FR2575058A1 - Article for the treatment of carpets - Google Patents

Abstract

The subject of the invention is an article for cleaning carpets and similar surfaces such as furnishing fabrics, etc. It comprises a highly absorbent porous polymer 9 acting as medium for transporting, dispensing and absorbing liquids and sandwiched between layers 2, 3 of a material made of flexible sheets and it comprises means 12, 13 to fasten it at the tip of a broom or of a similar tool. Cleaning of carpets with much faster drying and high speed of execution.

Description

 The present invention relates to an article in the form of a sheet, a pad or the like for applying a treatment material to a carpet or other soft floor covering. The article according to the invention is also suitable for the treatment of furnishing fabrics or any other relatively large soft absorbent surface. Item # is particularly suitable for the application of cleaning agents such as detergent compositions, but it can also be used to apply other materials, for example deodorants, perfumes, anti-static agents or fungicides.

 Various carpet cleaning products already exist in the retail trade. They are usually in the form of powders, liquid shampoos or aerosols. In general, liquid products provide the most effective cleaning, but at the cost of a major drawback, which is a long drying time, frequently around 24 hours, which is obviously inconvenient for the occupants of the premises.

 Various small sheets and cleaning pads have been proposed for the occasional cleaning of an upholstery or carpet. These pads typically deliver a small volume of liquid, such as dry cleaning fluid, and can also be used to wipe or scrub a soiled surface. For example, patent GB 1,584,987 describes a pad which can be used in particular for cleaning carpets. An active substance, for example a liquid detergent composition, is contained in the particles of a porous material such as perlite, maintained on a flexible substrate such as a sheet of plastic foam or nonwoven fabric, by means of a elastic adhesive in which the particles are embedded. The elastic adhesive regulates the rate of release of active substance when the pad is pressed or compressed.

 US Patent 3,196,478 describes a pad used in particular for the occasional cleaning of rugs. The tampon comprises two opposite flexible sheets (one of which is porous) carrying microcapsules containing a liquid and capable of being broken by pressure, wedged between the two sheets. US Patent 3,334,374 describes a similar article which can also be used to remove stains from rugs or floors.

 These articles of the prior art are obviously designed for localized cleaning of small areas of rugs, carpets or upholstery by manual rubbing. Such an application process is obviously too laborious for use on larger surfaces.

It has already been proposed to temporarily fix dust cloths, floor cloths or pads on the mop heads and other cleaning tools so that these tools can be used for a wider variety of cleaning activities. The documents which describe such arrangements are GB patents 1,566,789, 1,383,706, 801,338, 429,652 and 396,345. GB Patent 1,341,527 describes a combined dust cloth and broom comprising a cloth which is fixed to a broom head by means of strips of
Velcro (registered trademark).

 According to the present invention, an article has now been imagined in the form of a sheet or a pad which is suitable for general cleaning or other treatment of large areas of carpets, upholstery fabrics, etc. The article according to the invention can carry a relatively large volume of liquid and distribute it according to a controlled mode, and it also has a large capacity for absorbing or reabsorbing liquid so that the treated carpet dries quickly.

In addition, the article can be applied to the carpet in a manner which is not particularly tedious or unpleasant.

 Accordingly, the present invention provides an article for applying a liquid treatment material to a carpet or the like, which article comprises a flexible substrate surrounding a highly absorbent porous solid polymeric material capable of absorbing at least 5 ml of liquid per gram of polymer, to retain this liquid in the absence of an applied pressure, to release this liquid according to a mode set during the application of pressure, and to reabsorb the liquid once the pressure is removed, the flexible substrate having a liquid permeable surface which resists rubbing for application to the carpet and comprising fixing means for detachably fixing the article to the head of a broom, a wringing broom or another device floor cleaning.

 Due to the properties of the polymeric material incorporated in the article according to the invention, it can deliver large volumes of liquids in a progressive mode adjusted as required, the distribution of the liquid being regulated by the pressure exerted on the ground. through the article by user action. It is no less important to note that the polymeric material is also highly absorbent and absorbs liquid when it is in contact with the ground without any pressure exerted. Thus, the carpet does not remain in a highly wet state and becomes completely dry in a much shorter time than that which would be necessary if one applied a conventional liquid product on a usual mode. This property of reabsorption of the liquid by the porous polymeric material is an essential characteristic of the invention.

