SOFTENING LAUNDRY DETERGENT
The present invention is directed to liquid laundry compositions which deliver both effective softening and effective cleaning containing a solubilised cationic polymer and a solubilised soap blend which incorporates a saturated hydroxyl carboxylic acid. A method of cleaning and conditioning articles using the inventive compositions is also disclosed.
1 . A liquid laundry composition comprising:
(d) a solubilized cationic polymer having a weight average molecular weight of less than about 850,000 daltons;
(e) from about 0.5% to about 15% of a solubilized fatty acid soap blend comprising from about 5% to about 60%, by weight of the soap blend, of a saturated hydroxy carboxylic acid salt R 2 CH 2 CH 2 OOM, wherein R 2 is a saturated hydroxyalkyl group comprising from 7 to 21 carbons and one hydroxy group;
(f) at least about 5% of a surfactant.
2 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the level of cationic polymer is less than about 3%.
3 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein R2 comprises from 9 to 17 carbon atoms.
4 . The composition according to claim 1 wherein the saturated hydroxy carboxylic acid salt is 12-hydroxystearic acid salt.
5 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is an isotropic liquid.
6 . The composition of claim 1 wherein the pH of the composition is from about 7 to about 9.
7 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein at least one cationic polymer is selected from the group consisting of dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride/acrylamide copolymers, dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride/acrylic acid/acrylamide terpolymers, vinylpyrrolidone/methyl vinyl imidazolium chloride copolymers, polydimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride, starch hydroxypropyl trimmonium chloride, polymethacryl amidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, acrylamidopropyl trimmonium chloride/acrylamide copolymers, guar hydroxypropyl trimonium chloride, and hydroxyethyl cellulose derivatized with trimethyl ammonium substituted epoxide.
8 . The composition of claim 1 wherein the soap blend is present in an amount of from 3 to 10%.
9 . The composition of claim 1 wherein the saturated hydroxylcarboxylic acid is present in an amount of from 5 to 40%, by weight of the soap blend.
10 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the cationic polymer to the soap blend in the composition is in the range of from 1:10 to 1:50.
11 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the weight ratio of the cationic polymer to the soap blend in the composition is in the range of from 1:20 to 1:35.
12 . A method for conditioning textiles comprising, in no particular order, the steps of:
a) providing a laundry composition according to claim 1 , in an effective amount to soften and condition fabric articles under predetermined laundering conditions
b) contacting one or more articles with said composition at one or more points during a laundering process
c) allowing the article or articles to dry or mechanically tumble-drying them.
13 . The method according to claim 12 , wherein at least one cationic polymer in said laundry composition is selected from the group consisting of dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride/acrylamide copolymers, dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride/acrylic acidlacrylamide terpolymers, vinylpyrrolidone/methyl vinyl imidazolium chloride copolymers, polydimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride, starch hydroxypropyl trimmonium chloride, polymethacryl amidopropyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, acrylamidopropyl trimmonium chloride/acrylamide copolymers, guar hydroxypropyl trimonium chloride, and hydroxyethyl cellulose derivatized with trimethyl ammonium substituted epoxide.