Modified Polysaccharides in Laundry Applications as Soil Release and Anti‐Redeposition Additives

ABSTRACT Polymers play an important role within modern laundry formulations, enhancing their cleaning performance by aiding in the release of soil from textiles and helping to prevent soil resettling upon the textiles during washing. Most of these polymers are derived from non‐renewable petrochemical sources; however, a combination of factors, including consumer preferences and commitments by manufacturers to reduce carbon footprints of products while continually improving performance, is driving the search for alternatives. In this context, polysaccharides derived from renewable resources (mainly plants, fungi, algae, lichen) offer promising potential as platforms for the development of new cleaning agents. Here, we provide an extensive overview of recent advances in polysaccharide‐based laundry additives by focusing on synthesis, composition, and their soil release and anti‐redeposition properties. We also present a brief overview of technical methods commonly used to evaluate the performance of polymer additives. We hope this review will be a useful aid to those who wish to make contributions to a future with more renewable feedstocks for the fabric care industry.