Key words: detergents, alternative wash technologies


Article was published in the SOFW Journal English Edition | 135 | 6-2009 and may be found at www.sofw.com -> SOFW Journal
The last major innovation in wash technologies took place in the middle of the last century, in the 1950s. Fully automatic drum washers, which could wash, rinse and spin-dry, conquered the European market. Although numerous technical improvements have been introduced since then, especially with regard to water and electricity consumption, the wash technology as such has in principle remained unchanged.
In 2001, Sanyo launched an ultrasonic washer in Japan. According to the manufacturer, the use of ultrasonic waves in special wash cycles can make laundry detergents totally redundant (zero-detergent cycle). Comprehensive studies of primary and secondary detergency carried out by, among others, the Japanese Soap & Detergent Association, the Japanese Consumer Affairs Centre and all wellknown appliance and washing machine manufacturers, all point to the conclusion that the performance of the washer is not acceptable in the absence of detergent.
In response to the launch of the Sanyo ultrasonic washer, all major Japanese manufacturers rapidly developed washing machines with programs that require less detergent (detergent half cycles). Consumers showed little interest, however, and after 2005 the claims were dropped.
In recent years, other washing machines based on new principles have come out of Asia. Terms such as ultrasonic pretreatment, ozone and steam cleaning, and silver-based technologies for hygiene attracted interest.
In the commercial sector, a widely varied range of cleaning methods are employed, some of which totally or partially dispense with the use of water. New technologies, such as lasers and plasma, are used to clean hard surfaces, and increasing numbers of textiles are claimed to have soil-repellent, and in some cases even self-cleaning, properties. These developments raise the question of whether detergents will be unnecessary in the future.
This study looks at alternative wash methods, and whether they can realistically be expected to establish themselves in the household sector. The influence that new types of textiles may have on the laundry detergents market is also examined.