A survey of commercial laundry detergents - how effective are they?: Part III: powders,liquids and hard water

The effectiveness of 42 detergents, 11 non-phosphate containing powdered detergents, 12 phosphate containing powdered detergents, 11 unbuilt liquid detergents and eight built liquid detergents, of varying formulations, in cleaning a standard soiled fabric in water of varying hardness was evaluated. Powdered detergents were found to be significantly affected only at very high water hardness levels. There was no significant difference between washing in warm and hot water for the liquid detergents, except for a melaleucaoil based detergent which performed significantly better in hot water. Increasing water hardness had no significant effect on liquid detergents. Powdered detergents performed better than liquid detergents in cleaning the standard soiled fabric. While no one detergent was significantly better than the others, in general, washing with detergents that contained phosphates did give somewhat better results in warm water. Detergents that contained bleach as an additive did not result in whiter fabric.     

A survey of commercial laundry detergents — how effective are they? Part II: liquids

The effectiveness of 11 unbuilt liquid detergents and eight built liquid detergents, of varying formulations, in cleaning a standard soiled fabric in soft water (5 ppm) were evaluated. It was found that in soft water there were no significant differences between washing in warm or hot water with either type of detergent, except for a melaleuca oil based detergent which was significantly better in hot water. However, although not significant, in general, washing with unbuilt liquid detergents did give somewhat better results in both warm and hot water.     

Bacterial survival on fabrics laundered in cold water

The effect of detergent formulation and fabric type on bacterial survival after home laundering in cold water was investigated. Three fabrics, 65/35 polyester/cotton shirting, 100% cotton sheeting, and 100% cotton terry cloth, were inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus, laundered in cold 60 ± 5°F (16 ± 3°C) water and machine dried. Eight phosphorus-based powders and non-phosphorus detergents in both powder and liquid form were used. A control with no detergent was used. Percent reduction in bacteria after machine washing and after machine drying were determined. Of the eight detergents studied, only two effectively removed 100% of the bacteria from the cotton terry cloth after washing. These were sodium carbonate and aluminosilicate-based powders, one of which contained sodium perborate, the other included enzymes. All of the detergents used removed > 97% of bacteria from the polyester/cotton shirting and cotton sheeting fabrics. No significant cross contamination occurred with any fabric. A greater percent reduction of bacteria was obtained with the terry cloth samples after washing and tumble drying than after washing alone. The implications of the study are important for consumers who are using colder water in the laundering process. This study found that bacteria were removed more easily from the two plain weave fabrics than the looped terry cloth fabric. The effectiveness of tumble drying after cold water laundering to reduce bacteria in the terry cloth towelling was an important finding.     

Detergent residues in textiles

The purpose of this study was to determine concentrations of detergent residues in textiles washed with three types of detergents. One detergent contained phosphate. In the other two (concentrated or ecological detergents) phosphate had been replaced by zeolite, which contains silicates. The textiles were washed using two programmes for coloured materials (at 60°C). The programmes differed with regard to volume of rinse water and number of rinsings. Detergent residues in textiles were determined chemically. Zeolite particles were determined electron microscopically. The results showed that most of the detergent residues remaining in textile strips were anionic tensides. They increased in proportion to the quantity of detergent used for washing. The least residues were left by concentrated detergents. Anionic tensides are suspected of causing skin irritation, probably allergy in atopic persons. Zeolite particles may irritate skin mechanically or cause through irritation respiratory distress. Washing programmes using less rinse water than other programmes increased detergent residues by 30%. It is concluded that there is a positive linear relationship between concentration of detergent and residues in textiles, and a negative linear relationship between water volume and residues in textiles after laundering. This could be of considerable importance from a health point of view and should be evaluated before any detergent is marketed. A methodology combining different standardized methods for analysing detergent residues in textiles was developed in this study.     

A survey of commercial laundry detergents – how effective are they? Part I: powders

The effectiveness of 11 non-phosphate containing powdered detergents and 12 phosphate containing powdered detergents, of varying formulations, in cleaning a standard soiled fabric in soft water (5 ppm) were evaluated. It was found that in soft water there were no differences between washing with either phosphate or non-phosphate detergent. In general, washing with detergents which contained phosphates did give somewhat better results in warm water. Detergents that contained bleach as an additive did not result in a whiter fabric.     

