| abstract |
The present invention relates to a method for treating fabrics by contacting the fabrics with an aqueous wash liquor at varying pH values that increase from about 7-9 to about 10-13 (optionally down to about 7-9), maintaining such contact at pH 10-13 for about 5-30 minutes, followed by contacting the fabrics with an aqueous rinse liquor at an acid pH value of about 4-6. Such method provides a significantly improved stain removal benefit without any formulation changes. Further, it enables the use of laundry detergent compositions that are essentially free of alkoxylated surfactants, such as alkylalkoxylated sulfates or alkylalkoxylated alcohols, while still delivering satisfactory stain removal results. |