectively. Exemplary surfactants are available from Shell Chemical under the trademarks Neodol and iSfonic, and from Huntsman Chemicals under the trademark Surfonic (e. g., Surfonic L12-6, a C10-12 ethoxylated alcohol with 6 moles of

ethylene oxide, and Surfonic L12-8, a C10-12 ethoxylated alcohol with 8 moles of ethylene oxide, and othcrs under the Surfonic label).

The alkoxylaied phenol ethers may include, for example, octyl-and nonylphenol others, with varying degrees of alkoxylation, such as 1-10 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of phenol. The alkyl group may vary, for example, from C6 16 with octyl-ald nonyl chain lengths being readily available.

Alkyl phcnol ethoxylate is sold under the trademark Surfonic N-40. Various suitable products arc available from Rohm & Haas under the trademark Triton, such as Triton N-57, N-101, N-111, X- 45, X-100, X-102, from Mazer Chemicals under the trademark Macol, from GAF Corporation under the trademark Igepal, and from Huntsman under the trademark Surfonic.

The glycosides, particularly the alkyl polyglycosides, may also be used as a surfactant for purposes of the pre-treatment composition 126 of the present invention. These glycosides include those of the formula: ROC, HO), (Z), wherein R is a hydrophobic group (e. g., alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl etc., including branched or unbranched, saturated and unsaturated, and hydroxylated or alkoxylated members of the foregoing. among other possibilities) containing from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms, preferably from about 8 to about 15 carbon atoms, and more preferably from about 9 to about 13 carbon atoms; n is a number from 2 to about 4, preferably 2 (thereby giving corresponding unus such as ethylene, propylene and butylene oxide): y is a number having an average value of from p to about 12, preferably 0; Z is a moiety derived from a reducing saccharide containing5 or 6 carbon atoms (e.g., a glucose, frutose, talose,gulose,allose,altrose,idose,mannose,galactose, arabinose, xylose, lyxose, or ribose unit, etc., but most preferably a glucose unit); and x is a nuihber having an average value of from 1 to about 10, preferably from 1 to about 5, and more pretejrably from 1 to about 3.

It would be apparent that a number of variations with respect to the makeup of the glycosides arc possible. For example, mixtures of saccharide moieties (Z) may be incorporated into polyglycosides. Also, the hydrophobic group (R) can be attache at the 2-, 3-, or 4-positions of a saccharide moiety rather than at the 1-position (thus giAring, for example, a glucosyl as opposed to a glucoside). In addition, normally free hydroxyl groups of the saccharide moiety may be alkoxylated or polyalkoxylated. Further, the CnH2nO)y group may include ethylene oxide and propylene oxide in random or block combinations, among a number of other possible variations.

An exemplary glycoside surfactant is APG 3 2n, which is manufactured by the Hcnkcl Corporation. APG 325n is a nonionic alkyl polyglycoside in which R is a mixture of C9, C10 and C11 chains in a weight ratio respectively of 40 (equivjalent to an average of C, 02), with x of 1.6, HLBof13.1.andan Compositions containing other surfactants mat bc more or less desirable as appropriate or equivalent for use in the oolor and fabric care composition of the present invention. It will be known to those skilled in the art that the use of any other surfactants, dispersing or emulsifying agents which are known and used presently, as well as those which are newly discovered or other known chemicals which are found to be useful as such or for such, will be included within the scope of the present invention.

A further semi-polar nonionic surfactant is alkylamidoaikylenedialkyianune oxide. Its structure is shown below:

wherein R1 is R2andR3areC1-4alkyl,R1-C-NH-(CH2)n-or-(CH2)p-OH,althoughalky l, <BR> R2 and R3 do not have to be equal or the same nand is 1-5, preferably 3, and p is 1-6, preferably thesurfactantcouldbeethoxylated(1-10molesofEO/mole)orAdditio nally, propoxylated (1-10 moles ThissurfactantisavailablefromvarioussourcesasaPO/mole). cocoamidopropyldimethyl amine oxide; it is sold by Lonza Chemical Company under the brand name Barlox C. Additional semi-polar surfactants may include phosphine oxides and sulfoxides.

Further examples on nonionics include Union ¢arbide's tri-methyl-nonyl alcohol ethoxylates with brand names Tergitol TMN-3 (2,6,8-trimethyl-4-nonyloxypolyethyleneoxyethanol) and Tcrgitol TMN-10. The TMN-series are"Tri-Methyl Nonanol ethoxylates". The structures consist of a branched alkyl (synonomous with hydrocarbon) tail (the part that likes oil-hydrophobic or lipophilic) and a repeated ethylene oxide head (the part that likes water - hydrophilic or lipophobic).

The branched alkyl tail makes the tail more hydrophobic than a unbranched or straight tail. The ? ethylene oxide portion is repeated units, termed ethoxylates. They like water and the longer the chain length, the more soluble the surfactant in water. Thus, alkyl EO-10 (TMN-10) with seven ethylene oxide groups is more soluble in water than alkyl EO-3 (TMN-3).

