U.S. patent application number 12/092424 was filed with the patent office on 2008-11-27 for wiping material.
Invention is credited to Masako Kizuka, Junko Maruyama.
Application Number | 20080289129 12/092424 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38123210 |
Filed Date | 2008-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080289129 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Kizuka; Masako ; et
al. |
November 27, 2008 |
Wiping Material
Abstract
The present invention relates to a wiping member. The wiping
material comprises a scrubbing surface formed of a first knitted
fabric comprising a flat yarn, and a polishing surface formed of a
second fabric comprising partially-split conjugate fibers having
heteromorphous cross-section.
Inventors: |
Kizuka; Masako; (Tokyo,
JP) ; Maruyama; Junko; (Tokyo, JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
3M INNOVATIVE PROPERTIES COMPANY
PO BOX 33427
ST. PAUL
MN
55133-3427
US
|
Family ID: |
38123210 |
Appl. No.: |
12/092424 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
November 30, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/US2006/045889 |
371 Date: |
May 2, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
15/118 ;
15/209.1; 15/210.1; 15/229.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B32B 2262/14 20130101;
B32B 2262/062 20130101; B32B 2262/0246 20130101; B32B 5/06
20130101; B24D 13/145 20130101; A47L 13/16 20130101; B32B 2432/00
20130101; B32B 5/26 20130101; B32B 2262/0261 20130101; B32B 2262/04
20130101; B32B 2262/0276 20130101; B32B 5/026 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
15/118 ;
15/210.1; 15/209.1; 15/229.12 |
International
Class: |
A47L 13/10 20060101
A47L013/10 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 5, 2005 |
JP |
2005-350639 |
Claims
1. A wiping material comprising: a scrubbing surface formed of a
first knitted fabric comprising a flat yarn; and a polishing
surface formed of a second fabric comprising partially-split
conjugate fibers having heteromorphous cross-section.
2. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein the scrubbing surface
partly covers the polishing surface.
3. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein the polishing surface
partly covers the scrubbing surface.
4. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein the scrubbing surface
wholly cover the polishing surface.
5. The wiping material of claim 4, wherein the scrubbing surface
and the polishing surface form a pocket for receiving an absorbent
material.
6. The wiping material of claim 1, further comprising an
intermediate layer separating the scrubbing surface and the
polishing surface.
7. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein the polish surface
further comprises fibers selected from the group consisting of
cotton, nylon, acryl, rayon and polyester.
8. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein the knitted flat yarn
forms a plurality of bent parts arranged uniformly and regularly
throughout a surface of the scrubbing surface.
9. The wiping material of claim 8, wherein the bent parts project
from the scrubbing surface at an angle greater than zero degrees
and less than 90 degrees.
10. The wiping material of claim 9, wherein the bent parts project
from the scrubbing surface at an angle of 45 degrees.
11. The wiping material of claim 8, further comprising open parts
between the bent parts of the flat yarn and the surface of the
scrubbing surface.
12. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein first knitted fabric
further comprises a fiber yarn.
13. The wiping material of claim 12, wherein the flat yarn and
fiber yarn are knitted together to form alternate separate loops of
flat yarn and fiber yarn.
14. The wiping material of claim 13, wherein the flat yarn loop and
the fiber yarn loop are arranged alternately stitch by stitch.
15. The wiping material of claim 13, wherein the flat yarn loop and
the fiber yarn loop are arranged alternately every two or more
stitches.
16. The wiping material of claim 13, wherein the flat yarn loops
and fiber yarn loops are arranged uniformly and regularly
throughout a surface of the wiping member.
17. The wiping material of claim 12, wherein the fiber yarn is an
acrylic yarn.
18. The wiping material of claim 1, wherein the flat yarn is a
plastic film.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] The present invention relates to a wiping material. In
particular, the present invention relates to a wiping material for
scrubbing and polishing surfaces.
[0002] Clothes produced by knitting or weaving flat yarn made of
plastic film or metallic flat yarn produced by metal vapor
deposition applied on the foregoing flat yarn are known as cleaning
tools with scrubbing ability. Such cleaning tools are superior in
performance to remove bulky solid stains because they have a knit
fabric having in its surface many curved parts of film, and when
the curved parts meet with stains at certain angles, the tools can
scratch or scrape away the stains by virtue of the shape and
stiffness of the film. However, such cleaning tools do not have
enough contact area with the surface of an object to be cleaned
and, therefore, they are not very effective in removal of stains
spread thinly on the surface of an object to be cleaned, like oil
film.
