Abstract: A method of improving smoothness of an item to be washed during washing, including the step of washing the item with a washing liquid under conditions where an organic polymer having spinnability is present in the washing liquid; a process for hand-washing including the step of hand-washing an item to be washed with a washing liquid showing spinnability containing an organic polymer having spinnability, or a washing liquid prepared by diluting the washing liquid with more than 1-fold to 1,000-fold amount of water; a detergent composition containing an organic polymer having spinnability having an average molecular weight of 1,500,000 or more in an amount exceeding 0.1% by weight of the detergent composition; a laundry detergent composition comprising a polymer having an average molecular weight of 500,000 or more, wherein 60% by mole or more of constituting monomers has a sulfonic acid group or a salt form thereof, or a sulfuric acid group or a salt form thereof.

Abstract: A method of producing a sheet type laundry detergent which comprises continuously or discontinuously applying a doughy detergent composition that has been prepared so as to have a viscosity of 1,000 mPa·s to 50,000 mPa·s at a shear rate of 10 s?1 to 1,000 s?1 onto a flexible support of continuous length that is running continuously in a prescribed direction under a shear rate condition of 10 s?1 to 1,000 s?1 by an application to form a thin layer of the doughy detergent composition.

Abstract: An economical sheetlike article for laundry whose flexibility is excellent, of which sprinkling and loss of the content are small and wherein a water-soluble substrate having a low basis weight is used. Thus, the present invention provides a sheetlike article for laundry in which a layer containing at least one composition selected from the group consisting of a detergent composition, a fiber softener composition and a bleaching agent composition, is connected with a water-soluble substrate on the both sides of the said layer, and of which the flexibility parameter calculated by a specific method is from 3 to 6.

Abstract: Detergent formulations incorporating crystalline alkali metal silicate granules provide enhanced performance in removing sebum dirt stains at low dosages of detergent in the wash. The detergent formulations are prepared by combining an alkali metal silicate having a high pH value with a nonionic surfactant and an acid precursor of an anionic surfactant capable of having a lamellar orientation. The formulation is granulated by tumbling in an agitating mixer while increasing the bulk density at elevated temperatures to yield alkali metal silicate granules having a bulk density of from 0.6 to 1.2 g/ml.

Abstract: In the detergent granules including 10% by weight or more of a nonionic surfactant and 1% by weight or more of a crystalline alkali metal silicate having an average particle size of from 1 to 60 &mgr;m, the detergent granules characterized in that a proportion of the nonionic surfactant to the crystalline alkali metal silicate is in a weight ratio of from 20/1 to 1/20, and that the iron content calculated as Fe in the crystalline alkali metal silicate is 140 ppm or less. The granular detergent composition characterized in that the granular detergent composition includes the detergent granules described above.

Abstract: A washing method characterized in that washing is carried out under conditions that a pH of a washing liquid starts increasing after a water hardness of the washing liquid starts decreasing; a detergent composition characterized by containing particles capable of delayed-exerting an alkalizing effect of a washing liquid, wherein a pH of a washing liquid starts increasing after a water hardness of the washing liquid starts decreasing; and a detergent composition comprising an alkalizing agent coated with an organic material, or organic and inorganic materials, the alkalizing agent occupying an amount of 70% by weight or more of the entire alkalizing agents in the detergent composition.

Abstract: A washing method is described which has excellent washing power and a low surfactant concentration. The described clothes washing method comprises the use of a phosphorus-free clothes detergent composition comprising (a) one or more surfactants, (b) one or more alkali metal silicates, and (c) one or more metal ion capturing agents other than the alkali metal silicate (b). The above detergent composition is added to water in an amount sufficient to produce a washing liquid having the following washing conditions (1) a pH of not less than 10.60; (2) containing a material having an ion capturing capacity in an amount sufficient for theoretically changing the water hardness of said water to be not more than 0.5.degree. DH; and (3) having a surfactant concentration of from 0.07 to 0.17 g/L.

Abstract: A washing method is described which has excellent washing power and a low surfactant concentration. The described clothes washing method comprises the use of a phosphorus-free clothes detergent composition comprising (a) one or more surfactants, (b) one or more alkali metal silicates, and (c) one or more metal ion capturing agents other than the alkali metal silicate (b). The above detergent composition is added to water in an amount sufficient to produce a washing liquid having the following washing conditions (1) a pH of not less than 10.60; (2) containing a material having an ion capturing capacity in an amount sufficient for theoretically changing the water hardness of said water to be not more than 0.5° DH; and (3) having a surfactant concentration of from 0.07 to 0.17 g/L.