The article can be in a dry form which requires wetting before use or in a wet form in which the necessary treatment liquid is initially present in the polymer material
Optionally, two or more treatment liquids can be transported to different areas of the article, this arrangement making it possible to simultaneously dispense incompatible liquids such as, for example, a bleaching agent and a perfume. These "wet" forms are completely autonomous and it suffices in service to attach them to the broom and apply them directly to the carpet. Although the term "wet" has been used, these articles need not be made to feel wet to the touch unless pressed or wrung out, since the transported liquid is retained in the porous polymer.

This form is particularly advantageous if the precise composition or the concentration of the liquid (s) to be applied is of particular importance.

 The dry form of the article of the invention encompasses two possible variants. The porous polymeric material or the substrate or both may be preloaded with a dry concentrate of the processing material so that it will suffice to wet the article with water or a solvent before use. Alternatively, the article may be entirely devoid of any processing material and the latter may be provided separately. Before use, the consumer must immerse in the treatment liquid, which is available as it is or which the consumer prepares himself by diluting a concentrate.

 # -Specialists will easily understand that there are many intermediary possibilities; for example the article according to the invention can be intended to apply simultaneously two or more different treatment materials, one or more of which are preloaded in the polymeric material and one or more others can be added as desired by the user.

 The porous polymeric material serving as a medium for transporting, distributing and absorbing the liquid in the article according to the invention, is capable of absorbing and retaining at least 5 ml, preferably at least 10 ml, of liquid per gram of polymer and release and reabsorb such liquid. Highly porous polymers are described in EP-60 138-A and EP-68 832 both in the name of UNILEVER; these polymers are especially effective at absorbing and retaining non-aqueous (hydrophobic) liquids and retaining large volumes of any type of liquid, but their ability to spontaneously absorb (reabsorb) hydrophilic liquids may not always be ideal for the purposes A category of porous polymeric materials capable of absorbing and retaining large volumes of aqueous liquids, including electrolytes, is described in EP-t05,634 A- (UNILEVER) and the use of these polymers in the articles of the present invention is of particular interest.

The use of these polymers in superabsorbent wiping fabrics is described in patent GB 2,142,225-A in the name of UNILEVER published on January 16, 1985.

The sulfonated polymers described in EP-105-634
Aforementioned are crosslinked, porous and sulfonated polymeric materials comprising residues of sulfonated hydrocarbons which are prepared by sulfonating a crosslinked porous polymeric material having a pore volume 3 of between 3.0 and 99.5 cm3 / g, the material sulfonated having an absorbing power for a 10% solution of aqueous sodium chloride of at least 3 g / g of dry sulfonated material or of a celel salt. The hydrocarbon residues can be, for example, styrene or o-vinyl-toluene and the crosslinking can be conveniently carried out using divinylbenzene. At least 15% of the weight of the monomers which must be able to be sulfonated and they can conveniently be styrene or an equivalent of styrene; among the comonomers, mention may be made of alkyl acrylates and methacrylates.

 The polymers are advantageously prepared by sulfonating the polymers obtained by polymerization of an upper emulsion with an internal phase in which the monomers and the crosslinking agent constitute the continuous phase while the internal phase is water.

The sulfonation can be carried out by conventional methods. Other details concerning the preparation and characterization of these polymers are given in the aforementioned EP-105-634- in which there are three general categories of sulfonated polystyrenes prepared by this route. The third type, the most highly sulfonated, is capable of absorbing extremely high amounts and is of particular interest for use in the article of the invention. These polymers exist in a fragile granular form which constitutes a severely flattened physical structure in comparison with the initial polymer and which swells considerably during the absorption of large quantities of aqueous liquid.

The liquid thus absorbed can be expressed in a regulated mode by applying light pressure; when this pressure is removed, the polymer can spontaneously absorb any liquid with which it is in contact.

 To facilitate assembly of the article of the invention, the polymer is preferably in the form of a powder or granules but other physical forms, for example, a continuous sheet or a series of smaller sheets or squares, are also within the scope of the invention. It has already been said that the sulfonated polymers which are of particular interest for use in the present invention are readily obtainable in granular form. Optionally, two or more different polymers can be used in an article of the invention to dispense or absorb different liquids.

 The polymer is enclosed in a flexible substrate.

