Odor Remover

Laundry odor removers address malodors persisting through normal washing, particularly body odor compounds trapped in synthetic fabrics. Beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) serves as the primary odor-capture agent, supplemented by enzymes that degrade odor precursors.

Formulation Card FC-12.7-M: Laundry Odor Remover

Beta-cyclodextrin is a cyclic oligosaccharide of seven glucose units forming a toroidal structure with a hydrophobic internal cavity and hydrophilic exterior. Volatile malodor molecules—short-chain fatty acids, volatile amines, thiols—enter the cavity and are physically trapped through non-covalent hydrophobic interactions and van der Waals forces, forming an inclusion complex . While encapsulated, odor molecules cannot volatilize into air and cannot be detected by olfactory receptors. The cavity’s size selectivity (internal diameter ~0.78 nm) provides specificity for body odor compounds rather than non-specific absorption .

Hydroxypropyl-beta-cyclodextrin (HP-β-CD) is preferred over native β-CD for liquid formulations because hydroxypropyl substitution dramatically increases water solubility, enabling clear solutions at up to 50% concentration . Native β-CD has limited cold-water solubility (~1.8 g/100 mL at 25 °C) and is suited to powder applications. The enzymatic component provides complementary action: protease breaks down proteinaceous sweat residues; lipase hydrolyzes sebaceous lipids that serve as bacterial odor precursors . The combination addresses odor through both elimination (enzymatic) and encapsulation (cyclodextrin) pathways.

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