Other nonionics described in the following paragraphs are also suitable, for example the Tergitol linear ethoxylatc sulfates which consist of a liner un-branched alkyl chain and pendant ethoxylate chain with a terminal sulfate group).

Amine Oxides The amine oxides, referred to as mono-long chin, di-short chain, trialkyl amine oxides, have the general configuration:

wherein R1 is C0-24 alkyl, and R2 and R are both Cl,, aikyl, or C, l hydroxyalkyl, although R2 and R3 do not have to be equal. These amine oxides can also bE ethoxylatcd or propoxylated. The preferred amine oxide is lauryl amine oxide. The commercial sources for such amine oxides arc Barlox 10,12, 14 and 16 from Lonza Chemical Company, Varox by Vitco and Ammonyx by Stepan Company.

Ammonyx LO is another such amine oxide sold by Stean Company.

AaLV An additional additive which has been found to impart unique cleaning performance to the inventive pre-treatnent composition is alkali metal borate, commonly referred to as borax. Borax, or, more accurately, di-alkali metal tetraborate n-hydrate (preferably, Na B407 x nH2O, where n=0-10, most preferably, 4,5 or 10, although anhidrous borax is possible), is the preferred compound for use in the invention. The alkali metal counterion may be selected from sodium, potassium or lithium, or a combination thereof. Borax decahydrate is the most commonly found form of borax and is the compound assumed when one discusses borax.

Borax pentahydrate is another preferred compound, and most preferred is borax tetrahydrate. Other boron-based compounds potentially suitable for use are disclosed in ofChemicalTechnology,3rdEd,Vol.4,pp.67-109(1978),Kirk-Othmer ,Encyclopedia said pages being incorporated herein by reference.! Borax can be obtained from such vendors as U. S. Borax and North American Borax. Other potentially useful materials include boric acid (See, KirSOthmer, Encyclopedia Chemical Technology, 3rd Ed., Vol. 4,

pp. 71-77 (1978), incorporated herein by referenc4). Boric acid has the structure H3BO3.

Boric acid is available from such suppliers as Kerr-McGee Corporation. Polyborate, tetraboric acid, sodium metaboratc and other forms of boron may also pe appropriate alternative materials.

In the invention, it has been found that a critica. amount of boratc should be present in the prc-treatment composition. Prcfcrably, the level borate should not be greater than about 1.0%.

More preferably, the level of borate should not be greater than about 0.8%. More preferably, the level of boratc should not be greater than about 0.5%. Most preferably, the level of borate should be about 0.4%. These low levels have been found to enhance cteaning of the pretreated garments by assisting in the removal of stains, but, just as importantly, prevent the setting of certain problematic stains, such as mustard and spaghetti, on the treated fabric (see below).

Another important discovery which is included within the scope of the present invention is the complex relationship between pH, buffer capacity of the solution 126 and borate level. In general, an increased borate level can be effective in increasing pH levels, which clearly can have beneficial impacts on cleaning various stains including tomato based stains, coffee or tea, etc. however, at pH levels between about 10-11 and higher, distinctly deleterious effects can be seen in fabrics such as wool and silk. In a preferred embodiment, the pH is between about 7.0 and about 11.0. In another preferred embodiment, the pH is between about 8.0 and about 10.0. In a most preferred embodiment, the pH is about 9.0.

Preservatives The category of preservatives provides anti-microbial, anti-bacterial and anti-fungal protection to the finished composition and its key components during processing and storage. These Title: DRY-C ANING PROCESSES AND COMPONENTS THEREFOR Page 18 of 49 Attorney Docket No.: CLX-501

actives contribute to improved product stability and maintenance of activity, as well as prevention of undesirable microbial growth during extended storage.

Polyhexamethylenebiguanide is sold under the krademark Vantocil IB. Additional examples include Integra 44 (sodium hydroxymethylaminoacetate), Proxel GXL and Dowicil 75 antimicrobials.

The term"antibacterial agent"as used hcrcin rpfers to materials which prevent or inhibit the growth of bacteria on an LnanLmatc surface. Among the known antibacterial agents which are suitable for the present invention are phenolic antibacterialagents.xylenol Two are particularly preferred: PCMX (para chlorometa xylenol) and Triclosan (2,4,4'-trichloro-2'-hydroxy diphenyl ether). These are normally solid at room temperature and have melting points of about 115 degree C for PCMX and about 50 degree C for Triclosan. Other) useful antibactenal agents include 3,4,4'-trichloro carbanilide, DTBBP (2, t-butyl-4-cyclohexylphenol) and other suitable antibacterial compounds containing phenol groups. Also useful hereiin are oxidants such as sodium perborate, activatod perborate, pcrcarbonate and the like. Less preferred for the present invention are those antibactarial agents such as quaternary ammonium compounds which may be incompatible with certain detergent ingredients such as anionic surfactantjs.