[0003] On the other hand, many cleaning tools are also known in
which acrylic fibers or ultrathin fibers having heteromorphous
cross-section, are used for the purpose of removing oil film or the
like without using detergent. When such fibers are used alone, a
high effect is shown for removing stains like oil film, but there
is a problem that it is impossible to efficiently scrub off bulky
solid stains such as burnt sludge or soap sludge.
[0004] Japanese Registered Utility Model Publication No. 3037459
discloses, as a wiping material including a combination of a
plastic film and a yarn such as an acrylic yarn, a scrubbing brush
fabric produced by knitting worsted acrylic yarn around which flat
yarn made of metallized plastic film by evaporation has been wound
spirally. Such a structure, however, can not exert a sufficient
effect of scrubbing off stains by the film because the film are
wound parallel to the worsted acrylic yarn and, therefore, the film
is prevented to meet stains at effective angles.
[0005] Most of the tough stains found in a kitchen include a
certain amount of oil. Therefore, water or detergent is used
together with a wiping material in order to remove the oil. In such
cases, extra tools and work are required for removing water after
cleaning. Cleaning tools superior in scrubbing ability do not have
sufficient water absorbency and, therefore, the water used for
cleaning will remain on the area cleaned. It will become necessary
to remove the water by use of another wiping tool having a wiping
ability.
[0006] Wiping cloths made of so-called micro fibers have superior
wiping ability. The wiping cloth made of micro fibers exerts an
extremely high wiping ability for smooth oily stains, such as cloud
of glass and hand stain. This, therefore, can prevent accumulation
of oil stain caused by incomplete removal of oil. In addition,
because many wiping cloths generally have a high water absorbency
by capillary phenomenon or the like, they are very suitable for use
as table wiping cloth or wiping dishes after washing.
[0007] However, such a wiping cloth is easily caught in a sticky
oil stain and becomes difficult to be moved when being used for a
sticky oil stain because of its large contact area with the surface
of stain. This will cause a great difficulty in wiping.
Consequently, it is difficult to apply it to clean around a gas
range where the sticky oil tends to attach or a part of a kitchen
table near a gas range.
[0008] Japanese Patent Kokai Publication No. 2003-325411 discloses,
as a cleaning tool for cleaning around a gas range, a nonwoven
fabric for cleaning having a layer including thermoplastic fibers
as a scratching surface. This document reports that the
thermoplastic fibers are used in an amount larger than required as
a binder of constituting fibers and is heat treated to form a hard
surface possessing irregularity inherent to the surface of nonwoven
fabric. It is also reported that the resulting surface is used as a
scrubbing surface, which can scrub off overboiled soup and caked
oil.
[0009] In practice, however, when a nonwoven fabric is used for
wiping a surface with an sticky oil stain, it is broken and it is
difficult to wipe it off well. In addition, it alone can not absorb
excess water on the surface to be cleaned sufficiently, leaving
some water there because it has already been impregnated with a
detergent solution. Thus, it can not be used for wipe cleaning the
overall kitchen.
SUMMARY
[0010] The present invention provides a wiping material that can
clean up various types of stains, e.g., water, oil, sticky stain
and caked stain are present without use of other tools. Therefore,
it is possible to remove bulky solid stains, thinly-spread stains
such as oil film, and highly sticky stains.
[0011] In one embodiment, the wiping material comprises a scrubbing
surface formed of a first knitted fabric comprising a flat yarn,
and a polishing surface formed of a second fabric comprising
partially-split conjugate fibers having heteromorphous
cross-section.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0012] FIG. 1 is a side view of a wiping material of one embodiment
of the present invention;
[0013] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wiping material of one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0014] FIG. 3 is an enlarged photograph showing the structure of
the surface of the first fabric obtained in an Example;
[0015] FIG. 4 is an enlarged photograph showing the structure of
the surface of the first fabric obtained in an Example;
[0016] FIG. 5 is an enlarged photograph showing the structure of
the surface of the second fabric obtained in an Example.
[0017] While the above-identified drawings and figures set forth
embodiments of the invention, other embodiments are also
contemplated, as noted in the discussion. In all cases, this
disclosure presents the invention by way of representation and not
limitation. It should be understood that numerous other
modifications and embodiments can be devised by those skilled in
the art, which fall within the scope and spirit of this invention.
