Article and method
A cleaning article comprises a substrate in the form of a wipe loaded with a cleaning agent and loaded with a heat generating agent which generates heat when the wipe is exposed to water.
1. A cleaning article comprising a substrate of fibrous structure having entrained or impregnated within the substrate a cleaning agent, a heat generating agent, and a fixing agent, wherein the cleaning article is adapted for cleaning a surface of an inanimate object and wherein the heat generating agent generates heat when exposed to water, wherein the loading of the cleaning agent on the substrate is from 0.5 to 160 grams/m 2 and wherein the cleaning article comprises from 0.0001% to 1% by weight of cleaning agent which comprises one or more surfactants in an amount from 0.0001% to 0.03% by weight of the cleaning article, and wherein the heat generating agent is present in particulate form and is distributed in the interior of the fibrous structure in three dimensions and is fused to a low melting component of the fibrous structure.
2. A cleaning article according to claim 1 , wherein the loading of the cleaning agent on the substrate is from 5 to 130 grams/m 2 .
3. A cleaning article according to claim 2 , wherein the loading of the cleaning agent on the substrate is from 10 to 90 grams/m 2 .
4. A cleaning article according to claim 3 , wherein the loading of the cleaning agent on the substrate is from 25 to 60 grams/m 2 .
5. A cleaning article according to claim 4 , wherein the loading of the cleaning agent on the substrate is from 30 to 50 grams/m 2 .
6. A cleaning article according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing agent is a binder selected from an acrylic latex, a styrene butadiene latex, a natural rubber based binder.
7. A cleaning article according to claim 1 , wherein the fixing agent is a film-forming agent selected from polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol/vinyl acetate copolymers, and quaternary ammonium salts of polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymers.
8. A cleaning article according to claim 1 , which article is a layered substrate which comprises at least a first non-woven web, a further non-woven microfiber web, and a second non-woven web.
9. A cleaning article according to claim 8 , wherein the layered substrate further comprises a third non-woven web.
10. A packaged product comprising a substantially water-tight container and optionally further including a resealable opening said container containing a cleaning article according to claim 1
and further wherein the container is arranged to accommodate the cleaning article in a dry environment until it is desired to employ the article in a cleaning operation.
11. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein in the cleaning article the heat generating agent is entrained in the substrate such that it can be readily contacted by liquid water when desired and the heat generating agent generates heat as a result of a reaction with water.
12. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein the cleaning article is such that it can be briefly dipped in a body of water and/or placed under running water for a brief period to initiate heat production.
13. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein in the cleaning article the heat generating agent is entrained or impregnated within the substrate such that it remains attached thereto and is not deposited on an object during a cleaning operation.
14. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein in the cleaning article the substrate is a woven or nonwoven sheet or a sponge.
15. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein the cleaning article comprises from 1% to 80% by weight of heat generating agent.
16. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein the surfactant is a germicidal cationic surfactant.
17. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein the cleaning article is a non-woven wipe.
18. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein in the cleaning article the heat generating agent is a dehydrated aluminosilicate.
19. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein in the cleaning article the heat generating agent is a dehydrated zeolite.
20. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein in the cleaning article the heat generating agent is bound to the substrate.
21. A packaged product according to claim 10 , wherein the fixing agent is a binder selected from an acrylic latex, a styrene butadiene latex, a natural rubber based binder, or is a film-forming agent selected from polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl alcohol/vinyl acetate copolymers, and quaternary ammonium salts of polyvinylpyrrolidone/vinyl acetate copolymers.