Fluid Solvents Since the pre-ireatment solution 126 is an aqueous cleaner with relatively low levels of actives, the principal ingredient is water, or H20. Water should be present at a level of at least about 50%, more preferably at least about 70%, and most preferably, at least about 90%. It is most preferred that the percentage of water be about 80-99.99% water.

Distille, deionized, reverse-osmosis, or indu off water is preferred so as not to contributc to formation of any residue or precipitates and to avoid the introduction of undesirable metal ions, organic compounds, etc.

Other solvents may optionally be used, in place of or in addition to water as the fluid carrier.

It is generally a water soluble or dispersible organic sc. vent having a vapor pressure of at least 0.001 mm Hg at 25 degrees C. A-- ; ccy attribute is that is should volatilize rapidly, such that it volatilizes no more than 5 minutes after contact with a surface or open space, without leaving a residue. lt is preferably selected from C1-6 alkanols, C1-6 diols, C,. 6 alkyl ethers of alkylene glycols and polyalkylene glycols, and mixtures thereof. The alkanol can be selected from methanol, ethanol, n- propanol, isopropanol, the various positional isomers ctfbuianol, pentanol, and he'xanol, and mixtures of the foregoing. It may also be possible to utilize in addition to. or in place of, said alkanols, the diols such as methylene, ethylene, propylene and butylene glycols, and mixtures thereof, and including polyalkylenc glycols.

Straight or branched chain alkanol can be usect in the invention. These are méthanol, ethanol, n-propanol, isopropanol, and the various positional isomcrs of butanol, pentanol, and hexanol. One can also use a mixture of an alkanol glycola ether, in which case the ratio the two components is between about 100:1 to 1:10. One can also use an alkylene glycol other solvent in this invention. The alkylene glycol ether solvents can be used alone or in addition to the polar alkanol solvent. These can include, for example, monoalkylenq glycol ethers such as ethylene glycol monopropyl ether, ethylene glycol mono-n-butyl etherl propylene glycol monopropyl ether, and propylcne glycol mono-n-butyl ether, and polyalkylonglycol ethers such as diethylene glycol monoethyl or monopropyl or monobutyl ether, di-or tti-oolypropylene glycol monomethyl or monoethyl or monopropyl or monobutyl ether, etc., an mixtures thereof. Additionally, acetate and

propionate esters of glycol ethers can be used. Suitabl glycol ethers are diethylene glycol monobutyl ether, also known as 2-(2-butoxyethoxy) ethanol, sold as Butyl Carbitol by Union Carbide, ethylene glycol monobutylether, also knownas butoxyethanol, sold as Cellusolve also by Union Carbide, and also sold by Dow Chemical Co., propylene glycol methyl monopropyl ether, available from a variety of sources, and propylène glycol methyl ether, sold by Dow as Dowanol PM. alkyleneglycolsuitable ether is propylene glycol whichisother, commercially sold as Arcosolve PTB, by Arco Dipropyleneglycoln-butyletherCo.

(DPNB) is also suitable.

Studies In a first series of studies, individual componerts were evaluated in aqueous solution to determine the most promising candidates with respect to stain removal and reduced ring residue formation. One substance that was investigated for use iin a pre-treatment solution 126 solution d-limoncnc, a fragrant substance which has both wetting and solvent characteristics. The materials that intheformof98%aqueouscompositionsarepresentedinTableIbelow.e valuated Table I t Composition of Various 98% Aqueous Formulations Formulation Pre-Treatment Active Ingredicint (s) A C12-8 surfactant (a)' B C24-12 surfactant (b) C C12 cocamine oxide (c) D d-Limonene (control) E iso-Propanol (IPA) F C24-4 surfactant (d) G Ethanol H Propanol K Prior art (control)

L C24-7 surfactant (e) Footnotes to the table (a) C12-8 refers to Surfonic L 12-8, which is|a C10-12 synthetic alcohol having 8 cthoxylate groups per molecule.

(b) C24-12 refers to Surfonic# L24-12, which is a C 12-14 synthetic alcohol having 12 ethoxylate groups per molecule.

(c) The oxideiscommerciallyavailableaBarlox#12,Armox#DMCD,cocamine Aromox) DMC, etc.

(d) C24-4 refers to Surfonic L24-4, which is a C12-14 synthetic alcohol having 4 cthoxylate groups per molecule.

(e) C24-7 refers to Surfonic L24-7, which is a C12-14 synthetic alcohol having 7 ethoxylate groups per molecule.