The figures may not be drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] A wiping material is disclosed that removes bulky solid
stains, thinly-spread stains such as oil film, and highly sticky
stains. By use of this wiping material, it is possible to remove
cleanly and easily almost all types of stains in the working area
in a kitchen with only this tool. This eliminates the necessity of
stocking many types of wiping cloths for cleaning. In addition, the
wiping material can be use for tough stains, like caked stains
including oil, often found in kitchens, in a manner that a sticky
stain and a caked stain are removed with the scrubbing surface and
the scrubbed surface is finished with the polishing surface. It is
possible to easily clean up stains which usually require use of
detergent or post-treatment with other wiping tools. Furthermore, a
wiping material stained after use can be used repeatedly by being
washed with detergent.
First Fabric
[0019] The first fabric is a fabric having a surface superior in
ability of scrubbing off stains. One preferable example of such a
fabric is a knit fabric as described below. Knit cloths originally
are cloths produced by interlocking loops lengthwise or crosswise
to form a plane by using series of yarn. The structure of a knit
cloth is constituted of a series of loops. Therefore, when a knit
cloth is composed of flexurally anisotropic yarn such as flat yarn
made of plastic film, curved parts of the loops will project from
the surface of the cloth at almost fixed angles (orientation) and
will be arranged regularly.
[0020] When flat yarn made of plastic film is used and uniformly
knitted in the fabrication of such a knit fabric, loops of plastic
film are arranged regularly. For example, when different kinds of
yarns are used simultaneously in knitting, plastic film loops are
arranged every two or more stitches. This will make plastic film
loops be arranged regularly throughout the surface of the resulting
knit fabric and, between the loops, loops of the other kind of yarn
will be arranged with a similar regularity.
[0021] When flat yarn made of plastic film is looped as mentioned
above, the tip of the curved part projects from the surface of the
fabric. Therefore, a fabric produced by knitting with including
flat yarn made of plastic film will have in its surface a plurality
of curved parts of plastic film arranged regularly throughout the
surface of the fabric. These tips of the curved parts will project
from the surface of the fabric with an almost fixed angle.
[0022] The term "knit" means to form a knit fabric which is overall
uniform. The flat yarn made of plastic film may also be knitted
with different kind of yarn uniformly. Examples of the different
type of yarn include spun yarn made from fibers, Tetron fibers or
the like which has been wet spun. It is also permitted to use
separate-split-type conjugated fibers, ultra fine fibers having
heteromorphous cross-section.
[0023] It is preferable to use the yarns in almost the same amount
(length). The knit fabric may further include still different yarn
or fiber which has been knitted uniformly as long as the knit
fabric has the aforementioned arrangement of curved parts of flat
yarns made of plastic film.
[0024] The manner of knitting of the knit fabric is not
particularly restricted if it is a knitting manner usually used in
wiping materials for use in cleaning or washing in a kitchen or the
like. Preferred is a knitting manner such that an opening is formed
between a curved part of the flat yarn made of the plastic film and
a surface of the knit fabric. The presence of the opening makes it
easy for the flat yarn to enter between an object to be cleaned and
a stain attaching thereon and, therefore, it becomes easy to
separate them. In addition, it is possible to capture, in the
opening, much stain which has been separate. Thus, such a knit
fabric can maintain its good scrubbing performance.
[0025] In general, the manner of knitting of a knit cloth is not
particularly restricted as long as it is constituted of a series of
loops. However, a knit cloth with a high gauge can not have an
enough size of opening in loop portions thereof. With increase in
stitch density, the projecting direction of the film gets close to
parallel with the surface of the base and it becomes more difficult
to obtain the scrubbing effect. On the other hand, when a knit
cloth with a low gauge is used in the form of bag, it tends to
allow a foreign matter to enter therein, resulting in troubles with
its use and also in hygiene problems. Although depending on the
thickness of the yarn to be used, for example in the case of using
a two-folded acrylic yarn of from 30 to 60 deniers, the number of
stitches per square having 10-cm sides is typically from about 20
stitches by 20 rows to 100 stitches by 70 rows, more preferably
from about 30 stitches by 30 rows to 65 stitches by 50 rows.
