• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.30 no.11 s.158
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• pp.1589-1597
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• 2006

Nowadays, Korean consumers prefer drum-type washing machines to pulsator-type washers. Washing is a complex process involving the interaction of numerous physical and chemical influences. The main factors in the washing operations are the washing chemistry of the detergent along with the mechanical input, the wash temperature, and the time provided by the washing machine. Heavy-duty detergents that are used in drum-type washing machines contain different components from those used in vertical-axis washing machines. The bath ratio and the mechanical actions to which laundry is subjected are different between the drum-type and the vertical-axis washing machines. In this study we examined the effects of wash temperature, wash time, detergent concentration, and revolution speed on the removal of soils from artificially soiled cloths in a drum-type washing machine with heavy-duty commercial detergent. We used multiple regression analyses to find the relative importance of the factors and the optimum washing conditions. The results of these experiments showed that the washing temperature was the most important factor in the effective removal of most soils. This was followed by the washing time, the detergent concentration, and finally the revolution speed. In this study it was found that superfluous amounts of detergent did not sufficiently increase the soil removal rate. Koreans who are used to washing with cold water should increase the wash time to launder more efficiently.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.671-678
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• 2007

Formulations of compact and supercompact heavy-duty detergents, which are being used widely around the world, differ from those of conventional heavy-duty detergents. Significant differences in composition exist between the compact detergents and the conventional detergents. The compact detergents have a higher content of surfactants, oxygen bleach and enzymes than the conventional detergents. We have studied to find the most effective washing conditions of artificially soiled cloths with a commercial, supercompact, heavy-duty detergent and a drum type washing machine which is becoming the preferred type in Korea. Moreover, we have studied the washing performance with an impeller type washing machine, which has heretofore been the most popular type in East Asia. With the drum-type washing machine, washing performances improved as the washing temperatures went up and the washing times were lengthened. Though the rate of soil removal with a double recommended dosage was higher than with the recommended amount at $20^{\circ}C$, the effects of the higher dosage decreased as the washing temperatures increased. Finally, the washing performances with the two different dosages were the same at $60^{\circ}C$. The washing performances at $40^{\circ}C$ with the recommended dosage for 90 minutes were the same as with the double recommended dosage for 45 minutes. The soil removal efficiencies with the impeller-type washing machine were much lower than those of the drum-type washing machine. The reasons for this were the higher bath ratio that led to the lower concentration of wash liquor, the shorter washing time, and the lower washing temperature.