Using the results from the above study, a second study was conducted using various combinations of the above ingredients. A first trial solution 126 that was prepared contained an amine oxide surfactant and d-limonene in water. A second solution 126 that contained d-limonene and Surfonic@D C24-12 surfactant was also prepared. a third trial, the Surfonic# C24-12 was replaced with an isopropanol/surfactant mixture contaihing a shorter carbon chain to help dissolve the d-limonene and reduce the total amount of surfactant used. All three of these compositions gave very good stain removal results, white the latter two compositions in particular performed well during freeze-thaw testing of solution 126 stabilities. However, each of the three compositions required large quantities of surfactant to solubilize the a-limonenc, as it is relatively insoluble in water. One disadvantage associated with having too much surfactant in the pre-treatment solution 126 is that surfactant residues may linger on the article being pre-treated, thus resulting in the undesirablering-shapedresiduesonthearticleafterexposuretohea tduringthedry-appearanceof cleaning process.

During the course of the above studies, it was realized that inclusion of the d-limonene, which required large amounts of surfsctant for soluble purposes, also resulted in faster flow of the pre-treatment solution 126 through the applicator tip l ! 24 being used to dispense the solution 126 Title: PROCESSESANDCOMPONENTSTHEREFORANING Page 22 of 49 Attorney Docket No.: CLX-501

onto the target article. Moreover, it was found that when used in conjunction with applicator bottles made of polyethylene, solution 126 containing d-limonène caused softcning and widening of the dispensing applicator tip 124 being used to meter delivery of the pre-treatment. Fluorination of the polyethylene packaging components imparted sufficient resistance towards the d-limonene.

It was anticipated that for the purposes of the present invention, control of the dispensing rate of the pre-treatment composition could also be accmplished through adjustment of the pre- treatment formulation 126 itself. At this point, it shoulo bc noted that one product currently in the market requires a special pressure regulator baffle at te applicator tip in order to regulate delivery through the tip orifice for metered delivery of the pre-treatment solution 126. Without being bound by theory, Applicants speculate that the regulator baffe of this prior art device reduces the back pressure of the pre-treatment solution 126 in order to control the delivery flow rate.

A third series of experiments were then conducted in order to detemiine the best compositions for potential use in pre-treatment solution 126. The compositions were evaluated for: <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> efficacy in removing spots and stains using a variety of stain sources; the extent to which any ring residues appeared; and the rate of dispensing through 4 reverse taper distal tip 124 applicator orifice of approximately 0.25 mm 0.08 mm (0. 01" ~ 0.003"). The compositions that were tested are TableIIbelow.indicatedin Table I' Prc-Treatment Composite 1 Series Tested for Stain Removal, Ring Re; idue Reduction, and Distal Tip Dis ensing Rate Formulation Treatnent Actives % Cmposmon Prototype I d-Limonene 0. 051- 1.0

C12 amine oxide 0.05 0. 5 Water Balance (to approx. 98%) Prototype II C12 amine oxide 0.05 - 0.15 C24-12 surfactant 0.05 - 0.5 C12-8 surfactant 0.1 - 2.4 iso-Propanol (IPA) 0.25 2.0 Water Balance (to approx. 98%) Control Commercial Product (thickened) The results obtained from testing several of tbrmuiations indicated in Table II above arc indicated in Table III below. The scale used for rating stain removal was from 1-3, with 1 being used to indicate the best stain removal, 2 indicates intermediate stain removal, while a 3 indicates the worst stain removal performance. The extent of any ring residue remaining after removal of a stain is visually rated from"+"to"0"to"-". A rating of"+''ates that virtually no detectable ring residue remained ; a rating of"0"indicates an intermeduate amount of ring residue; and a rating of "-"indicates a poor result in that a ring residue was clearly discernable.

Table III Evaluation CompositionPerformancePre-Treatment <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> for Stain Removal, Ringof Residue and Controlled Delivery at Distal Tip Applicator Rating Scales: Stain Removal =best1 2 = intermediate 3 = worst Reduced Ring Residue ("Ring"): best#intermediate-=worst= <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> Formulation PrototypeIIControlI <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> StamRingStainRingStainRing <BR> <BR> <BR> Stain:<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> Coffee 2 # 2 # 2 #<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> Tea 1 # 1 # 1 #<BR> <BR> <BR> Red wine 1 + 1 + I +<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> Spaghetti sauce 1 + 1 + t + Gravy 1 + 1 + 2 0 Ballpoint ink 30 3 (a) 2 - Lipstick 3 # 3 (a) 2 Sebum 1 + 1 #2

Mustard I # 1 + 2 0 ?<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> 1+1+2#Chocolatesauce Notes to the table (a) Not applicable: stain too heavily loaded to (jliscem a significant difference.

As may be seen from the results shown in Table III above, overall, Prototypes I and n of the present invention performed at least as well as, and in some cases evidenced clear improvements in stain removal performance over, the commercially available product when used in conjunction with the absorbent pad. Adequacy of slow, metered flow rate was also eachoftheby Prototype compostions ofthe present invention indicated in Table III. Again, it is worthy of ! mention that the formulations 126 of the present invention demonstrated that such compositions can be delivered at a slow, metered rate, without the need for a flow restricting or pressure regulating modification to the applicator distal tip 124. The dispenr7ers 120 and dispensing tips 124 that were used are commercially available polyvinyl chloride or polyethylene stock items that were used without any further modification whatsoever. The distal tip 124 is available from Polyseal Company as 20/572 Round Control tip, with diameter 0.01".