[0026] For the flat yarn, a plastic film with a thickness of from
30 to 45 mm and a width of from 0.7 to 0.85 mm is typically used
because an operation of scratching or scraping bulky solid stains
can be obtained by virtue of the stiffness of the film. As the
material of the plastic film, polypropylene, polyester,
polystyrene, and the like are used. In order to impart a design
property or the like, it is also permitted to use metal flat yarn
prepared by depositing metal on a plastic film by evaporation or
other multilayer film (for example, a film comprising plastic
layers sandwiching a metal layer therebetween) as flat yarn.
Second Fabric
[0027] The second fabric is a fabric having a surface superior in
ability to remove stains made of oils having low viscosity and high
fluidity, and to absorb water. It is desirable that the fabric
further possess durability for repetitive use. Fabrics with a high
wiping performance such as a wiping cloth made of so-called micro
fibers are preferred. It is desirable that a cloth for wiping work
effectively not only for a smooth surface to be wiped but also for
an uneven surface. Therefore, a raised cloth with a high freedom in
the wiping surface is preferred to a smooth fabric.
[0028] A preferable second fabric is a wiping cloth having pile in
its exposed surface, namely, the surface with which an object is
wiped. The pile is desirably in a cut pile form rather than a loop
pile form so that, after use, the stain attaching on the surface
can be removed sufficiently by simple washing. The cut pile
desirably includes separated-split-type conjugate fibers having
heteromorphous cross-section. The split-type conjugate fibers may
be partially split.
[0029] The term "to be partially split" as used herein means not to
be composed of only composite fibers which have not been split or
only composite fibers which have been split completely. In other
words, it includes (1) a state where part of the layers (split
component) constituting each composite fiber constituting
separated-split-type conjugate fiber yarn has been split, (2) a
state where a part of fibers which have not been split and a part
of fibers which have been split completely are mixed together, or
(3) a state where the states (1) and (2) are mixed.
[0030] By uniformly incorporating unsplit fibers of hydrophilized
synthetic fibers such as PET or moderately hydrophilic synthetic
fibers such as nylon, acryl, rayon and polyester into the fibers
constituting the pile portion, a proper size of space is formed in
a bundle of split fibers into which stain easily enter and, as a
result, it is possible to make easy to remove stains which have
entered the pile. The incorporation of such unsplit fibers is
desirable because it will improve the water absorbing speed.
[0031] The amount of the unsplit fibers to be incorporated into the
pile portion is from 17 to 88 parts by weight, preferably from 25
to 67 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the fibers
constituting the pile portion. If the amount of the unsplit fibers
is less than 17 parts by weight, the water absorbing speed will be
reduced, whereas if it is more than 88 parts by weight, oils wiping
ability will be reduced
[0032] Examples of cloths known as a cloth having cut piles include
woven fabric, circular knit fabric, warp knit fabric and tufted
fabric. The structure of a cloth having cut piles is described in,
for example, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No.
2003-304993.
Wiping Material
[0033] FIG. 1 is a side view of a wiping material of one embodiment
of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a wiping
material of one embodiment of the present invention. The first
fabric 1 and the second fabric 2 have been adjoined in layers. The
exposed surface of the first fabric of the wiping material is
called "scrubbing surface" and the exposed surface of the second
fabric is called "polishing surface".
[0034] The scrubbing surface has a plurality of curved parts of
plastic film 11 projecting from the surface at an almost fixed
angle. The scrubbing surface may have curved parts of the different
kind of yarn 12, for example acrylic wool. The polishing surface
has a plurality of piles including separated-split-type conjugate
fibers 21 having heteromorphous cross-section. The polishing
surface may have a plurality of piles including unsplit fibers
22.
[0035] The simplest way to adjoin the first and second fabrics is
sewing them together at the periphery while placing one on the
other. However, if the fabrics are sewed together only at the
periphery or the periphery and some other parts, the wiping
performance may not be exhibited because fabrics will be shifted
during use and the force applied for wiping may not be transmitted
to stains. For avoiding this, it is permitted to make the fabrics
used for forming the wiping material of the present invention have
structures such that a friction is produced between the front
fabric and the back fabric so as to make the fabrics resistant to
shifting.
[0036] For example, a method is available in which the rear sides
of both fabrics are physically mated through the application of
force along the thickness direction by proving the rear surface(s)
of one or both of the fabrics with irregularity as small as almost
no resistance is felt during wiping. Another available method is a
method in which rubber yarn is used as a part of the ground yarn
and this part is allowed to expose in the rear surface. This will
produce a friction with the opposite fabric, thereby reducing the
shift.
