The present invention relates to an aqueous, preferably clear, composition, article of manufacture, and method for use as a freshening composition. Preferably, the composition is sprayed onto fabrics, particularly clothes, to restore their freshness by reducing malodor impression, without washing or dry cleaning. Fabrics treated with the composition of the present invention also release extra fragrance upon rewetting, such as when the wearer perspires. The freshening composition of the present invention is designed to extend the wear of fabrics between washing or dry cleaning. Fabrics treated with the freshening composition of the present invention will stay fresher longer, and receive extra freshening effect via perfume release when it is most needed, that is upon fabric rewetting.
A wide variety of deodorizing compositions are known in the art, the most common of which only contain a perfume to mask the malodor. Odor masking is the intentional concealment of one odor by the addition of another. The preference to the masking perfume is varied greatly, depending on the application, e.g., underarm odor masking, fabric odor masking, bathroom odor masking, etc. Appropriate perfume ingredients need to be selected to connote freshness.
Odor modification, in which the odor is changed, e.g., by chemical modification, has also been used. Current malodor modification methods known in the art which do not simply mask odors are oxidative degradation, which uses oxidizing agents such as oxygen bleaches, chlorine, chlorinated materials such as sodium hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, etc., and potassium permanganate to reduce malodor, and reductive degradation which uses reducing agents such as sodium bisulfite to reduce malodor. Both of these methods are unacceptable for use on fabrics because they can damage colored fabrics, specifically, they can bleach and discolor colored fabrics.
Other methods of odor control contain actives that are targeted to react with malodors having specific chemical functional groups. Examples of such actives are: biguanide polymers, which complex with organic compounds containing organically bound N and/or S atoms and fatty alcohol esters of methyl methacrylic acid which react with thiols, amines, and aldehydes. A more detailed description of these methods can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,544,093, 3,074,891, and U.K. Pat. App. No. 941,105, all of said patents and applications are incorporated herein by reference. Fatty alcohol esters of methyl methacrylic acid are not preferred in the composition of this invention because they are not water soluble.
Other types of deodorizing compositions known in the art contain antibacterial and antifungal agents which regulate the malodor-producing microorganisms found on the surface to which the deodorizing composition is directed. Many skin deodorant products use this technology. These compositions are not effective on malodors that do not come from bacterial sources, such as tobacco or food odors.
Fabric malodor is most commonly caused by environmental odors such as tobacco odor, cooking and/or food odors, or body odor. The unpleasant odors are mainly organic molecules which have different structures and functional groups. One type of malodor that is very noticeable, and is commonly found on worn fabrics is low molecular weight, straight-chain, branched, and unsaturated C.sub.6 -C.sub.11 fatty acids that cause axillary odor. See "Analysis of Characteristic Odor from Human Male Axillae", X. Zeng, et al., J. Chem. Ecol., pp. 1469-1492, 1991, incorporated herein by reference. See also, U.S. Pat. No. 4,664,909, Marschner et al., issued May 12, 1987, BE 830,098, published Oct. 1, 1975, and CA 1,088,428, published Oct. 28, 1980, DE 2,803,176, published Aug. 3, 1978, all of said patents and applications incorporated herein by reference.
Cyclodextrin molecules are known for their ability to form complexes with perfume ingredients and have typically been taught as a perfume carrier. The prior art teaches the use of drier-added fabric softener sheets containing high levels of cyclodextrin/perfume complexes wherein the fabrics treated with this solid cyclodextrin complex release perfume when the fabrics are rewetted. The art also teaches that cyclodextrin/perfume complexes used in aqueous rinse-added fabric softener compositions must be protected, e.g., with a hydrophobic wax coating so the cyclodextrin/perfume complexes will not decompose due to the presence of water. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,564 Gardlik et al., issued Apr. 7, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,610, Gardlik et al., issued Aug. 10, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,611 Trinh, et al., issued Aug. 10, 1993, all of said patents incorporated herein by reference. It is therefore highly surprising and unexpected to find that fabrics treated with the aqueous compositions of the present invention, which contain low levels of cyclodextrin, also exhibit perfume release upon rewetting. This phenomenon creates a benefit in that fabrics treated with the composition of the present invention will thus remain fresh longer, via a perfume release, when said fabrics are rewetted, such as when the wearer perspires.