Preferred Formulas The following is a preferred embodiment of the pretreatment solution 126 of the present invention: Ingredient Active WL% Dowfax 2A 1 0.14% SurfonicLF40 0.05% Surfonic N-40 0.20% Surfonic JL-80X 0.05% Surfonic 24-4 0.03% Ammonyx LO 0.05% Vantocil 0.10% Tergitol (TMN-3) 0.20% Borax0.31% 98.90%DIWater

The following is another preferred embodimentof the pretreatment solution 126 of the present invention: Ingredient Active Wt. % 0.07%Dowfax2A1 Tergitol 15-S-5 0.10% Ammonyx LO 0.12% Integra 44 0.10% Borax0. 40% Dl Water 98.90% In the course of experimentation, surprising results were obtained. The following formula "set in"spaghetti and mustard stains: Ingredient Active Wt. % Dowfax 0.05 % 0.05%Surfonic24-9 Ammonyx LO 0.05 % Surfonic 24-12 0.05 % Borax 1.00 % DI Water 98.80 % The following formulas with less borax performed better Ingredient Active Wt.% Dowfax 0.05 % Surfonic 24-9 0.05 % Ammonyx LO 0.05 % Surfonic 24-12 0.05 % Borax0-75 % DI Water 98. 80 % Ingredient Active Wt. % 0.10%Dowfax2A1 Surfanic LF-40 0.50 % Surfonic JL-80X 0.10 % Borax0.50 % DI Water 98. 80 %

Interestingly and furthermore, the foregoing st dies also surprisingly revealed that it was not<BR> an increase in the use of surfactant concentration in the pre-treatrnent cleaning solution 126, but rather a decrease in surfactant concentration that exhibited improved stain cleaning ability. In fact, a definite synergistic effect was noted in that reduced ring residues accompanied the rection of surfactant levels! Activator ClWth One of the principal components used in dry-cleaning is a medium capable of delivering a refreshing or activating composition to the article or articles being refreshed or dry-cleaned. In the present invention, the vehicle that is typically used to accomplis this task is alternately referred to as a refreshing cloth, fresh care cloth, activator sheet or an "activator cloth 104."The latter term will be used to encompass all the herein.Theactivatorcloth104istypicallyaterminology binderless hydroentangled absorbent material, especially a material which is formulated from a blend ofofcellulosic, rayon, polyester and optional Suchmaterialsareavailablefromfibers.

The Dextcr Corporation, Non-Wovens Division, as HiDRASPUN<g), especially Grade 10244 or from Kimberly-Clark.

While theoretically any activator cloth 104 ma be used, the parameters that are selected for the activator cloth 104 will be such that it delivers a prc-dctcnnmed amount of dry-cleaning activator solution 106 during the clcaning/refrcshing process. Thus. delivery of the activator solution 106 may TU be a function of the total loading of the activator cloth 104, surface area, pore size, wicking or dispersing rate, temperature, affinity of the activator solution 106 for the cloth 104, etc.

Activator Solition

A key aspect of the dry-cleaning process according to the present invention involves the use of a suitable solution 106 for the cleaning and/or refres. of fabrics or garments. lt is to be understood that the term"activator solution 106"as us herein thus refers to a predominately aqueous mixture that is used for the cleaning and/or re eshiy of fabrics or garments. Surprisingly, it was learned during the course of experimentation an evaluation of various dry-cleaning techniques and cleaning compositions that optimal resu ts were achieved where contact with water was minimized, and where either no surfactants or only a minimal amount of surfactants were used.

The reasons for this may be postulated as follows. Steak or water vapor can help relax fibcrs and thus reduce the amount of wrinkling ultimately observed in a garment or other fabric article after the article has been dried. More thorough wetting,as with ahigher level of water penetration, however, when coupled with heating, effectively solvates the fibers softeningin of the configuration of the fiber, such that new, relaxed and often random configurations result. This latter situation is not preferred during cooling and drying (mentioned above and discussed more fully below), as the random settings and disoriented fibers which accompany these higher wetting and humidification conditions most commonly becomes manifest as wrinkies.

An important aspect of the activator solution 106 is its ability to assist with the partition of the soil or stain from the textile article to be cleaned. The activator solution 106, upon vaporization and permeation of the textile article to be cleaned indures or causes release, separation, removal or other form of partitioning of the soil, debris or stain from the article to be cleaned. As the soil partitions from the article to be migratesit to the stain absorbing medium 102 within the<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> containment system withoutbeingboundbytheoryandintheinterestofolarity,itNeverth eless, <BR> will be understood that in the present invention, the activator solution 106 acts by partitioning or soilfromthetextilearticletothecleaned.separatingthe

Interestingly, in the course of the present inven'on, Applicants determined that although surfactants are highly desirable in conventional laundering operations, their use in conjunction with dry-cleaning techniques can actually be deleterious. Su ; factants tend to function as a wetting agent and promote the wettability of garments and fabric articles with which they come into contact. Once the surface of a fabric is wetted, aqueous solutions can then readily penetrate into the bulk of the fabric. Thus aqueous solutions, especially in large am nts, are to be avoided, whereas steam or water vapor during the dry-cleaning or refreshing process is actually desirable.

