Patent attributes
A washing system for use in cleaning or washing a soiled substrate or substrates, the system comprising:a. a washing zone for contacting and washing the soiled substrate with wash liquor;b. a feed supply for providing hot or cold feed water to the washing zone;c. a wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone in fluid communication with the washing zoned. an effluent storage and/or discharge zone; and optionally one or more ofe. a product dispensing zone;f. means for sonically or ultrasonically treating the soiled substrate in the washing zone or in a washing pre-treatment zone;g. an electrolysis zone for electrolysing the feed water or wash liquor;h. a wash liquor disinfection zone; andi. a feed water softening zone;The wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone preferably comprises an ultrafiltration or microfiltration device having a cut-off in the range from about 1000 Daltons to about 1 μm, preferably from about 0.05 μm to about 0.5 μm, a lumen size of from about 1 to about 10 mm, preferably from about 2 to about 6 mm, more preferably from about 3 to about 5 mm, and a clean water flux of at least about 1000 L/m2.h.100 kp (RO water at 25° C.), preferably at least about 10,000 L/m2.h.100 kp.
