Delicate laundering of textiles with application of 38 kHz ultrasonic waves

Abstract

Ultrasonic cleaning in aqueous solutions was performed using various plain-woven fabrics soiled with oleic acid and/or carbon black as model oily and particulate contaminants. Detergency, which was evaluated from the change in the surface reflectance of the soiled fabrics due to cleaning, was promoted by applying ultrasound as the mechanical action for soil removal in the absence and the presence of anionic surfactant. Both soils were removed easily from the filament fabrics compared with the spun fabrics. Ultrasound, as mechanical action, was favorable for removing carbon black even in the absence of surfactant, whereas the addition of surfactant was effective for removing oleic acid without and with ultrasound. In most cases of soiled fabrics, the detergency obtained with ultrasonic washing for 1 min was comparable to that obtained with a drum-type washer, the Wascator (normal and gentle procedures). Heavy fabric damage was observed after washing with the Wascator, especially for the wool and silk fabrics, whereas there was little damage after ultrasonic washing for all fabrics. Conclusively, ultrasound can be effective in laundering for delicate textiles from the viewpoints of the processing time as well as detergency performance.

Ultrasonic scouring as a pretreatment of wool and its application in low-temperature dyeing

“…[10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17] Ultrasound can improve laundering efficiency by achieving good stain removal whilst maintaining the quality of delicate fabric, which may be disrupted by mechanical washing. 20,21 In bleaching, it was shown that ultrasonic pretreatment of wool can increase the effectiveness of the oxidative-reductive process. 22 Acoustic cavitation is considered responsible for most of the ultrasound physical and chemical effects observed in solid/liquid or liquid/liquid systems.…”

Effect of Water pH on Domestic Machine Washing Performance of Delicate Textiles

“…Washing of clothing in domestic laundering machines is infl uenced by physicochemical and mechanical actions. The physicochemical action plays a role in separating soil from clothes and dispersing it into the detergent solution, whereas the mechanical action facilitates separating soil from textiles by fl exing and inducing friction between textiles, moving loosened soil to the detergent solution, and delivering fresh detergent solution to the textile surfaces [1][2][3][4]. Based on the classifi cation of the mechanical actions of washing (i.e.…”

The effect of fabric movement on washing performance in a front-loading washer V: Focusing on the role and shape of the lifter

“…Mechanical action can separate soils by inducing flexing and friction between fabrics, moving separated soils to detergent solution, and delivering fresh detergent solution to textile surfaces. 2,3 Therefore, a balanced understanding of both physicochemical and mechanical actions is necessary to precisely control washing mechanisms and improve detergency. 4 However, earlier studies on textile washing have mainly focused on physicochemical factors, such as soil type, water quality, detergent composition, and washing temperature.…”