Detergent compositions particularly useful in hard-surface cleaning comprise an alkanol ethoxylate component which consists essentially of a mixture of compounds of the formula R--O--CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O--.sub.x H, wherein R is an alkyl group of from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, said alkyl group having a linear carbon chain in at least about 50 percent of the ethoxylate molecules; wherein the --O--CH.sub.2 --CH.sub.2 --O--.sub.x H ether substituent is, in at least 40 percent of the molecules of the mixture, bound to R at a carbon atom which is neither a terminal carbon atom nor a carbon atom adjacent to a terminal carbon atom; and wherein x has an average value for all ethoxylate molecules of the mixture which is in the range from about 3 to 9; said ethoxylate component being further characterized as having a hydrophile-lipophile balance that is between about 10.4 and 12.0; and said composition being further characterized as containing less than about 2 percent by mole, calculated on moles of the mixture of ethoxylate compounds therein, of compounds having a C.sub.8 to C.sub.18 alkyl group substituted by multiple ether substituents.

The invention relates to surfactant containing, liquid compositions based on the magnesium salt of primary alcohol sulphates and provides and aqueous, liquid, cleaning composition having a pH from 6-8, comprising: a) 2-40% wt surfactant, said surfactant comprising primary alcohol sulphate (i) and nonionic surfactants (ii) wherein at least 50% wt of the surfactant present is primary alcohol sulphate, said surfactant comprising less than 1% on surfactant of nitrogen-containing surfactant species b) magnesium, at a Molar ratio of at least 0.3 moles Mg per mole primary alcohol sulphate.

Liquid builder-free concentrated heavy-duty detergent compositions containing a ternary surfactant system, the majority of which is represented by an anionic surfactant, are disclosed. These compositions provide superior overall performance, especially greasy and oily stain removal and storage stability.

The present invention relates to a detergent composition containing one or more surfactants, an alkali carbonate and an acid, and in which detergent composition the acidic and the alkaline constituent are separately present, the acidic constituent having a higher rate of solubility in a wash liquor than the alkaline constituent, and the total amount of alkali being present in excess relative to the amount of acid. Characteristic of the invention is that the acidic constituent of the detergent composition contains 5 to 30 per cent by weight, calculated on the total amount of detergent composition, of one or more acids having the formula: where n is 2,3, or 4 It is preferred that the acidic constituent should contain a mixture consisting of 20 to 40 per cent by weight of adipic acid, 20 to 40 per cent by weight of succinic and 20 to 60 per cent by weight of glutaric acid.

Detergent compositions were prepared which contain 1-10% of a fatty acid amide, in which the carbon is attached to a C.sub.15 -C.sub.17 hydrocarbon, and wherein one of the nitrogen substituents is a polyhydroxyhydrocarbyl having a linear hydrocarbon chain with at least three hydroxyl groups pendent therefrom. Said compositions further comprise 1-6% by weight of an insoluble ethoxylated C.sub.12 -C.sub.15 primary alcohol containing an average of three ethoxylate groups per mole.