Novel quaternary ammonium compounds are disclosed, as well as methods for their preparation and their use in the treatment of hair, fibers and textiles as softening and conditioning agents. The high substantivity of these novel quaternary ammonium compounds to hair, fibers, and textiles, and their mildness to the skin and eyes, make them well suited for softening and conditioning fibers for applications such as personal care, laundry, and textile use. For example, quaternary ammonium compounds such as N',N",N'"-Triethyl, N',N',N'", N'"-Tetramethyl, N"-[(Polyoxypropyi)-.omega.-hydroxyalkyl], dipropylene triammonium triethosulfate have been prepared. Quaternary ammonium compounds may also include those involving other reactive groups known to those skilled in the art.

Novel quaternary ammonium compounds are disclosed, as well as methods for their preparation and their use in the treatment of hair, fibers and textiles as softening and conditioning agents. The high substantivity of these novel quaternary ammonium compounds to hair, fibers, and textiles, and their mildness to the skin and eyes, make them well suited for softening and conditioning fibers for applications such as personal care, laundry, and textile use. For example, quaternary ammonium compounds such as N',N",N'"-Triethyl, N',N',N'",N'"-Tetramethyl, N"-[(Polyhydroxypropyl)-.omega.-hydroxyalkyl], dipropylene triammonium triethosulfate have been prepared. Quaternary ammonium compounds may also include those involving other reactive groups known to those skilled in the art.

Disclosed are aqueous conditioning shampoo compositions which comprise an anionic detersive surfactant component; from about 0.025% to about 5% by weight of an water soluble or dispersible, cationic, non crosslinked, deposition or conditioning polymer; the conditioning shampoo may additionally comprise dispersed, liquid, droplets of a water insoluble, hair conditioning agent having a volume average particle diameter of from about 5 microns to about 125 microns. A homopolymer has a cationic charge density from about from about 2 meq/gm to about 4 meq/gm or a cationic charge density of from about 5 meq/gm to about 10 meq/gm; or an average molecular weight of at least 500,000. A copolymer is formed from one or more cationic monomer units and one or more nonionic monomer units or monomer units bearing a negative charge wherein the subsequent charge of the copolymer is positive. The cationic polymer, in combination with anionic detersive surfactant component and other essential components, provides improved deposition of the conditioning agent on hair or skin, even when the dispersed conditioning agent particles have a volume average particle size of up to about 125 microns. The composition may be applied to skin or hair, and provides improved conditioning performance even without the use of the dispersed hair conditioning agent particles.