[0037] In the first fabric and the second fabric, the second fabric
does not have to be put wholly on the rear surface of the first
fabric, but the second fabric may be put partly on the rear surface
of the first fabric. Otherwise, the first fabric may be put partly
on the rear surface of the second fabric.
[0038] The following examples further illustrate the present
invention. These, however, are not to be construed as limiting the
present invention to their details.
[0039] Although specific embodiments of this invention have been
shown and described herein, it is understood that these embodiments
are merely illustrative of the many possible specific arrangements
that can be devised in application of the principles of the
invention. Numerous and varied other arrangements can be devised in
accordance with these principles by those of ordinary skill in the
art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.
Thus, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to
the structures described in this application, but only by the
structures described by the language of the claims and the
equivalents of those structures.
EXAMPLES
Preparation of First Fabric
[0040] (Fabric A): Flat yarn prepared by slitting a 38-micron thick
PET film to have a width of 0.7575 mm, 48-denier two-folded acrylic
yarn and 100-denier PET yarn were knitted to form net in which
acrylic loops and loops of film yarn were arranged alternatively.
When the resulting fabric is put, as in practically using for
cleaning, on a surface to be cleaned, the film surface comes into
contact with the surface to be cleaned at an angle of about 45
degrees at its loop sections. FIG. 3 is an enlarged photograph
showing the structure of the resulting knitted fabric (namely, the
rear surface of the fabric).
[0041] (Fabric B): Flat yarn prepared by slitting a 38-micron thick
PET film to have a width of 0.7575 mm and primary yarn of Tetron
were doubled and knitted to form net. When the resulting fabric is
put, as in practically using for cleaning, on a surface to be
cleaned, the film surface comes into contact with the surface to be
cleaned at an angle of about 45 degrees at its loop sections. FIG.
4 is an enlarged photograph showing the structure of the resulting
knitted fabric (namely, the rear surface of the fabric).
Preparation of Second Fabric
[0042] A cut-pile fabric having about 30,000 rising fibers per 6.45
cm.sup.2, was knitted with using a circular knitting machine, from
pile fibers, separated-split-type conjugate fibers and rayon.
Proportional ratio of yarn in each pile part is as follows:
[0043] (Fabric P): About 80 parts by weight of separated-split-type
conjugate fibers, and about 20 parts by weight of rayon;
[0044] (Fabric Q): About 12 parts by weight of separated-split-type
conjugate fibers, and about 88 parts by weight of rayon.
[0045] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of the resulting pile fabric
P.
Preparation of Wiping Material
[0046] The first fabric was put on the second fabric and they were
sewed together at the periphery. Thus, a wiping material was
obtained.
[0047] The particulars of the first and second fabrics used are
shown in Table 1.
TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Example Comparative Example 1 2 3 1 2 3
Polishing Fabric Fabric Fabric Fabric None Water-absorbent surface
P Q Q P nonwoven fabric sheet (with cleaning solution) Scrubbing
Fabric Fabric Fabric None Fabric Nonwoven fabric sheet surface A A
B A including heat-adhesive fiber
[0048] The experiments shown below were carried out in order to
examine the performances of the Examples and Comparative Examples
in Table 1. The results are shown in Table 2.
[0049] Stain Removal Performance (Performance to Remove the Stain
of an Object to be Cleaned)
[0050] (1) Oil Stain
[0051] Three levels of oil stains were prepared. A sample fabric
which had been wetted by water and then squeezed lightly was held
with two fingers and was moved back and forth once on the stains
under a force of about 200 g/cm.sup.2. Thus, the stains were wiped
off. On the area wiped, a paper clip 23 mm long and 6 mm wide was
placed and then the SUS plate was allowed to stand so that the
wiped area formed a right angle with the ground. The degree of
stain removal was judged according to the following criteria: o:
the paper clip slipped down; .DELTA.: the paper clip remained on
the SUS plate; x: the paper clip slipped down slowly.
[0052] In the wiping, the polishing surface was used for stain I
and the scrubbing surface was used for stain III. For stain II,
both surfaces were used. The results were indicated by (performance
of the polishing surface)/(performance of the scrubbing
surface).
[0053] I: Oil Stain Stuck Freshly
[0054] A stain in a state where it is fluid but is not sticky at
all.
[0055] The stain was prepared by applying soy bean oil thinly to a
SUS plate.
