High performance washing process for vertical axis automatic washer

A method of laundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatus having a wash tub for receiving a wash liquid within which there is a rotatable wash zone including a peripheral wall, a collection zone for said wash liquid, a mixing zone for mixing and storing said wash liquid, a pump for moving said wash liquid, means for rotating said peripheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generally vertical axis, and a detergent dispenser for receiving a charge of detergent to be dispensed into said washing apparatus comprising the sequential steps of:

• (1) introducing said textile wash load into said wash zone and introducing a charge of detergent into said detergent dispenser;
• (2) rotating said wash load and said peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain the load against the peripheral wall;
• (3) introducing water into said detergent dispenser to flush said detergent into said collection zone in said wash tub;
• (4) pumping said detergent and water from said collection zone to said mixing zone;
• (5) recirculating said detergent and water from said mixing zone through said pump and back to said mixing zone to effect a thorough mixing of said detergent and water into a wash liquid;
• (6) continuously passing said wash liquid through said rotating wash load so that the total effective amount passed through is greater than the amount necessary to saturate the clothes load;
• (7) terminating steps 2 and 6 after a first predetermined time period following the start of step 6;
• (8) rinsing said wash liquid from said wash load.

A method of laundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatus having a wash tub for receiving a wash liquid within which there is a rotatable wash zone including a peripheral wall, a collection zone for said wash liquid, a mixing zone for mixing and storing said wash liquid, a pump for moving said wash liquid, means for rotating said peripheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generally vertical axis, a detergent dispenser for receiving a charge of detergent to be dispensed into said washing apparatus and means for providing mechanical agitation of said wash load within said wash zone, comprising the sequential steps of:

• (1) introducing said textile wash load into said wash zone and introducing a charge of detergent into said detergent dispenser;
• (2) rotating said wash load and said peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain the load against the peripheral wall;
• (3) introducing water into said detergent dispenser to flush said detergent into said collection zone in said wash tub;
• (4) pumping said detergent and water from said collection zone to said mixing zone;
• (5) recirculating said detergent and water from said mixing zone through said pump and back to said mixing zone to effect a through mixing of said detergent and water into a wash liquid;
• (6) recirculating said wash liquid through said rotating wash load a plurality of times to substantially permeate said wash load;
• (7) terminating steps 2 and 6 after a first predetermined time period following the start of step b 6;
• and
• (8) rinsing said wash liquid from said wash load.

A method of laundering a textile wash load in a washing apparatus having a wash tub for receiving a wash liquid within which there is a rotatable wash zone including a peripheral wall, a collection zone for said wash liquid, means for rotating said peripheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generally vertical axis, and means for providing mechanical agitation of said wash load within said wash zone, comprising the sequential steps of:

• (1) introducing said textile wash load into said wash zone;
• (2) rotating said wash load and said peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain the load against the peripheral wall;
• (3) introducing incremental amounts of wash liquid to said rotating wash load from a source external of said wash tub and monitoring the collection zone for the presence of wash liquid;
• (4) terminating the introduction of additional amounts of wash liquid into the wash zone from said source once a sufficient amount of wash liquid has been detected in the collection zone by said monitoring;
• (5) recirculating said wash liquid from said collection zone through said spinning wash load a plurality of times to substantially permeate said wash load;
• (6) terminating steps 2 and 5 after a first predetermined time period following the start of step 5;
• and
• (7) rinsing said wash liquid from said wash load.

An apparatus for laundering a textile wash load comprising:

• a wash tub for receiving a wash liquid within which there is a rotatable wash zone including a peripheral wall,
• a collection zone for said wash liquid,
• a pump for moving said wash liquid,
• means for rotating said peripheral wall and said wash load in said wash zone about a generally vertical axis,
• means for rotating said wash load and said peripheral wall at a speed that is sufficient to maintain the load against the peripheral wall;
• means for introducing incremental amounts of wash liquid to said rotating wash load from a source exterior of said wash tub and monitoring the collection zone for the presence of wash liquid;
• means for terminating the introduction of additional amounts of wash liquid into the wash zone from said source once a sufficient amount of wash liquid has been detected in the collection zone by said monitoring;
• means for continuously passing said wash liquid from said collection zone through said spinning wash load so that the cumulative amount passed through is greater than the amount necessary to saturate the clothes load;
• and
• means for rinsing said wash liquid from said wash load.