Non-aqueous washing apparatus and method

A method for laundering a fabric load comprising the steps of:

• disposing a fabric load in an interior chamber of a wash container;
• pressurizing the chamber to an elevated pressure of between about 15 atm to about 50 atm;
• delivering a wash liquor to the fabric load in the pressurized chamber in the form of a mist, said wash liquor comprising a substantially non-reactive, non-aqueous, nonoleophilic, apolar working fluid and at least one washing additive;
• applying mechanical energy to provide relative movement between said fabric load and said mist for a time sufficient to provide fabric cleaning;
• decreasing the pressure in the chamber to volatilize said wash liquor;
• and
• removing the volatilized wash liquor from the chamber and fabric load.

An automatic washing apparatus for dry to dry laundering of a fabric load in the home, said apparatus comprising:

• a sealed pressurizable wash chamber;
• means for pressurizing the wash chamber to pressures of from about 5 atm to about 50 atm;
• a wash basket disposed in the wash chamber for receiving a fabric load;
• means for dispensing a wash liquor having a vapor pressure less than the vapor pressure of water onto the fabric load at a first pressure of between 1 atm and 50 atm;
• means for agitating the wash liquor and fabric load in the wash basket;
• means for substantially removing the wash liquor from the wash basket;
• and
• means for reducing the pressure in the wash container to a reduced second pressure less than the first pressure to remove any remaining wash liquor from the fabric load in vapor form.