Comparative study of phosphate and non-phosphate detergents

A comparison of three different detergents was made by evaluating their properties of soil removal, soil redeposition and calcium carbonate deposition. The detergents included a phosphate granular detergent, a non-phosphate, carbonate built granular detergent and an unbuilt liquid detergent. The local water conditions were moderately hard and clay type soils were used. Detergency was evaluated on the basis of both visual and instrumental colour changes. In effecting soil removal, clay stained fabrics laundered with the phosphate detergent retained only a small amount of soil, while fabrics laundered with the two non-phosphate detergents showed heavier staining. In preventing soil redeposition, the phosphate detergent produced almost no visible redeposition; the unbuilt and carbonate built detergents ranked correspondingly lower. In assessing calcium carbonate deposition, the phosphate and unbuilt detergents showed little or no change, while the carbonate detergent continued to build up deposits with laundering. In summary, the phosphate detergent ranked highest in overall performance, with correspondingly lesser performance from the unbuilt and carbonate detergents.     

Manual dishwashing process – a pre‐assigned behaviour?

Global studies have observed many techniques of manual dishwashing causing different levels of performance and using quite different amounts of water, energy, time and detergent. It is not known, however, if these techniques are pre‐assigned to a person and persist when dishes are washed under different conditions, or are adapted to the specific type of dish‐cleaning process. Here we explored this question in a study with 40 test subjects selected equally from Germany and East European countries by asking them to wash two place settings of dishes with different amounts of soil three times. The results showed that the test subjects did not adapt their washing‐up behaviour to the amount of soil. In general, no significant differences were found in the water, energy and detergent consumption for all test subjects. Only the time used by the German test subjects to wash the fully soiled dishes was significantly longer compared with the dishes with only a quarter the quantity of soil, and no significant difference was observed for all other parts. The only significant difference found between the level of soiling of the dishes was the cleaning result achieved: The less soiled the dishes were, the better the final cleaning result was, and this related to all test subjects. This lends support to the proposition that the consumers did not adapt their washing‐up behaviour to the specific circumstances of the dishwashing job to be done but retained some pre‐assigned behaviour.     

The effect of phosphate detergent bans on consumer clothing expenditures

Metropolitan sales data from the 1977 Census of Retail Trade were analysed to test whether phosphate detergent bans increased consumer expenditure on clothing: positive effects were found for men's clothing and domestic fabrics (sheets and towels). In areas with medium water hardness the average annual cost in 1977 equalled $11·08 per household. For 1984, the equivalent cost was $14·17 per household. These results are consistent with laboratory studies that show decreased detergency associated with non-phosphate detergents and increased fabric wear associated with carbonate-built detergents, the principle substitute for phosphate detergents. The bans impose the largest cost on hard water areas. In both ban and non-ban areas in 1977 higher laundering costs were associated with higher water hardness. Analysis of 1972 data indicated that water hardness did not affect clothing expenditures significantly when detergents contained large amounts of phosphates.     

An investigation into some aspects of the efficiency of low-temperature laundering

The purpose of this research was to investigate the efficiency of laundering at low and recommended water temperatures using a heavy-duty biological detergent and a low-temperature detergent. The effectiveness of the process was measured in terms of the degree of stain/soil removal from laundered garments, and in the removal and transfer of bacteria from infected test pieces. The results indicate that with both detergents a reduction in washing efficiency occurs as the temperature of laundering is decreased, except when the difference between the recommended and low water temperature is small. Evidence was also obtained that shows that reducing wash temperatures decreases the degree of disinfection and increases the cross-infection of articles washed in the same load.     

Changing laundry habits in Norway

Maintenance is often the most energy‐demanding stage during clothes' life cycle. Therefore, a shift towards more sustainable washing habits has great potential to reduce the consumption of energy, water and detergent. This paper discusses the change in laundering practices during the past 10 years in Norway and suggests strategies to help consumers change their laundry habits to more sustainable ones. Quantitative information of consumers' experiences, habits and opinions concerning clothing maintenance was collected through three surveys in Norway in 2002, 2010 and 2011. The 2010 study was supplemented with qualitative in‐depth interviews of a strategic sample of households. The average washing temperature has decreased slightly during the studied time periods. Some products' washing frequencies remained the same, whereas other products such as jeans were used a few more days before washing. The cotton programme is the most used washing programme, but short programmes are gaining popularity. The laundry sorting processes vary greatly and are influenced by several factors such as washing temperature, colours, fibre type and use area. For some consumers, the use of several different sorting categories made it more difficult to collect a sufficient amount of clothing to fill the machine. They were also afraid that overfilling the machine would result in clothes that were not clean enough or had detergent residues. Detergent dosing practices are far from optimal. In 2010, although the majority of respondents only used eye measure and did not know the water hardness of their area, they still tried to vary detergent dosage based on the amount of laundry and the level of soiling. Different design for sustainable behaviour strategies could be used within detergent dosage systems, care labelling, machine programme selection (such as suggesting lower temperature and eco‐programme), machine filling grade indicators, storage systems for slightly used clothing and textile material choice.     