As discussed above, the greater the water penejtration and content, the greater the tendency for articles being cleaned or refreshed to wrinkle upon heat treatment. It is therefore desirable to minimize the amount of direct contact with water for articles being dry-cleaned or refreshed to the greatest extent possible. By eliminating surfactants from the activator solution 106 of the present invention havethereforeeliminatedamajorcontributingfactor-ifnotaApplic ants <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> primary source-of wrinkles and setting up of those wrinkles upon drying. Accordingly, the<BR> components intended for dry-cleaning and/or refreshing according to the present invention contai<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> components intended for dry-cleanmg and/or refreshin according to the present invention contain no surfactants whatsoever, and function optimally with water that is in the vapor phase.

An added benefit of having no surfactant in the activator solution 106 of the present invention concerns the formation of spot residues. As mentioned previously in the discussion on pre- treatment solution 126, one disadvantage associated vvth the use of surfactants is the tendency of surfactant residues to form on the article being treatN which can thus result in the appearance of undesirable ring-shaped residues on an article after exposure to heat during a dry-cleaning process.

Note that the use of surfactants in conventional laundering pre-treatment solutions is not problematic, however, as a sufficient quaniity of watet is employed to dissolve and thereafter rinse

away excess surfactants during subsequent laundering. Accordingly, surfactant residues are typically not observed on conventionally laundered items. Dry-cl anmg processes do not use the same levels of water as used in conventional laundering processes, thus it will be understood that in general, levels of surfactants in dry-cleaning processes should b low.

The use of surfactants in activator solutions usewithdry-cleaningprocessesisfor therefore undesirable from at least two standpoints. First, surfactants lead to better wetting of garments being cleaned and/or refreshed, which can result in greater wrinkling after heat processing, Second, as surfactants are not volatile, they tend to behindresidues on the articles with which<BR> they come into contact where there is insufficient water to dissolve and wash the surfactant away.

For all of the foregoing reasons, therefore, Applicantsdetermined that a non-surfactant containing activator solution 106 would be the most desirable for use with the processes of the present invention.

In light of the above discussions, and following a series of evaluations, Applicants determined that the best embodiment of a activator solution 106 for use with dry-cleaning processes according to the present invention is onc that comprises (a) a volatile solvent; (b) a fragrance source and (c) balance, water.

The above activator solution 106 may also comprise: (d) optionally, at least one preservative; and (e) optionally at least one quality control nid.

The reason for the preservative in the above foimulations is that the vehicle for dclivcry of the activator solution 106 is the activator cloth 104 me ned above. The activator cloth 104 is immersed in, exposed to, coated or treated with, or in s me appropriate rna3mor made to deliver up the activator solution 106 for use with the dry-cleaning processes of the present invention. The activator cloth 104-activator solution 106 combination is packaged within a suitable containment device 108 that reduces or prevents the evaporation of ter from the activator solution 106 during storage and handling, yet provides the appropriate usas s dose of the activator solution 106 for the dry-cleaning process. Use of a preservative is therefore advantageous to avoid microbial contamination of activator solution 106 actives to the non-commercial dry-cleaning process. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <P> Typically, the volatile solvent that is used with the activator solution 106 of the present<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> invention comprises an alcohol. Alcools that are suitable for use with the present invention include<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> mono-or di-hydric alcohols that have a boiling point less than about 150°C (approx. 302°F). Levels of the solvent that are appropriate for use in the present invention are approximately 0.1 to 10. 0%, preferably about 0.2 to 1. 5%, and most preferably about 0.3 to 1.3 %. The levels of fragrance that have been found to be appropriate for use with the cleaning compostions of the present invention are approximately 0.1 to 1.0%, preferably 0.2 to 0.9%, and most preferably about 0.3 to 0.8%. The balance is water.

Optional ingredients which may be included in the activator solution 106 of the present invention include a preservative. Preservatives which aresuitable for use with the invention<BR> include benzoates, citrates and sorbates. Potassium citrateis a preferred embodiment according to one embodiment of the present invention. When prcsen, the preservative is used at levels of less than 2.0%, preferably less than 0.4°/O, and most preferably eus than about 0.3%. In one formulation

according to the present invention, approximately 0. 1°/ of potassium citrate is used. An optional<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> ingredient also suitable for use with the activator soluti present invention is a quality control aid. A suitable quality control aid includes ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, EDTA, most preferably the tetrasodium salt thereof.

