FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a composition for treating fabrics in order to provide benefits
to the fabric particularly, antimicrobial protection and a method of preparing the composition.
5 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Infectious disease has been on the rise for the past few years which have posed a significant
threat to human health and life. Microbes such as bacteria, fungi, virus etc. play a significant
role in the generation of such diseases. Surface contamination by microbes is a major concern
particularly to fabrics in laundry and fabrics used for medical purposes.
10 With the advent of SARS-COV2 virus, an ever-increasing spread of virus has been seen
through various means, particularly through respiratory droplets which may land on various
surfaces including clothes. The role of surface contamination has been discussed as several
studies have found SARS-CoV-2 genetic material on various surfaces (Jenni Virtanen, Kirsi
Aaltonen, Ilkka Kivistö, Tarja Sironen, "Survival of SARS-CoV-2 on Clothing Materials",
15 Advances in Virology, vol. 2021, Article ID 6623409, 5 pages, 2021.). Based on studies about
SARS-CoV-2 infectivity on surfaces performed in laboratory settings, stability on surfaces for
example on clothes depending on the fabric material can vary from hours to several days.
Further, specifically in the case of laundry fabrics, creases and wrinkles are caused by
the bending and folding of the constituent textile materials of the fabric. Typically, creases and
20 wrinkles in fabrics are removed by ironing and/or steaming. Instant fabric stiffeners are
available in the market, however such stiffening agents comprises harmful chemicals such as
1,4 dioxane, formaldehyde etc. that are prejudicial for health.
US14716871 discloses a laundry additive composition that includes at least one zeta
potential modifier, a fluoropolymer , a hydrophobic agent with melting point of glass transition
25 temperature below 100°C and an antimicrobial active for imparting fabric protection benefits
to a fabric, such as improved stain and soil resistance, oil repellence, water repellence, softness,
wrinkle and damage resistance, better hand feel as well as imparting micro biocidal or micro
biostatic properties to the fabric and/or washing machine surfaces.
Indian Patent Application 202041025356 discloses an antimicrobial coating comprising
30 compound, wherein the antimicrobial coating is on the surface of the substrate.
The agents disclosed in the prior arts comprises chemicals that are harmful to health.
Switching to organic products, microbes may grow and cause bad odours. These microbes,
3
such as bacteria, viruses, and fungi are responsible for many diseases and deaths in India and
other parts of the world.
Even though many laundry stiffening agents have been developed, they suffer from
major drawbacks such as photocatalytic degradation, non-biodegradability, and development
5 of antimicrobial resistance.
Therefore, there exists the need for a composition for instant ironing of fabrics with
better antimicrobial activity, barrier properties and natural ingredients which is free from
chemicals such as fluoropolymer (teflon) and ethylene.
10 OBJECTIVE OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a composition for instant ironing of
laundry fabric.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a composition that offers antimicrobial
protection to the fabric for upto 30 days after application.
15 Still another object of the present invention is to provide an instant fabric ironing composition
that is free of harmful chemicals and is biodegradable.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the ensuing
description and the accompanying drawings.

WE CLAIM:
1. A composition for instant ironing of fabrics comprising:
i. Chitosan in an amount in the range of 1-2 wt %;
5 ii. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles in the range of 1-2 wt %; and
iii. Bio-based propylene glycol in the range of 15-25 wt %;
wherein the titanium dioxide nanoparticles are chemically bonded into the chitosan
matrix,
wherein the composition is in form of a solution.
10 2. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises a
fragrance selected from the group consisting of rose, sandalwood, ramacham(vetiver),
champa, lemon, lavender, water lilly, floral, citrus, mugnet, jasmin and lemon grass.
3. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fabric is selected from the group
consisting of a cellulosic fabric, a synthetic fabric, or a blend comprising a cellulosic
15 and/or a synthetic fabric, and wherein the fabric is a woven, knitted, crocheted or
bonded fabric.
4. The composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition is anti-microbial and
anti-fungal,
wherein the composition creates a nano-coating film on fabric surface when
20 sprayed on the fabric during ironing.
5. A method for preparing the composition as claimed in claim 1 comprising:
a) dissolving chitosan powder in an amount in the range of 1-2% in acetic acid
solution (1-5 % v/v) to obtain a first mixture;
b) adding titanium dioxide nanoparticles in an amount in the range of 1-2% to the
25 first mixture and stirring to obtain a second mixture;
c) adding 0.5M (5% v/v) sodium hydroxide to the second mixture and stirring to
obtain a third mixture;
d) adding bio-based propylene glycol in an amount in the range of 15-25% to the
third mixture, followed by centrifugation for crosslinking of the biopolymer to
30 obtain the composition.
6. The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises
e) washing the composition with water to remove acetic acid and sodium
hydroxide;
16
f) adding pre heated natural starch solution extracted from cassava to the
composition of step (e);
g) slowly blending the composition obtained in step (f) with 2.5 - 4% bio based
natural solubilizer and a fragrance; and
5 h) packing into a fine mist spray bottle.
7. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the natural solubilizer is bio based
polysorbate 20.
8. The method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the fragrance is selected from the group
consisting of rose, sandalwood, ramacham(vetiver), champa, lemon, lavender, water
10 lilly, floral, citrus, mugnet, jasmin and lemon grass.