A study of the effects of repeated commercial launderings on the performance of 50/50 polyester/cotton momie cloth

Samples of brown 50% polyester/50% cotton momie cloth with a fluorocarbon finish were commercially laundered using a carbonate-built detergent in soft (0 ppm) water. The appearance of the laundered samples was assessed by subjective pilling ratings and instrumental colour determinations; the performance properties examined were tear and tensile strength, abrasion resistance and ability to release oil. The results showed that pilling was at its maximum after 20 launderings. The depth of colour decreased with increased number of cycles and, in most cases, was not accompanied by change of hue Tear and tensile strength were not affected by the laundering process. The fluorocarbon finish on the unlaundered control increased the weight loss due to Accelerator abrasion, thus that due to repeated launderings was significantly less. The finish protected the fibres from flex abrasion, increasing the number of cycles required to rupture the fabric and only the sample laundered 60 times had significantly greater resistance. The ability to release oil decreased with increased number of launderings. Oil remaining in the fabric was located in the interstices between yarns.     

Consumer laundry practices in Germany

Sustainability is a guiding principle for a responsible, future‐oriented 21st century lifestyle and this already begins in private households with the daily household tasks. Approximately 25% of an average household's electricity consumption is required to do the laundry and dishwashing – 5% alone is for washing clothes with a corresponding energy consumption of 6 billion kilowatt hours. In addition, 600 000 tonnes of detergent and 330 million cubic metres of water are used for textile care in Germany. These figures provide the rationale for the scientific study of current practices of using washing machines and for a resulting estimate of the latent energy‐saving potential in German households. In the context of the in‐home study presented here, 236 private households throughout Germany were studied with respect to their washing practices and existing knowledge about topics on the sustainable, energy‐saving use of their washing machines. Overall, across all households 2867 wash cycles were individually recorded and subsequently analysed over a 4‐week period. The results of this study show that washing machines tend to be underloaded, and therefore maximum loading of the machines could lead to a reduction of wash cycles per household. With respect to detergent dosage, it was determined that the consumer does not adjust the dosage to the textile type, load size, soil level and/or water hardness, and this can lead to under‐ or overdosing depending on prevailing conditions. Finally, the selection of the wash temperature showed a 90°C/95°C programme was only chosen in 2.3% of all recorded wash cycles, however, every fourth cycle was completed at 60°C. Therefore, adjusting the load size and detergent dosage as well as selecting the right wash temperature are key themes to be taken into account in future consumer communication about energy‐saving households.     

THE EFFECT OF DETERGENT TYPE AND LAUNDERING TEMPERATURE ON THE SOIL REMOVAL AND SOIL REDEPOSITION PERFORMANCE OF COTTON AND P/C BLENDS WITH AND WITHOUT DURABLE PRESS FINISH

Three soiled test cloths of cotton and 65/35% Dacron/cotton blends with and without durable press finish were subjected to twenty-five repeated launderings in Launder-Ometer to determine the effect of fabric type, wash temperature, and laundering interval on the soil removal and soil redeposition performance. The reflectance of the test fabrics as measured by a Hunter Lab D-40 reflectometer and the amount of soil removed and redeposited was computed in reflectance unit (RU) expressing the difference in reflectance of the test samples before and after washing. Soil removal and redeposition performances were significantly influenced by fabric type, detergent type, and laundering interval. Duncan's multiple range test indicated that Dacron/cotton blends with and without durable press finish retained and redeposited significantly less soil than cotton. Powder detergents cleaned test fabrics better than liquid detergents. Highly significant correlations between soil removal and redeposition RU and whiteness measurements were found. Therefore, both computations serve as reliable methods to evaluate soil removal and redeposition performance.     

THE EFFECT OF ACTIVATION OF THE OXIDATION REACTION OF SODIUM PERBORATE ON THE CLEANING OF TEXTILES AND THE CONSUMPTION OF ELECTRIC ENERGY

The purpose of this study was to investigate the bleaching efficiency of activated sodium perborate at low washing temperatures and the resulting energy saving. The comparison of the washing efficiency of basic and activated detergent was based on practical washing tests. The types of dirt used were coffee, fruit juice, tea, blood and a soot-oil mixture. The washing temperatures were 50, 60, 70 and 80°C. The cleanness of the washing was determined by a whiteness measurement. The consumption of electrical energy was measured with a kWh-meter. The higher the temperature, the more effectively all the types of dirt were removed from the textiles. With activated detergent a cleanness was obtained at 50°C and 60°C that was almost as good as with basic detergent at 80°C. The coloured types of dirt washed out more easily than blood or the soot and oil mixture. An average saving of 20% in the consumption of energy was obtained when the washing temperature was lowered by 10°C. With activated detergent, 45% of the energy consumed using basic detergent was saved with no reduction in the final cleanness.     