Advantageously, the article is generally in the form of a sheet and the polymer is sandwiched between two layers of substrate. This latter material must be, at least in the zones which have to come into contact with the carpet to be treated, permeable to liquids and yet sufficiently resistant to withstand fairly hard friction. This area of the substrate may be a textile material and the materials commonly used for bed linen, for example cotton, polyester and mixtures thereof, are perfectly suitable; durable nonwoven fabrics can also be used.

Rubber and plastic sponges and foams are also suitable. In the latter case, the polymer in the form of powder and granules may be embedded in the pores of the sponge or foam and a single layer of the latter material is sufficient, although additional layers of the same material or of a different material can naturally be incorporated to increase the resistance or for reasons of elegance.

 In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the article is in the form of a flat and flexible sheet in which the polymeric material is enclosed, or else the latter is sandwiched between two layers of flexible sheet material. Although it is essential that only the area to come into contact with the carpet is permeable to liquids and sufficiently durable, it is generally convenient that the entire outer layer is of such material. Advantageously, the two outer layers can be formed from this material, to simplify manufacture and to allow the article to be inverted and reused once the friction surface is soiled.

Optionally, the outer layers may be made of a textile material as described above, but a more economical variant. involves using durable nonwoven fabrics. Fabrics made of spin-bonded polypropylene are of special interest and representative examples are:
Kimtex (registered trademark) E of Kimberly-Clark,
which is a polypropylene laminate bonded by
spinning / melted / linked by spinning having a grammage
61 g / m2;
Kimtex G by Kimberly-Clark, a laminate of
spin-bonded polypropylene / melted / bonded in pairs
spinning of a grammage of 71 g / m2
Corovin (registered trademark) PP SW from Corovin GmbH,
which is a polypropylene fabric linked by 2
spinning with a grammage of 60 g / m
In the variants where the porous polymer is in particulate form, the external layers of the article of the invention are advantageously linked together in a line pattern, for example a grid pattern, so as to define a series of individual compartments or cells containing the polymer. Thus, the polymer is kept in relatively uniform distribution over the entire surface of the article.

 The porous polymer is generally placed in a central area of the article according to the invention in a convenient position for contacting the carpet when the article is to be fixed to the head of a broom.

In the marginal areas, the two outer layers can be directly linked to each other.

 The bonding of the two outer layers to each other both in the marginal areas and in the area occupied by the porous polymer #, is conveniently carried out by heat sealing. Thermoplastics such as polypropylene nonwoven fabrics can be heat sealed without any problem; non-thermoplastic materials can be provided with a heat-sealable coating.

 The article according to the invention comprises fixing means to enable it to be fixed to the head of a broom wringing out no other device for cleaning floors; in its preferred leaf-like form, the article is flexible enough to conform to a certain degree to the head of the broom or wringing broom.

One can thus use the article while the operator remains upright, which is obviously more pleasant for the user than to squat on the knees and the elbows and one can carry out the friction of the carpet without direct contact with the and the processing liquid.

 The shape of the fastening means obviously depends on the size and shape of the article. If the article is in the preferred configuration in the form of a sheet or rag and it is large enough to wrap entirely around the head of the broom or the spinning broom, provision may be made for fixing means such as a part of the article can be attached to another party to secure the attachment. If the size or shape of the article is not suitable for such fixing, one or more bands or tabs carrying fixing means may extend from the main body of the article.

 Such fastening means can be of any suitable shape, but are preferably relatively unrelated to the exact dimensions of the broom head, so that the article can be securely fastened to a wide variety of shape devices. and of different dimensions. Simple bands or ribbons can, for example, extend from the article and can be tied together. Various simple mechanical fasteners are also usable, for example snaps, hooks and eyelets, buttons, barrettes, buckles, zippers and clips. Another possibility is a snap-lock flange that is used to close large bags.

As a variant of the mechanical fixing devices, adhesives adhering by contact or by pressure can be used, for example in the form of an adhesive pad or of a bilateral tape.

 In one embodiment of the invention, the fixing means comprise, at a first location, a hook tape comprising a series of small hooks directed outwards and intended to engage. in small loop elements on a complementary loop tape, at a second location.

These combinations of hook and loop bands are generally nylon and are commercially available under the registered trademark "Velcro". The hook band and the complementary loop band occupy positions such that when the article is wrapped around or placed against the head of the broom, the coupling of the bands can hold the article firmly in place.

The same consideration is obviously applicable to snaps and other types of fasteners, but the use of hook and loop bands offers the special advantage of allowing cooperation not only in a single position but in a large number of continuously variable positions, so that the article can be fixed with maximum security to the head of the broom.

