Control of fluid migration in wet-wipes

1 . A wet-wipe having improved fluid migration properties comprising:

a thickening or gelling polymer;

a thickening or gelling agent which is capable of thickening or gelling the thickening or gelling polymer;

a substrate of woven, nowoven or knitted fabric; and

a liquid portion comprising an aqueous phase.

2 . The wet-wipe of claim 1 wherein the thickening or gelling polymer and the thickening or gelling agent comprise a binary pair wherein the binary pair is selected from the group consisting of: sodium alginate and Ca 2+ containing salts; carboxymethylcellulose and Al 3+ containing salts; guar gum/guar gum derivatives (such as HP-guar (hydroxypropyl guar), HE-guar (hydroxyethyl guar), CM-guar (carboxymethyl guar), M-guar (methylguar), HPM-guar (hydroxypropylmethyl guar), cationic guar, cationic HM guar (cationic hydrophobically modified guar), anionic HM guar (anionic hydrophobically modified guar), and HM guar (hydrophobically modified guar)) and borax; pectin gum and Ca 2+ containing salts; carrageenan gum and K + containing salts; polyvinyl alcohol and borax; cross linked polyacrylic acid and neutralizing base solution; xanthan gum, guar gum, and gellan gum and divalent cations; ionic polymer or surfactant having a charge and polymer or surfactant with an opposite charge and any combination of binary pairs.

3 . The wet-wipe of claim 1 wherein the thickening or gelling polymer comprises between about 0.05 to about 5 wt % of the liquid portion of the aqueous phase.

4 . The wet-wipe of claim 3 wherein the thickening or gelling polymer comprises between about 0.10 to about 2 wt % of the liquid portion of the aqueous phase.

5 . The wet-wipe of claim 2 wherein the binary pair comprises sodium alginate and Ca 2+ containing salts.

6 . The wet-wipe of claim 1 , wherein the liquid portion further comprises at least one of the ingredients selected from the group consisting of water, emollients, surfactants, fragrances, preservatives, chelating agents, pH buffers, emulsifiers, water thickeners, oil thickeners, stabilizers, and suspending agents.

7 . The wet-wipe of claim 1 , wherein the liquid portion further comprises a benefiting agent selected from the group consisting of oil and fat and their derivative, humectants, conditioning agent, soothing agent, healing agent, insect repellent agent, deodorizing agent, biocide, lubricant, softening agent, luminance, vitamins, moisturizer, softening cleaning agent, cleansing agent, fragrance, color, antistatic agent, static agent, and mixtures thereof.

8 . The wet-wipe of claim 1 , wherein the wet-wipe is a personal care wipe.

9 . The wet-wipe of claim 1 , wherein the wet-wipe is a household care wipe.

10 . A method for producing a wet-wipe comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a substrate;

b) applying to the substrate a liquid portion comprising an aqueous phase and a thickening or gelling polymer; and

c) applying to the substrate a thickening or gelling agent in order to thicken or gel the liquid portion.

11 . The method for producing a wet-wipe of claim 10 wherein the liquid portion comprising the aqueous phase and the thickening or gelling polymer is applied to the substrate using a dip tank, sprays or transfer roller.

12 . The method for producing a wet-wipe of claim 10 wherein the thickening or gelling polymers and the thickening or gelling agents are applied to the substrate sequentially.

13 . The method for producing a wet-wipe of claim 10 wherein the thickening or gelling polymer is applied to one area of the substrate while the thickening or gelling agent is applied to another area of the substrate in such a manner that the thickening or gelling polymer and the thickening or gelling agent combine with one another after application to the substrate.

14 . The method for producing a wet-wipe of claim 10 wherein the thickening or gelling polymer is applied to the substrate or a short stack of substrates while the thickening or gelling agent is applied to another substrate or a short stack of substrates which are then combined in alternating manner (i.e. A-B-A-B . . . ) and where the binary system combines as the liquid portion migrates downward.

15 . The method for producing a wet-wipe of claim 10 , wherein the thickening of gelling agent is applied to the substrate as an aqueous solution and wherein the thickening or gelling polymer is contained in the liquid portion.

16 . The method for producing a wet-wipe of claim 10 , further comprising the step of incorporating the thickening or gelling agent into a binder which is subsequently applied to the substrate.

17 . A method for producing a wet-wipe comprising the steps of:

a) obtaining a substrate;

b) applying to the substrate a thickening or gelling polymer; and

c) applying to the substrate a liquid portion comprising an aqueous phase and a thickening or gelling agent whereby the liquid portion is thickened or gelled.