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Trial Purpose:
To test the efficacy of two lower cost reformulations of the Chemtrax liquid laundry detergent containing the 4% enzyme mix identified from previous testing.
Date Run:
07/15/2025Experiment Procedure:
Prep: 5x5 inch white cotton and blue polyester fabric swatches were used for testing. Each fabric swatch was measured for reflectance with a colorimeter 5 times in 3 separate areas (0.5x0.5) where the fabric would eventually be stained. The three areas were treated as individual coupons. The 5 measurements for each area were averaged together and used as the representative measurements of the specified area/coupon. Each area was stained with the correct soil type and left to air dry for 24 hours. Colorimeter measurements of each stain were then recorded.
Washing procedure: The fabric swatches were washed in a washing machine with 45 mL of Liquid Laundry Detergent and 6.5 gallons of water on a normal washing cycle set for a medium load. The water used has a water hardness level of 63 PPM mg/L. The washing cycle consisted of a wash step (~12 mins), a rinse step (~14 mins), and a spin step (~5 mins). Half of the fabric swatches were washed unheated with a temperature range of 60F-85F, while the other half was washed heated with a temperature range of 105F-125F. The fabric swatches were dried in the drying machine on a heated gentle/tumble setting for 30 mins. After drying, the colorimeter was used to re measure the 3 staining areas on each fabric swatch.
Analysis:
Detergency: Unadjusted measure of the percentage the cleaned fabric was returned to its original state (uses only L values/measures of lightness)
% Detergency= 100X((Lclean-Ldirty)/(Linitial-Ldirty))
Where:
L=reflectance (0 black - 100 White)
Trial Results:
Formulation | Temp | Soil/Stain | Fabric | L Initial | L Dirty | L Clean | % DET |
MS LLD | Unheated | Dust + Sebum | Cotton | 85.88 | 73.43 | 85.6 | 97.75% |
Polyester | 60.26 | 54.76 | 59.95 | 94.36% | |||
Clay | Cotton | 85.89 | 78.34 | 85.76 | 98.28% | ||
Polyester | 60.52 | 79.13 | 61.26 | 96.02% | |||
Grass | Cotton | 85.74 | 79.63 | 85.53 | 96.56% | ||
Polyester | 60.43 | 58.88 | 60.43 | 100.00% | |||
Cocoa | Cotton | 85.69 | 49.68 | 85.61 | 99.78% | ||
Blood + Milk + Ink | Cotton | 85.71 | 44.68 | 84.5 | 97.05% | ||
Heated | Dust + Sebum | Cotton | 85.86 | 82.95 | 85.68 | 93.81% | |
Polyester | 60.48 | 55.39 | 59.62 | 83.10% | |||
Clay | Cotton | 85.9 | 79.65 | 85.84 | 99.04% | ||
Polyester | 60.79 | 76.07 | 60.85 | 99.61% | |||
Grass | Cotton | 85.72 | 78.19 | 85.28 | 94.16% | ||
Polyester | 61.22 | 59.67 | 61.15 | 95.48% | |||
Cocoa | Cotton | 85.86 | 48.67 | 85.57 | 99.22% | ||
Blood + Milk + Ink | Cotton | 85.58 | 44.24 | 84.63 | 97.70% | ||
Chemtrax Reformulation 1 | Unheated | Dust + Sebum | Cotton | 85.84 | 75.59 | 85.72 | 98.83% |
Polyester | 60.5 | 52.82 | 60.09 | 94.66% | |||
Clay | Cotton | 86.13 | 77.51 | 86.12 | 99.88% | ||
Polyester | 60.24 | 77.64 | 61.04 | 95.40% | |||
Grass | Cotton | 85.72 | 73.34 | 85.71 | 99.92% | ||
Polyester | 61.2 | 59.3 | 61.18 | 98.95% | |||
Cocoa | Cotton | 85.62 | 49.07 | 85.2 | 98.85% | ||
Blood + Milk + Ink | Cotton | 85.83 | 44.81 | 84.66 | 97.15% | ||
Heated | Dust + Sebum | Cotton | 85.63 | 78.96 | 85.31 | 95.20% | |
Polyester | 60.53 | 58.62 | 60.05 | 74.87% | |||
Clay | Cotton | 85.88 | 80.2 | 85.87 | 99.82% | ||
Polyester | 60.87 | 79.28 | 60.64 | 101.25% | |||
Grass | Cotton | 85.7 | 77.38 | 85.1 | 92.79% | ||
Polyester | 60.51 | 58.67 | 60.48 | 98.37% | |||
Cocoa | Cotton | 85.94 | 40.89 | 85.41 | 98.82% | ||
