Cleaning implement comprising a layer of melamine foam

Abstract

A cleaning implement comprising a layer of melamine foam, having a thickness of at least 15 mm, and a layer of a second foam having a water-absorbency of at least 0.35 g of water per cm 3 of said second foam.

1 . A cleaning implement ( 1 ) comprising a layer of melamine foam ( 2 ), having a thickness of at least 15 mm, and a layer of a second foam ( 3 ) having a water-absorbency of at least 0.35 g of water per cm 3  of said second foam.  
   
   
       2 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , having a shape selected from: cube shape, rectangular shape, pyramid shape, cylindrical shape, cone shape, pencil eraser shape, cuboid shape, and tetrahedron shape.  
   
   
       3 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , having a volume of from 1 cm 3  to 10,000 cm 3 .  
   
   
       4 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said layer of melamine foam ( 2 ) and said layer of a second foam ( 3 ) are joined by means of a permanent attachment or a temporary attachment.  
   
   
       5 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said layer of melamine foam ( 2 ) and said layer of a second foam ( 3 ) are joined by an attachment means providing a permanent attachment selected from: foam flame laminating the two layers together; use of a permanent adhesive; sewing the two layers together; and needle-punching the two layers together; and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       6 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 5 , wherein said layers are joined together by foam flame lamination.  
   
   
       7 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the ratio of said melamine foam ( 2 ) to said second foam is from 20:1 to 1:20 by volume.  
   
   
       8 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein the thickness of the melamine foam ( 2 ) layer is from 15 mm to 100 mm.  
   
   
       9 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said melamine foam ( 2 ) is a melamine-formaldehyde resin foam.  
   
   
       10 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said second foam ( 3 ) has a water-absorbency of at least 0.4 g of water per cm 3  of said second foam.  
   
   
       11 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said second foam ( 3 ) is selected from the group of foams having a water-absorbency of at least 0.35 g of water per cm 3  of said second foam and consisting of: polyurethane foams; polypropylene foams; polyethylene foams; cellulose foam sponges; naturally occurring sponges; open-cell polyester foams; and cross-lined polyethylene foams; and combinations thereof.  
   
   
       12 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 11 , wherein said second foam ( 3 ) is a polyurethane foam having a water-absorbency of at least 0.35 g of water per cm 3  of said second foam.  
   
   
       13 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 11 , wherein said second foam is a hydrophilic ester polyurethane foam.  
   
   
       14 . The cleaning implement ( 1 ) of  claim 1 , wherein said layer of a second foam ( 3 ) has a total water absorbency of at least 10 g of water.  
   
   
       15 . A cleaning implement ( 1 ) comprising a layer of melamine foam ( 2 ), having a thickness of at least 15 mm, and a layer of a second foam ( 3 ), wherein the layers are joined together by foam flame lamination.  
   
   
       16 . A method of cleaning a hard surface comprising bringing a cleaning implement according to  claim 1 , into contact with said hard surface.  
   
   
       17 . The method of cleaning a hard surface of  claim 16 , wherein said method additionally comprises wetting said cleaning implement ( 1 ) with an appropriate solvent prior to bringing said cleaning implement into contact with said hard surface.  
   
   
       18 . The method of cleaning a hard surface of  claim 17 , wherein said appropriate solvent comprises water.