Laundering textile articles - by retting with acidic lye and bringing into contact with alkaline washing lye

摘要

Laundry articles are washed by first retting the articles with an acidic lye contg. pre-washing agents which are active in the acidic range and then bringing the articles into contact with an alkaline washing lye without expressing the acidic lye. Articles show an ash content of less than 0.2%. Pref. the retting bath into which the articles are fed in batches is renewed by replenishing the pre-washing agents either after each batch or a predetermined number of batches. Washing is pref. carried out in a domestic washing machine into which the laundry is fed and treated with a small amt. of the pre-wash lye with which it is allowd to stay in contact for a period of 1-10 mins. The acidic lye is then brought into contact with the alkaline lye and the washing proces sis carreid out at a temp. of up to 40 degrees C, whereupon the washing lye is discharged. Pref. the pre-wash lye has pH -value of 2 and the washing agents in the pre-wash lye include non-ionic fatty alcohol ethoxylates or alkylarylsulphonic acids or their sodium sals.