 However, it has been found that as strongly as the article is wrapped around the head of the broom, the considerable friction produced when the carpet is rubbed will always force the article to move around the head of the broom. This phenomenon is particularly marked with brush heads where the bending of the hair makes the problem worse.

 According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the article is provided with fixing means which fix it directly to the head of the broom, rather than fixing it to another part of the article itself. Preferably, these means include areas of adhesive capable of forming a strong temporary bond between the article and the mop head or the like. The adhesive areas are generally masked by tear-off tapes which the user can remove immediately before using them. Depending on the size and shape of the article, the adhesive areas may be on the main body of the article itself or on the tabs extending therefrom.

 The use of the adhesive is however problematic in "wet" articles of the invention which carry a relatively large quantity of liquid; however, there is no obvious variant available for the adhesive for fixing these articles to the heads of the brushes which are not themselves provided with special fixing means. Consequently, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the fixing means comprise separate non-unitary strips coated with adhesive which are packaged separately; and the article has a number of slits through which the bands can be threaded. One end of each band can then be engaged in a slit, folded back on itself and linked to itself to form a closed loop by means from which the band is attached to the article; and the other end can be used for connection with the head of the broom or other device.

If the article according to the invention is of square or rectangular shape, the slits can be conveniently made near these corners, in the areas where no porous polymer is present. In general, four slots and four corresponding strips are sufficient.

 As indicated previously, the article of the invention can be used to apply to carpets, upholstery fabrics and the like any effective treatment liquid, for example a detergent, a deodorant, a perfume, a fungicide, an insect repellent, a solvent. dry cleaning, disinfectant or anti-static agent. For the cleaning of carpets, a dilute aqueous solution can be used, which contains for example 2 to 5% by weight of active substance, anionic detergents. Among suitable anionic detergents, mention may be made of alkyl sulfates, alkyl ether sulfates and others, well known in the art of carpet shampoos.

 The article according to the invention can also be used in a particularly advantageous manner for applying a composition having both cleaning and anti-static properties. Such a composition can advantageously contain a cationic surfactant which combines the two properties. Among the suitable cationic surfactants, mention may be made of quaternary ammonium salts having two long hydrocarbon chains and two smaller radicals, for example two C1-20 alkyl radicals and two C1-3 alkyl radicals. Examples of such materials include chloride and di (tallow-hardened alkyl) methasulfate.

Other objects, characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge from the description which follows with reference to the appended drawings, in which
Figure 1 is a schematic plan view
of a first article
Figure 2 is a partial section through the
line Il-Il of figure 1
Figure 3 is a perspective view of
the article shown in Figures 1 and 2
wrapping a mop head
Figure 4 is a schematic plan view
a second article, and
Figure 5 is a partial section through the
line VV of figure 4.

 Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings, an article similar to a cloth for cleaning carpets, bearing the general reference 1, is formed of two layers 2 and 3 of cotton sheets joined by sewing (not shown) . Between the two layers 2 and 3 are interposed two layers of a heat-sealable nonwoven fabric 4 and 5; these layers do not extend over the entire surface of the cloth but occupy a central area indicated approximately by the dashed line 6. The nonwoven fabric may be inherently heat sealable; it can contain, for example, a certain proportion of thermoplastic fibers or it can carry a heat-sealable coating such as a sintered polyethylene. The two layers 4 and 5 are heat-sealed together by their edges and also in a grid pattern, indicated by dashed lines 7 to form a multitude of compartments 8 each of which contains a highly porous polymeric powder material 9. As previously indicated, the polymeric material can be dry, loaded with a dry concentrate of a processing material or loaded with a fully formulated wet treatment material.

 In marginal zones 10 and 11, the article has no inner layers and the two cotton layers 2 and 3 are directly joined to each other. These marginal zones are profiled to receive the handle of a broom as seen in FIG. 3. The marginal zones 10 on one side of the article carry strips of Velcro hooks 12 while the marginal parts 11 on the other -side wear strips of Velcro 13 buckles.

 Figure 3 shows the article wrapped around a mop head 14 ready to serve on a carpet. The marginal zones 10 and 11 are joined together by the Velcro strips, the curved zones between them leaving room for the handle 15 of the broom.

