CHTMAG.COM LAUNDRY FEATURE TESTING CLOTHING DETERGENT CLAIMS The UK laundry detergent market is worth over one billion pounds each year and in such a competitive market it is important for manufacturers to make their products more appealing by claiming to offer outstanding performance. Claims include increased brightness, colour fastness, eco-friendliness, or the ability to remove stubborn stains at low temperatures. SATRA provides an overview of testing clothing detergents Eco-label flower symbol. Products qualifying to carry the EU Ecolabel have been shown to meet the following criteria: Reduced amount of chemicals: To carry the EU Eco-label, products must not contain total levels of chemicals in excess of maximum limits specified for the various types of products included in the laundry detergents product group. Limitation of substances harmful to the aquatic environment: Critical dilution volume limits which must not be exceeded are specified for the various product types. These are expressed as the volume in litres of water per kilogram of product required to ensure that the product is not harmful to the aquatic environment. Increased biodegradability: To meet this requirement, the content of organic substances in the products that are nonbiodegradable must not exceed specified limits. Reduced packaging: For laundry detergent product packaging requirements, weight/ utility ratio (WUR) limits have been set. For powders, the limit is set as 1.2g/kg wash and for other products as 1.5g/kg wash. The WUR is calculated only for primary packaging (including caps, stoppers and hand pumps/ spraying devices). Plastic/paper/cardboard packaging containing more than 80 per cent of recycled material is exempted from the requirement. Safety of the product: A number of specified ingredients must not be included in the product, either as part of the formulation or as part of any preparation included in the formulation. Certain EU risk phrases and hazard statements indicate constituent substances (or release substances) which no The types of laundry detergents may vary, from liquids to powders and tablets to capsules, biological and nonbiological, for whites and for coloured fabrics, but each format needs to be able to prove its product claims in the same way. HOW IS PRODUCT PERFORMANCE TESTED? The effectiveness of laundering depends on several factors: the detergent, the water temperature and hardness, the washing machine, the soiling severity and the textile which is being washed. Wash and water conditions (hard or soft) are agreed with the client prior to testing, as is the mass of the wash load and the types of materials placed into the wash as ballast. STANDARD STAIN TESTING Laundry product manufacturers often ask for their product to be tested against a range of common stains, including food, grass, wine and ink. For most purposes SATRA’s laundry care team carries out tests using a range of commercially available pre-soiled staining cloths, as follows: carbon black and mineral oil (particulate soil removal) cocoa (hydrophilic staining) red wine (bleaching ability) China ink also called Indian ink/milk/blood (protein staining) coffee curry grass. Additionally, clients can specify other stains that they would like to test against, such as tea, Bolognese sauce, or blackcurrant juice. The pre-soiled cloths are usually washed using multiple similar domestic washing machines, each machine being used to carry out an evaluation using each of the wash products under test. This gives a good average set of results. The colour of the pre-soiled cloth can be checked prior to washing using a Chroma Meter. After washing the test fabrics are then re-measured. The results obtained from the measurements before and after washing are then used to demonstrate objectively how effectively the stains have been removed. SATRA has a test protocol for use in assessing the performance of laundry products and this may be modified to include alternative sets of stains and cleaning procedures in order to assess specific cleaning properties within a detergent. ENVIRONMENTAL CLAIMS Along with the effectiveness of a product, many of today’s consumers are looking for products that make less impact on the environment. The European (EU) Eco-label is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage companies to make and market products and services that are kinder to the environment, and that can be easily identified as such by means of the EU The eff ectiveness of laundering depends on several factors: the detergent, the water temperature and hardness, the washing machine, the soiling severity and the textile which is being washed. ” OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2016 17 CLEANING HYGIENE TODAY
Cleaning Hygiene Today October-November 2016
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