CA1210299A - Liquid detergent compositions having high reserve alkalinity - Google Patents

Abstract

LIQUID DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS
HAVING HIGH RESERVE ALKALINITY
Abstract of the Disclosure Heavy-duty liquid detergent compositions containing amine oxide or amide surfactant, alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate sur-factant, anionic sulfonate surfactant, water-soluble detergency builder and water, and having a reserve alkalinity of greater than about 2.5, are disclosed. The compositions provide superior cleaning of greasy/oily soils from fabrics at the high reserve alkalinity .

Description

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LIQUID DETERGENT COMPOSITIONS
HAVI NG H l GH RESERVE ALKALI N ITY
Darrei D. Kokx Ronald L. Jacobsen Technical Fie!d The present invention relates to heavy-duty liquici detergent compositions containing an amine oxide or amide surfactant, an alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactant, an anlonic sulfonate surfactant, a water-soluble detergency builder and water. The compositions herein have a reserve alkalinity, defined as the equivalent grams of caustic as sodium hydroxide exceeding pH 9.5 per 100 gran~s of composition, of greater than about 2.5. At this high reserve al)calinity, the compositions provide superior cleaning of greasy/oily soils and stains from ~abrics.
lS Heavy-duty liquid detergents formulated to maintain a high wash water pH are desired to enhance detergency performance on body soils. It is believed these fatty soils are saponified to more soluble species (e.g., soaps), which can be more readily removed r from fabrics, at the high pH. However, it has been Found that high wash water pH's generally decrease removal of greasy/oily soils from fabrics. Thus, there is a continuing need for liquid detergents capable of providing improved cleaning of greasy/oily soils at high wash qvater pl l's.
Background Art U.S. Patent 4,284,532, I,eikhim et al, issued August 18, 1981, discloses stable liquid detergents containing amine oxides, ethoxylated nonionic surfactants, and water-soluble detergency bui Iders .
U.S. Patent No. 4,436,653, Jacobsen et al, iss,ued March 13, 1984, discloses stable liquid detergents containing amine oxides, ethoxylated nonionic surfactants, alcohol poh~ethoxylate su!fate surfactants, and water-soluble detergency bui Iders .
U.S. Patent No. 4,438,024, DelGreco et al, issued March 20, 1984, discloses stable liquid detergents con-taining amine oxides, alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactants, water-soluble detersency builders, and alkanolarnines.

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lZ~Z~9 Summary of the I nvention The present invention encompasses heavy-duty liquid deter-gent compositions comprising:
(a) frorn about 1% to about 10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant selected frorn the group consisting of:
(i) amine oxide surfactants of the formula R ~OC2H4)nl ~ O

wherein R is an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyhydroxypropyl, alkoxyhydroxyethyl, alkyl amido or alkyl carboxylate radical in which the alkyl and alkoxy portions contain frorn about 8 to about 15 18 carbon atoms, R2 and R3 are selected from the group consist-ing of me-thyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hy-droxypropyl and 3-hydroxypropyl, or are joined together to form a cyclic structure containing the nitrogen atom and from 4 to 6 carbon atoms, and n is from 0 to about 10; and (ii) amide surfactants of.the formula o R2 wherein R1 jS an allcyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkenyl radical containing from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, 3-hydroxypropyl, and said radicals additionally containing up to about 5 ethylene oxide units, or are joined together to form a cyclic structure containing the nitrogen atom and from 4 to 6 carbon atoms;
(b) an alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactant of the formula R ~C2H4)mS3M

wherein R is an allcyl or hydroxyalkyl radical containing from ~ ~0~9~

about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms, m is from about 0 . 5 to about 5, and M is a compatible cation;
~c) an anionic sulfonate surfactant;
(d) from about 10~d to about 25% by weight of a water-5 soluble polycarboxylate, polyphosphonate, or polyphosphatedetergency builder capable of sequestering calcium and magnesium ions in water solution;
le) from about 0% to about 25% by weight of a hydrotrope;
and (f) from about 4096 to about 70~ by weight of water;
said composition con;3ining from about 5% to about 209~ by weight of the alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate and anionic sulfonate sur-factants in a weight ratio of alcohol polyethoxylate suifate to anionic sulfonate surfactant of from about 0.5 to about 10, and 15 having a reserve alkalinity, defined as the equivalent grams of caustic as sodium hydroxide exceeding pH g.5 per 100 grams of composition, of greater than about 2.5.
Detailed Description of the Invention -The liquid detergent compositions herein comprise a nonionic 20 surfactant, which can be an amine oxide or amide, an alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactant, an anionic sulfonate surfactant, a water-soluble deter!,ency builder and water. The compositions also have a reserve alkalinity, defined as the equivalent grams of caustic as sodium hydroxide exceeding pH 9.5 per 100 grams of 25 composition, of greater than about 2.5. As used herein, reserve alkalinity is determined by acid (HCI) titration of a solution composed of 25 grams of the detergent composition diluted to 100 cm with distilled water.
The high reserve alkalinity of the compositions allows for the 30 formulation of liquid detergents capable of maintaining a high wash water pH t preferably from about 9 . 0 to about 11 . 0, more pre~erably from about 9.2 to about 10.5) in the presence of soil loads and hardness levels typically encountered during the laun-clering operation. As previously mentioned, the high wash water 35 pH enhances removal of body soils from fabrics. Surprisingly, the addition of the anionic sulfonate surfactant to compositions herein containing only the nonionic and polyethoxylate sulfate .... . .