 If the item contains a fully formulated carpet treatment composition, it is now ready for use. Pressing the broom handle up and down releases liquid as needed and excess liquid can be picked up after the cleaning process by gently ironing the item on the surface of the carpet without applying pressure. If the article is of the dry type, it can first be activated by immersion in water or else in a previously prepared solution of the treatment liquid, in the most appropriate manner. This last type can possibly be washed after use, then it is dried and can be reused at the appropriate time.

 Referring now to Figures 4 and 5 of the drawings, a second article similar to a cloth, bearing the general reference 16, consists of two layers 17 and 18 made of a durable nonwoven fabric, for example a laminate of bonded polypropylene by spinning / melted / bonded by spinning, the two layers being joined by heat sealing at the edges and in a grid pattern indicated by the broken lines 19 to form a series of compartments each of which contains a highly porous polymeric material.

 In each corner area of the article, a slot 21 has been made. With particular reference to FIG. 5, a strip 22 of a suitable resistant flexible material carrying an adhesive coating 23 at each end is threaded. through the slot 21 of the article, and one end 24 of the strip 22 is linked to the zone 25 of the strip 22 to define a closed loop. The other end 26 of the strip 22 can be used for connection with the head of the brush.

 This bonding arrangement is particularly suitable for a "wet" article carrying a fully formulated carpet treatment composition.

Four bands 22 are provided for article 16, one for each of the slots 21 and these bands are packaged separately so as not to come into contact with the moisture or the solvent coming from article 16.

 The following examples, in which all the proportions are by weight, serve to illustrate the invention without in any way limiting its scope.

Example 1: Preparation of a highly porous sulfonated polystyrene.

A polystyrene having a void volume of about 97.5% is prepared using the following ingredients
Styrene 66.7 ml
Divinylbenzene (cross-linking agent) 6.7 ml
Sorbitan monooleate (emulsifier) 13.3 g
Sodium persulfate (activating)
(0.2% solution) 2000 ml
Styrene, divinylbenzene and sorbitan monooleate are placed in a 2-liter plastic beaker provided with a helical agitator coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. Sodium persulfate is added dropwise using a carefully adjusted stirring regime so as to obtain a water-in-oil emulsion and the charge is then kept at 500C for 16 hours to polymerize it.

The solid thus formed is cut from the beaker, chopped into cubes of about 1 cm, wrung almost dry using a calender, then dried in an oven under vacuum at 600C for 48 hours.

 100 g of the chopped polystyrene are stirred and dried in 5 liters of concentrated sulfuric acid (98%) preheated to 120 C. The material is wetted after 10 minutes and then it swells to absorb all the acid over the course of 2 hours. The mixture is left to stand for 16 hours to allow it to cool and filtered through a sheet of non-woven fabric of viscose and polypropylene (15 g / m2) using a 38 cm Büchner funnel while applying pressure using a polytetrafluoroethylene barrier. 2.5 liters of acid are collected and disposed of. The sulfonated and compressed polymer is added slowly and carefully to 12 liters of deionized water in a large container; a fairly strong heat is released during the operation. The polymer is then filtered. The crude polymeric sulfonic acid thus obtained is compressed almost to dryness and then added to 12 liters of a 10% solution of sodium hydroxide, filtered again, and washed with another quantity of 12 liters of deionized water, filter again and compress to obtain an oil cake.

This solid is placed in a cotton bag and washed and centrifuged repeatedly until the washings are no longer alkaline; about 6 washes are required. The centrifuged solid is dried (about 120 g) under vacuum at 1000C for 16 hours.

 It is found that a sample absorbs approximately 85 g / g of a tenth saline solution.

Example 2: Preparation of an article for cleaning carpets.

 An article is prepared as described above with reference to Figures 1 to 3 using the polymer prepared in Example 1 in granular form. be sheet substrate comprises sheets of high resistance wet paper "Hi-Loft", registered trademark of Scott Paper Co, - each sheet carrying a layer of sintered polyethylene on a surface in order to make it heat sealable. The article contains a row of 54 compartments or cells (9 x 6) each having 3 x 4 cm and its overall dimensions are approximately 20 x 30 cm. The total dry weight of the article is 48 g, including 5 g of the polymer.

 A carpet cleaning solution containing 8% hardened alkyl sulfur (dimethylammonium chloride), 4% non-ionic surfactant (an amine oxide) is prepared, plus small amounts of perfume, solvent, anti agent -bacterial and buffer A sample of this cleaning solution is diluted to 2.5% of its initial concentration in a cuvette.

