Abstract: A cleaning system is provided comprising a sealable container housing a saturated stack of durable fine spunbond fiber cleaning sheets; the cleaning sheets have an average fiber diameter less than 18 micrometers, a tensile strength of at least 140-g/g/m2 and a basis weight between about 15 g/m2 and 85 g/m2. The cleaning sheets can be provided in stacked form and maintained within a sealed container wherein liquid is retained within the individual sheets as well as throughout the stack over time. The sheets can subsequently be removed from the container and applied to a surface wherein a high percent of the liquid is released from the sheet onto the surface in the initial pass and thereby allowing for improved treatment and/or cleaning of the surface.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a filter medium including an airlaid composite, which is made of pulp fibers, at least about 2% by weight bicomponent fiber, and moisture. This airlaid composite is unique in that, when used as a filter medium, it exhibits advantageous filtering properties as well as physical strength. The bicomponent fibers of the present invention include a first polymer component and a second polymer component, and the first polymer component melts at a temperature lower than the melting temperature of the second polymer component. Mixing of the pulp fibers with the bicomponent fibers is done in such a way that the fibers are evenly dispersed in the airlaid composite. This airlaid composite is then heated such that at least a portion of the first polymer component of the bicomponent fiber is melted, which bond the bicomponent fibers to many of the pulp and other bicomponent fibers when cooled.

Abstract: The present invention provides a filter media comprising (a) a nonwoven composite material comprising a stabilized mixture of thermoplastic microfibers and at least about 50%, by weight, of a secondary fibrous material such as pulp or polymeric staple fibers; (b) a first outer nonwoven web comprising a substantially uniform nonwoven web of autogenously bonded multicomponent fibers; and (c) a second outer nonwoven web wherein the nonwoven composite material is positioned between the first outer nonwoven web and second outer nonwoven web. The filter material is well suited to filtering liquid borne particulate matter ranging in size from 5&mgr; to about 25&mgr;.