Liquid detergent container and dispensing

A container, with one of wash water usable pourable liquid detergent and wash water usable pourable liquid fabric softener sealingly contained therein, for single use with an average laundry wash load, said container being self-standing and, formed from a thermoplastic material and having an open well, of a size sufficient to contain enough pourable liquid detergent or pourable liquid fabric softener sufficient for a single average laundry wash load, with said well having an opening, completely peripherally bounded with a peripheral outwardly extending short ledge;

• said container further comprising a cover sheet of a heat sealable material on the ledge around the opening of the well and enclosingly across the opening of the well and fully heat sealed to said ledge to sealingly enclose the pourable liquid within said container and wherein a portion of the cover sheet is manually accessible for gripping in peeling off the cover sheet from the container when the detergent or pourable liquid fabric softener is to be used;
• wherein the heat seal is of sufficient tensile strength to resist accidental opening of the container but wherein the heat seal has a low peel strength for facilitated peeling removal of the cover sheet without jerking or the leaving of a remaining residue, whereby the cover sheet is not sealingly replaceable to close said container for non-spill storage or reuse of any pourable liquid detergent or pourable liquid fabric softener remaining in said container.

A method for packaging single use amounts of any of a wash water usable pourable liquid detergent or wash water usable pourable liquid fabric softener in a container, comprising the steps of:

• a) thermoforming a self-standing container with an open well, of a size sufficient to contain enough pourable liquid detergent or pourable liquid fabric softener sufficient for a single average laundry wash load, said container being formed from a thermoplastic material, with said well having an opening, completely peripherally bounded with a peripheral outwardly extending short ledge;
• b) filling the container with an amount of the pourable liquid detergent or pourable liquid fabric softener, sufficient only for about a single average laundry wash load;
• c) placing a cover sheet of a heat sealable material on the ledge around the opening of the well and enclosingly across the opening of the well and fully heat sealing the cover sheet to sealingly enclose the pourable liquid within said container and wherein a portion of the cover sheet is manually accessible for gripping in peeling off the cover sheet from the container when the detergent or fabric softener is to be used;
• wherein the heat seal is of sufficient tensile strength to resist accidental opening of the container but wherein the heat seal has a low peel strength for facilitated peeling removal of the cover sheet without jerking.