Process and apparatus for machine washing and cleaning with low-phosphate or phosphate-free washing solutions

Claim 1

A method for machine washing and cleaning of soiled textiles utilizing washing and cleaning solutions essentially containing up to 2.5 gm/l of surface-active compounds, from 0.05 to 2 gm/l of water-soluble sequestering agents for calcium, as well as water-insoluble cation-exchange agents which are capable of binding the hardness components of the water and the soil, wherein said cation-exchange agent has a calcium binding capacity of from 100 to 200 mg of CaO/gm and consists of a crystalline compound of the formula (M 2 O) x .Al 2 O 3 .(SiO 2 ) y wherein M is lithium, sodium or potassium, x is a number from 0.7 to 1.1 and y is a number from 1.3 to 3.3, which contains bound water, and wherein said cation-exchange agent has an average particle size of more than 20μ and is not brought into contact with said soiled textiles in a washing area but is instead located in an external filter element, separate from said soiled textiles being washed in said washing area, which comprises agitating said soiled textiles in the presence of said washing and cleaning solution wherein the total amount of washing solution containing surfactants is continuously or intermittently cyclically circulated from said washing area through the external filter element charged with the cation-exchange agent, and then back to the washing area at least 5 times during the cleaning process, and where the amount of the cation-exchange agent is 0.2 gm to 10 gm per liter of washing solution.

Claim 2

A method for machine washing and cleaning of soiled textiles utilizing washing and cleaning solutions essentially containing up to 2.5 gm/l of surface-active compounds, from 0.05 to 2 gm/l of water-soluble sequestering agents for calcium, as well as water-insoluble cation-exchange agents which are capable of binding the hardness components of the water and the soil, wherein said cation-exchange agent has a calcium binding capacity of from 100 to 200 mg of CaO/gm and consists of a crystalline compound of the formula (M 2 O) x .Al 2 O 3 .(SiO 2 ) y wherein M is lithium, sodium or potassium, x is a number from 0.7 to 1.1 and y is a number from 1.3 to 3.3, which contains bound water, and wherein said cation-exchange agent has an average particle size of more than 20μ and is not brought into contact with said soiled textiles in a washing area but is instead located in an external filter element, separate from said soiled textiles being washed in said washing area, which comprises agitating said soiled textiles in the presence of said washing and cleaning solution wherein the total amount of washing solution containing surfactants is continuously or intermittently cyclically circulated from said washing area through the external filter element charged with the cation-exchange agent, and then back to the washing area at least 5 times during the cleaning process, and where the amount of the cation-exchange agent is 0.2 gm to 10 gm per liter of washing solution.