Blood + Milk + Ink | Cotton | 85.57 | 44.33 | 84.8 | 98.13% | ||
Chemtrax Reformulation 2 | Unheated | Dust + Sebum | Cotton | 85.66 | 80.35 | 85.6 | 98.87% |
Polyester | 60.35 | 56.18 | 59.97 | 90.89% | |||
Clay | Cotton | 86.03 | 77.17 | 85.97 | 99.32% | ||
Polyester | 60.21 | 78.99 | 61.12 | 95.15% | |||
Grass | Cotton | 86.14 | 83.6 | 86.11 | 98.82% | ||
Polyester | 61.22 | 59.44 | 60.99 | 87.08% | |||
Cocoa | Cotton | 85.64 | 49.7 | 85.54 | 99.72% | ||
Blood + Milk + Ink | Cotton | 86.1 | 48.06 | 80.53 | 85.36% | ||
Heated | Dust + Sebum | Cotton | 85.87 | 80.57 | 85.81 | 98.87% | |
Polyester | 60.93 | 55.69 | 59.65 | 75.57% | |||
Clay | Cotton | 85.88 | 79.55 | 85.79 | 98.58% | ||
Polyester | 60.66 | 77.61 | 60.54 | 100.71% | |||
Grass | Cotton | 85.79 | 83.27 | 85.57 | 91.27% | ||
Polyester | 60.83 | 58.49 | 60.81 | 99.15% | |||
Cocoa | Cotton | 86.02 | 48.04 | 85.23 | 97.97% | ||
Blood + Milk + Ink | Cotton | 85.76 | 43.61 | 75.68 | 76.09% | ||
The tables below compare the measurements of the MS LLD baseline product tested, and the measurements of both reformulations.
Reformulation 1:
Cold Water | Hot Water | ||||||
Artificial Stain | Stain Removal Index acceptable range | MS LLD Original | Reformulation 1 | Pass/Fail | MS LLD Original | Reformulation 1 | Pass/Fail |
Dust & Sebum on Cotton | SRI within 10 points | 97.75 | 98.83 | Pass | 93.81 | 95.2 | Pass |
Dust & Sebum on Polyester | SRI within 10 points | 94.36 | 94.66 | Pass | 83.1 | 74.87 | Pass |
Clay on Cotton | SRI within 11 points | 98.28 | 99.88 | Pass | 99.04 | 99.82 | Pass |
Clay on Polyester | SRI within 5 points | 96.02 | 95.4 | Pass | 99.61 | 101.25 | Pass |
EMPA 112- Cocoa on Cotton | SRI within 9 points | 99.78 | 98.85 | Pass | 99.22 | 98.82 | Pass |
EMPA 116- Blood, Milk & Ink on Cotton | SRI within 2.5 points | 97.05 | 97.15 | Pass | 97.7 | 98.13 | Pass |
Grass on Cotton | SRI within 2 points | 96.56 | 99.92 | Pass | 94.16 | 92.79 | Pass |
Grass on Polyester | SRI within 2 points | 100 | 98.95 | Pass | 95.48 | 98.37 | Pass |
Reformulation 2:
Cold Water | Hot Water | ||||||
Artificial Stain | Stain Removal Index acceptable range | MS LLD Original | Reformulation 2 | Pass/Fail | MS LLD Original | Reformulation 2 | Pass/Fail |
Dust & Sebum on Cotton | SRI within 10 points | 97.75 | 98.87 | Pass | 93.81 | 98.87 | Pass |
Dust & Sebum on Polyester | SRI within 10 points | 94.36 | 90.89 | Pass | 83.1 | 75.57 | Pass |
Clay on Cotton | SRI within 11 points | 98.28 | 99.32 | Pass | 99.04 | 98.58 | Pass |
Clay on Polyester | SRI within 5 points | 96.02 | 95.15 | Pass | 99.61 | 100.71 | Pass |
EMPA 112- Cocoa on Cotton | SRI within 9 points | 99.78 | 99.72 | Pass | 99.22 | 97.97 | Pass |
EMPA 116- Blood, Milk & Ink on Cotton | SRI within 2.5 points | 97.05 | 85.36 | Fail | 97.7 | 76.09 | Fail |
Grass on Cotton | SRI within 2 points | 96.56 | 98.82 | Pass | 94.16 | 91.27 | Fail |
Grass on Polyester | SRI within 2 points | 100 | 87.08 | Fail | 95.48 | 99.15 | Pass |
Success Rating:
Results successful using TACT (time, agitation, concentration, and temperature, as well as rinsing and drying) and/or other cleaning chemistries examined.Conclusion:
Reformulation 1 was able to pass the comparison criteria across all stains, fabric types, and temperatures. Reformulation 2 was not able to pass the comparison criteria for Blood/Milk/Ink stain on cotton or grass stains on both cotton and polyester. These fails were consistent when the testing was repeated for these stains and fabric combinations. Reformulation 1 is the best option for a lower cost reformulation.