[0056] II: Slimy Oil Stain
[0057] A stain which gives a little viscous feeling but no
stickiness through a finger touch.
[0058] The stain was prepared by applying soy bean oil thinly to a
SUS plate, followed by heating in an oven at 170.degree. C. for
about 20 minutes.
[0059] III: Sticky Oil Stain
[0060] A stain in a state where it is not fluid and it gives a
sticky feeling through a finger touch.
[0061] The stain was prepared by applying soy bean oil thinly to a
SUS plate, followed by heating in an oven at 170.degree. C. for
about 50 minutes.
[0062] (2) Caked Stain
[0063] A dispersion of a fatty acid calcium powder in alcohol was
applied uniformly to a stainless steel plate JIS G4305 (SUS
304)2B). After evaporation of the alcohol, the stainless plate was
heated for about two minutes on a heated hot plate.
[0064] The resulting stain was wiped off in the same manner as that
for oil stains and the degree of stain removal was visually
observed. The case where the stain remained was judged as x; the
case where the stain was removed until the SUS plate surface
appeared was judged as o.
[0065] (3) Performance to Wipe Off Water
[0066] The water absorbing speed was measured according to JIS
L1907 Testing method for water absorbency of textiles (dropping
method) and it was used as the performance to wipe off water. A
waterdrop was dropped from a level of 10 mm above the sample. The
time taken before a special reflection disappeared in the area
where the waterdrop reached was measured at five points per sample.
The times were averaged. The rating are as follows: o: the average
time is one second or less, x: the average time is 30 seconds of
more; .DELTA.: the average time is between 1 second and 30 seconds.
It is noted that no measurement was carried out for a sample which
was clearly incapable of absorbing water. The sample was judged as
x.
[0067] Stain Release Performance (Ease to Release Stain when Being
Rinsed)
[0068] The stain release performance was measured using soy sauce
as aqueous stain and spicy oil as oil stain. On an object which has
a smooth surface and absorbs neither soy sauce nor spicy oil, such
as a SUS plate, a drop of soy sauce or spicy oil was put. A sample
fabric which had been wetted by water and then squeezed tightly was
place on the drop. It was left to stand for 30 seconds while a 1-kg
weight was placed thereon, thereby the stains were allowed to
soak.
[0069] The fabric was left to stand with the stained surface up at
room temperature for 30 minutes. Thus, a stained fabric was
prepared. The stained fabric was shaken in a sufficient amount of
water. Subsequently, a series of operations including putting about
3 g of detergent for tablewares washing directly on the stain,
washing the fabric by scrubbing with fingers, and rinsing in
running water were repeated twice. Thus, the stain was removed. The
color difference of the fabric between just after the staining and
after the destaining was measured and used as the degree of stain
release. The rating are as follows: o: 90% of more of the stain was
removed, x: less than 90% of the stain was removed.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Example Example Example Comparative
Comparative Comparative 1 2 3 Example 1 Example 2 Example 3 Stain
removal Oil I .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. .times. .smallcircle. Oil II
.smallcircle./.smallcircle. .DELTA./.smallcircle.
.smallcircle./.DELTA. .DELTA. .DELTA. .smallcircle. Oil III
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .times. .smallcircle.
.times. Caked .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .times.
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. stain Water .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .times. .DELTA. Stain release Soy sauce
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. -- Spicy oil .smallcircle. .smallcircle.
.smallcircle. .smallcircle. .smallcircle. --
[0070] As shown in Table 2, Comparative Examples 1 and 2 in which
the fabrics were composed of only one surface were poor,
respectively, in the wiping performance to wipe off a sticky and
caked stains and in the wiping performance to wipe off water and
smooth oil. It, therefore, was difficult to finish cleaning by
using only these tools. In addition, in a nonwoven fabric type
cleaning tool, which is a tool such that one surface is used for
scrubbing and the other surface is used for wiping, the scrubbing
ability of the scrubbing surface can not cope with oily stickiness
and the tool has only a low water absorbency.
[0071] The comparison of Examples 1 and 2 shows that a wiping
material with a greater ratio of split fibers can wipe off even
slimy oil without allowing it to remain. The comparison of Examples
1 and 3 shows that use of fibers having a capability of removing
oil, such as acryl, also in the scrubbing surface makes it possible
to wipe away slimy oil cleanly with the scrubbing surface.
* * * * *