Methods for laundry using polycations and enzymes

Abstract

The present invention provides a method of killing or inhibiting the growth of microbial cells present on laundry, comprising contacting the cells with a composition comprising a poly-cationic compound, preferably a polyamino acid, a polyvinylamine, a copolymer prepared from vinylamine and one or more carboxylic acid anhydrides, e.g. a polymer comprising 0.1-100 mol % vinyl amine or ethyleneimine units, 0-99.9 mol % units of at least one monomer selected from N-vinylcarboxamides of the formula I wherein R1 and R2 are hydrogen or C1-C6-alkyl; vinyl formate, vinyl acetate, vinyl propionate, vinyl alcohol, C1-C6-alkyl vinyl ether, mono ethylenic unsaturated C3-C8-carboxylic acid, and esters, nitrites, amides and anhydrides thereof, N-vinylurea, N-imidazoles and N-vinyl imidazolines; and 0-5 mol % units of monomers having at least two unsaturated ethylenic double bonds; and one or more enzymes, preferably glycanases, muranases, oxidoreductases, glucanases, proteases, amylases, lipases, pectinases and xylanases.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.