 The article described above is attached by its Velcro strips to a mop head in the diluted cleaning solution, then the excess liquid is wrung by hand. The article contains 5 g of polymer, as mentioned above, and it can reabsorb 127 g of liquid.

 The article attached to the broom is used to clean a naturally soiled "tuff t" nylon carpet.

The surface cleaned before the article requires rinsing 2 is 5 to 10 m. The drying time determined subject to the touch is approximately 15 minutes.

 For comparison, another surface of the same carpet is treated with a commercially available aerosol type carpet shampoo. The results of the cleaning are subjectively compared by the visual aspect. The article according to the invention is considered to give equal or slightly better results than those of the shampoo. The drying time of the shampoo subjectively determined is approximately 1 hour.

 After the two surfaces of the carpet are dry, the softness is compared, again subjectively to the touch. The article according to the invention is considered to give better results with regard to softness.

Example 3
An article is prepared as described above with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5 using a polymer similar to that of Example 1 in granular form.

 The sheet substrate comprises two sheets of Kimtex E non-woven fabric previously described. The dimensions of the article and the weight of the polymer used are similar to those of Example 2.

The article is impregnated with a cleaning liquid having the following composition Monolauryl-ethanolamido-sulfosuccinate disodium ["Rewopol" (registered trademark)
Rewol SBL 203 2.0 Sodium Lauryl Sulfate [Sulfopon 101 (registered trademark)] 1.3
Formaldehyde 0.04
Water qs 100
The impregnated article is attached with adhesive strips associated with the head of a broom and is used to clean a soiled carpet, the cleaning results being similar to those of the article described in Example 2

Claims (13)

 1.- Article for the application of a liquid treatment to a carpet, to upholstery fabrics or to other soft absorbent surfaces, article which comprises a flexible substrate surrounding a highly absorbent porous polymeric material, characterized in that the polymeric material (9) is capable of absorbing at least 5 ml of liquid per gram of polymer, of retaining said liquid in the absence of an applied pressure, of releasing said liquid according to a mode set during the application of manual pressure and reabsorb the liquid when the pressure is released; in that the flexible substrate (2,3,17,18) has a liquid permeable surface (4,5,17,18) which resists friction for application to carpets; and in that the flexible substrate (2,3,17,18) is provided with fixing means (12,13,21,22) so that the article can be fixed detachably to the head of a broom , a wringing broom, or another floor cleaning device.  2.- Article according to claim 1, characterized in that the porous polymeric material (9) is capable of absorbing and retaining at least 10 ml of liquid per gram of polymer.  3.- Article according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the porous polymeric material (9) is the polymerization product of an upper emulsion with internal phase having an aqueous internal phase and a continuous phase containing one or more polymerizable monomers , or a derivative of such a polymerization product.  4.- Article according to claim 3, characterized in that the porous polymeric material is a sulfonated polystyrene.  5.- Article according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the article is in the form of a flexible sheet and in that the flexible substrate (2,3,17,18) comprises two outer layers of flexible sheet, at least one being permeable to liquids and in that the porous polymeric material is disposed between them.  6.- Article according to claim 5, characterized in that the outer layers are linked together to form a series of compartments in which the polymeric material, in particulate form, is arranged.  7.- Article according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is loaded with an aqueous treatment liquid or with a dry concentrate of treatment liquid.  8.- Article according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the fixing means (12,13,21,22) are capable of forming a connection or a direct attachment with the head of the cleaning device floors so as to significantly prevent movement of the article relative to the head of the device when the article is rubbed on the carpet.  9.- Article according to claim 8, characterized in that the fixing means comprise adhesive surfaces capable of forming a strong and temporary connection with the head of the floor cleaning device.  10.- Article according to claim 9, characterized in that the fixing means (21, 22) comprise (i) strips (21) of flexible material coated with adhesive,  separated from the article but in association with it (ii) slots (22) in the article through which  the tapes can be passed.  11.- A method of applying a treatment liquid to a carpet, upholstery or other soft absorbent surface, characterized in that the liquid is applied to said surface by means of an article according to the any one of claims 1 to 13, attached to the head of a broom or any other floor cleaning device.  12.- Method according to claim 11, characterized in that the treatment liquid comprises a detergent composition, an antistatic agent, a deodorant, a perfume, an anti-bacterial agent, a fungicide, a dry cleaning solvent or any mixture of these.  13.- Method according to claim 12, characterized in that the treatment liquid contains a cationic surfactant.