Dye fading protection from soil release agents

摘要

The present invention relates to a method for reducing dye fading of a fabric comprising depositing on the fabric a soil release agent capable of substantially absorbing ultraviolet and/or visible light (in the 200-700 nanometer wavelength range). The soil release agent is preferably deposited on the fabric during a laundering or drying operation. Preferably the weight ratio of soil release agent to fabric is between about 1:10,000 and about 1:100. The soil release agent has light-absorbing chemical structure groups which can include carbonyls, carboxylates, conjugated double bonds, and/or aromatic rings. Suitable soil release agents for use in the invention include oliogomeric, substantially linear, sulfonated poly-ethoxy/propoxy end-capped esters, which comprise oxyethyleneoxy units and terephthaloyl units.