THE EFFECT OF THE OXIDATION REACTION OF SODIUM PERBORATE ON THE DAMAGE TO THE COTTON DURING WASHING

The purpose of this study was to explain the effect of activated sodium perborate on cotton cloth. The comparison between the damage caused by basic and activated detergent was based on practical washing tests. The washing temperatures were 60°C and 90°C. Damage to the cotton was determined with a physical (tenacity) and a chemical (fluidity) method. Damage to the cotton increased as the temperature rose. Washing with basic detergent at 60°C did the least damage to the cotton. The activated detergent at 60°C damaged the cotton more strongly, but slightly less than the basic detergent at 90°C. Damage to cotton caused by washing can be determined more rapidly and more reliably with a chemical method than with a physical one.     

基于公司股票价值最大化的最优资本结构研究——以再生水行业为例

确定最优资本结构对再生水项目的融资和行业发展具有重要的意义。为此采用基于公司股票价值最大化的最优资本结构研究模型,结合上市公司数据对再生水行业的最优资本结构进行实证分析,旨在为再生水行业的项目融资安排提供参考。     

Clean laundry with pure conscience—A study on laundry practices among Finnish consumers

The previous study concerning laundry practices in Finland was published 16 years ago. Since that time, many pro‐environmental debates have been going on and sustainable actions have been implemented in many areas of individual lives and households. The purpose of this study is to investigate the textile laundering practices of Finnish consumers and their attitudes toward clothing care procedures. This study discusses how laundry habits could be developed into a more sustainable direction. The data for this research were gathered through an online enquiry that consisted of structured multiple‐choice questions. The data were obtained from 1,841 persons of whom 97.5% were women (n = 1,795). The data were analyzed by statistical means using the SPSS program. The data show that, despite media attention and debate about textile care procedures, there still are factors in laundering that burden the environment. From a sustainability point of view, some improvements exist when comparing to the situation 16 years ago, but washing machines still are seldom filled to their full capacity and consumers, being unaware of water hardness, administer excessive amounts of detergent. The current life situations of the household members seem to be major factors influencing laundry habits and sustainable actions. Especially, young people and families with children would benefit from information and instructions on laundry practices. Topics could contain knowledge about water hardness and proper dosing of detergent, filling the washing machine, washing temperatures, drying methods, and saving energy. Furthermore, general promotion of gender equality is important because household work and laundering is strikingly women‐performed work.     

Consumer laundry practices and satisfaction: pre- and post-phosphate detergent ban

Laundry practices and satisfaction of consumers in soft and hard water areas were compared before and after the state of Virginia initiated a ban on the sale and use of phosphate-built laundry detergents. Respondents to mail questionnaires (184 before: 174 after) generally had high satisfaction with laundry results before and after the ban despite the fact that they did not always follow currently recommended laundry practices. Post-ban, few practices had changed, but more respondents in both water areas tended always or frequently to add extra detergent for heavily soiled items. Thus. during the first 2 or 3 months of the ban little effect on laundry practices and satisfaction was apparent. Education about recommended laundry practices appears beneficial because of the implications for family economic well-being.     

A new C-OAR-SE-based content-valid and predictively valid measure that distinguishes brand love from brand liking

This article provides a new, C-OAR-SE-based, contrastive measure that distinguishes “brand love” from “brand liking.” The new measure is tested in an empirical study conducted among German university students about brands of products that they buy in four diverse product categories. From a consumer perspective, the incidence of consumers who have a loved brand in the category was found to be only 17 % for laundry detergent, 18 % for coffee, and 26 % for computers, peaking at 45 % in the fashion clothing category — findings that suggest that over half of young consumers do not acquire the state of brand love. Turning alternatively to a brand perspective, the findings indicate that, in general, about one in four of the brand’s customers will come to love the brand. Loving the brand, versus merely liking it, clearly pays off behaviorally — thereby demonstrating very good predictive validity for the new contrastive measure. Brand purchase or usage rate and brand recommendations were found to be approximately doubled for those who love the brand in comparison with those who merely like it.     

衣用洗涤剂发展动态

本文对衣用洗涤剂的研究现状进行了简单的介绍,重点阐述了浓缩、超浓缩洗衣粉、液体洗涤剂和片状洗涤剂的优越性,说明了衣用洗涤剂的发展方向,预测了它的发展趋势.