Another important aspect of the activator solution 106 according to the present invention is the quantity of material that is used. As discussed prev ously, the prcsence of too much water during the dry-cleaning/fabric refreshing process can be dey'ours in terms of the amount of wrinkling that results from exposure to too much water and concomitantreorientation of fiber microstructure.

Applicants have surprisingly discovered that the elimination fromsurfactants the activator solution 106 of the present invention has enabled them o correspondingly reduce the total amount of liquids used. Thus, whereas existing prior art non-cominercial dry-cleaning icits feature activator cloths that deliver up on the order of approximately 28 grams of activator solution. Applicants have determined that less wnnkling and reduced ring residues can be achieved with smaller volumes of I activator solution 106. Activator cloths 104 according to the present invention therefore contain less than about 28 grams of activator solution 106, preferably less than about 24 grams of activator solution 106, and most preferably less than about 20 grams of activator solution 106. According to a most prefcrred embodiment of the present invention, a tivator cloths 104 are loaded with about 18- 20 grams of activator solution 106 or less. Note that the prior art loading of approximately 28 grams of activator solution represents nearly a 50% increase cuver the amount used in the present invention.

An important aspect of the present invention is the utilizeanactivatororotherabsorbentto <BR> cloth 104 loaded with a minimal amount of activator fuid106, in particular, as little as half that used in the prior art.

Through a series of studies, it was found that tee best performance of refreshing and cleaning with minimal wrinkling was only partially dependent on the characteristics of venting from the bag 110. In fact, the most providedaminimumofactivatorsolution106embodiment <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> for refreshing and cleaning while maintaining a criticalhumidity to the contained environment. For example, it was found that a heavily-loaded activator cloth 104 used in conjunction with a bag 110 which vents, for example, 40-90% of its generated vapor still results in a very damp activator cloth 104, which can spot the garments and induce significant wrinkling. Likewise, a very lightly-loaded activator cloth 1. 04 used in conjunction with a bag 110 which vents, for example, 40-90% of its generated vapor results in an environment in the bag 110 with little residual humidity, which subsequently also results in significant wrinkling. In a preferred embodiment, the containment bag 110 achieves about 5-35% ventilation of its generated vapors. Reducing the generated vapors is an objective and advantage of the present invention. This is because generated vapors may contain compounds which arc corrosive to the drycr or articles being cleaned, and the vapors may be harmful to the environment, workers or users of the articles being cleaned, A few comments on the flow rate and level of addition of the activator solution 1. 06 are in order here. Through a series of studies, it was found that the best performance of the activator solution 106 in conjunction with a non-commercial dry-cleaning process is one which provides a slow rate of application of the activator solution 106 to the article being cleaned and/or refreshed, and simultaneously one that delivers a minimal amount of activator solution 106 to the target article.

In fact, it was surprisingly discovered that the original ! loading (OL) of the activator solution 106 onto the target article is immediately correlatable and directly proportional to the amount of wrinkling observed in the article at the end of the dry-cleaning/refreshing process! Thus, where wrinkling is evaluated by the term WL, for wrinkle level, the relationship between original loading of

activator solution 106 and wrinkle level observed at thci end of the entire dry-cleaning process may be represented by: WL = f (OL, FW, VE, TC) (1) where: WL = wnnkle level; OL = original loading of the activator composition; fabricwettability;FW= VE = vapor equilibrium; and TC = a tcmperature-depcndent correcaon-factor.

The remaining terms in Equation (1), i.e., FW (fabric (vaporequi)ibrium),VE and TC (a temperature-ependent correction factor) will be discussed more fully in conjunction with the discussions which follow below.

Containmcn Ba aed Closure The containment bag 110 provides the environmentin which fabric cleaning and refreshing occurs according to the dry-cleaning process of the pr ent invention. As previously mentioned above, the containment bag 110 is contemplated for use in conjunction with an appropriate heat source, which typically comprises use of a rotary dryer. Thus, in addition heat tolerance, it is <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> important that the bag 110 bc of a design which provid an appropnate spatial region in which the<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> garments are to be refreshened; sufficient volume in w ch to create a vaporous headspace; and control the flow of vapors into and out bag110.Thus,the where no resistance to vapor flow is provided, the oftheactivatorsolution106prematurelyleavethecontainmentbagso lvents

110 without effectively acting on the garment to be refreshened. Converscly, where there is too much resistance to vapor transmission, malodors which have been removed from the garment remain trapped within the bag 110 and settle back onto the ardcle (s) at the end of the drying cycle.

The vapor transmission, or venting out of the bag 110, is controlled by the closure 112 provided on the bag 11. 0. Suitable closure or fastening means 112 may be any useful fastening means 112 known to the art including, but not limited do onc or more of the following: zippers; hook- and-loop type fasteners (as in Veloro#) ; buttons; clipsi pins; snaps; adhesive strips or tape; rcsealable rnated sealing strips, commonly known as Zip-LockE type closures; and etc.

The containment bag 110 used herein is constructed of one or more polymeric films which will withstand temperatures reasonably anticipated in non-commercial dryer One example of non-commercial dryers are those found in most homes. While home dryers are typically designed to operate in a hot cycle range of 70-90° C (approx. 158-194° F), air temperatures as high as 150° C (approximately 302° F) have been recorded. Thus, the containment bag 110 according to the present invention must remain intact nd functional at temperatures as high as 150 ° C (approx. 302° F) without loss of structural inti*, i. c., melting or shredding, etc.

Polypropylones, polyesters, polybutylenes and polyamides are capable of withstanding these higher temperatures.

Cortainment bags 110 used for non-commerdjal dry-cleaning applications, as in the present invention, must also be capable of being used more than once. One prior art containment bag currently on the market uses a Nylon 6-12 material w dch becomes brittlc and loses strength on repeated use. To avoid the risk of containment bag 110 failure after repeated use, it is thus important

to select a polymer which will retain its resiliency. lt has been found that containment bags 110 that are constructed of polypropylene, and more preferably polypropylene blended with a minor-less<BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> than 10% by weight-quantity of polyethylene, is high y desirable. Such polyethylene-polypropylene bends were found to both remain resilient after repeated use, and survive dryer air temperatures as high as 150°C (approx. 302°F). It was also surprising to find that the melting point of the polyethylene-doped polypropylene actually exhibited a higher heat resistance than either homopolymer alone.

The dimensions of the containment bag 110 according to the present invention can vary depending on the application. Smaller or fewer garments may require may require smaller much smaller while larger garments, such as overcoats, or more numerus articles, would require a larger bag HO.

Typically, the containment bag 110 volume will be a ut 1,000 to 25,000 cm3. A 65 cm x 76 cm (approx. 25.5'" x 30") containment bag 110 with an appropriate closure can provide the requisite enclosed volume for a preferred embodiment, while larger or smaller containment bags 110 will also be included within the scope of this invention. While containment bags 110 can be of varying thicknesses, thicknesspreferred is 0.064mm~10%(2.5mil~10%).about It will be understood based on the foregoing thM the present invention is intended for use in homes. Household clothes driers and fabric driers will ? e especially useful in this regard. The present invention is also adapted for use in commercial establishments, including restaurants, beauty salons, industrial applications, etc. Therefore, it will be parti lary useful to provide the following items together in a kit 100: 1. Absorbent stain removal medium 1 (1Zj for absorbing the stain partitioned from the

article to be cleaned, 2. Activator solution 106, for partitioning the stain from the article to be cleaned, the activator solution 106 comprising essentially volatile solvent, optional fragrance and the balance water; 3. Activator cloth 104 or other substratej with a predetermined volume of the activator solution 106 loaded thereon; and 4. A containment system 110 for containing the textile article to be cleaned, the absorbent stain removal medium 102, and the activator cloth 104, all within the dryer, whereby the textile article to beicleaned, the absorbent stain removal medium 102, and the activator cloth 104 arc nvintained in an operative proximity during the cleaning process.

Optionally, the kit 100 also comprises: 5. Pro-trcatment stain formula 126 for pre-treating spots prior to cleaning, the formula 126 preferably being non-thickened; and 6. Operative dispenser means 120 for dispensing controlled volumes of the pre- trcatment stain formula 126 onto the textile article to be cleaned.

Process/Methog of Use In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a process for the dry-cleaning of a garment or other textile article comprises: (a) optionally pre-treating the textile containing a localized area of stain by subjecting it to a fluid pre-treatment compositon 126 in combination with an absobent stain receiving medium 102; and (b) heat treating the textile that has been optionally pre-treated according to step (a)

together with an activator cloth 104 containing an actiator solution 106 into a flexible, scalable 110.containmentmeans in usc, it will be understood that dispensing a controlled amount of pre-treatment solution 126 onto a stain or spot on an article of clothing can bc performed in at least two different ways.

Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the present ir*"°"ition, the method comprises dispensing a controlled volume of the pre-treatment fluid 126 directly onto the spot or stain to be removed, and optionally utilizing the absorbent stain receiving mediWn 102 on the back side of the article.

However, it has surprisingly been found that in a preferred embodiment, the method comprises dispensing a controlled volume of the pre-treatment flid 126 onto the article on the reverse side of the stain, directly opposite the stain or spot, and by employing the absorbent stain receiving medium 102 directly in contact with the satin or spot on the spot or stain side of the article.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belons. Although any methods and materials similar or equivalent to those described can be used in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferred methods and materials are now described. All publications and patent documents referenced in the present invention are incorporated herein by reference.

While the principles of the invention have beei made clear in illustrative embodiments, there will bc immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangement, proportions, the elements, materials, and components sed in the practice of the invention, and otherwise, which are particularly adapted to specific e« vironments and operative requirements without departing from those principles. The appendedjclaims are intended to cover and embrace any and all such modifications, with the limits only of the tsuc purview, spirit and scope of the invention.