surfactants results in superior cleaning of greasy/oily soils and stains at the high ~Nash water pH . The reserve alkalini ty should be greater than about 2.5 to maintain the high wash water pH
and provide the superior greasy/oily soil cleaning. It preferably is from about 2.6 to about 6, more preferably from about 2.8 to about 3 . 8 .
The required reserve alkalinity can be provided by any suitable caustic materia~, including carbonate, bicarbonate or silicate salts, aikali metal and alkaline earth metal hydroxides, ~preferably sodium or potassium hydroxide), monoethanolamine or diethanolamine. Monoethanolamine is a highly preferred alkalinity source. The compositions preferably contain from about 4% to ab~ut 8~ by weight of free monoethanolamine.
Nonionic Surfactant The compositions of the present invention contain ~rom about 1% to about 1 Og~, preferably from about 3% to about 7%, by weight of a nonionic surfactant, which can be an amine oxide, amide, or mixtures thereof.
Amine oxide surfactants herein are of the formula F;~2 R (OC2~14 ) n~ ~

wherein R1 jS an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyhydroxypropyl, alt<oxyhydroxyethyl, alkyl amido or alkyl carboxylate radical in which the alkyl and alkoxy, respectively, contain from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl,

2-hydroxypropyl and 3-hydroxypropyl, or are joined together to form a cyclic structure containing -the nitrogen atom and from 4 to ~ carbon atoms (e.g., morpholine, piperidine or pyridine), and n is from 0 to about lO.
Specific examples of the above amine oxide surfactants include: dimethyldodecylamine oxide, dimethyltetradecylamine oxide, ethylmethyltetraclecylamine oxide, cetyldimethylamine oxide, cetylethylpropylamine oxide, diethyldodecylamine oxide, diethyl-tetradecylamine oxide, dipropyldodecylamine oxide, bis-~2-hy-droxyethyl)dodecylamine oxide, bis~2-hydroxyethyl)-3-dodecyloxy-1~0~9~

2-hydroxypropylamine oxide, ~2-hydroxypropyl)methyltetradecyl-amine oxide, dimethyl-~7-hydroxydodecyl)amine oxide, C8 16 alkyl alpha-dimethylamine oxide carboxylates, and the corresponding decyl and hexadecyl homologs of the above compounds. A particu-larly preferred rnaterial is C12 16 alkyi dimethylamine oxide.
Amide s~rfactants herein are of the formula o R2 R C-N-R

wherein R is an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkenyl radical containing from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, and RZ and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl ~ 3-hydroxypropyl, and said radicals additionally containing up to about 5 ethylene oxide units, or are joined together to form a cyclic structure containin~ the nitrogen atom and from 4 to 6 carbon atoms.
Preferred amides are the C8-C20 fatty acid alkylol amides in whicn each alkylol group contains from 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and additionally can contain up to about 2 ethylene oxide units.
Particularly preferred are the C1 2-C1 6 alkyl monoethanol and 2 0 diethanol amides .
Alcohol Polyethoxylate Sulfate Surfactant The compositions herein also contain an alcohol polyethoxyl-ate sulfate surfactant of the formula R O~C2H4O)mSO3M, wherein R is an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl radical containing from about lO to about 18 carbon atoms, m ~the average number of ethylene oxide units) is from abou-t 0.5 to about 5, and M is a compatible cation.
Preferred alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactants of the above formula are those wherein the R substituent is an alkyl radical containin~ from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms and m is from about 0.6 to about 2.5, more pr~ferably from about 0.7 to about 1.5. Examples of such materials are Cl2 15 alkyl poly-ethoxylate ~1.1) sulfate ~CI2_l5 E1 15); Cl4_15E2 2S; C12-13E1S;
Cl6 l8E4S; Cl4 l5Eo 7S; and mixtures thereof. The sodium, potassium, and monoethanolamine salts of the above are preferred.

~L2~0~9 Anionic Sulfonate Surfactant Any anionic sulfonate surfactant known ~or use in detergent cor:-positions can be used in the present invention. Examples of such materials include those described in U.S. Patent 3,963,649, Spadini et al, issued June 15, 1976, and in U.5. Patent

3,929,678, Laughlin et al, issued December 30, 1975, Preferred sulfonates are alkylbenzene sulfonates in which the alkyl group contains from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain configuration; C12 18 paraffin 12-18 olefin sulfonates; C12_18 alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates; -sulfonated fatty acid esters conta;ning from about 12 to 18 carbon atoms in the fatty acid group and from about 1 to 10 carbon atoms in the ester group; 2-acyloxy-alkane-1-sulfonates containing from about 2 to 9 carbon atoms in the acyl group and from about 12 to 1~ carbon atoms in the alkane moiety; and ~-alkyloxy alkane sulfonates containing from about l to 3 carbon atorns in the alkyl group and about 12 to 18 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety.
Particularly preferred are the alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium salts of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates containing from about 11 to 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.
The compositions of the present invention contain from about 5% to about 20%, preferably from about 7% to about 15%, by weight of the above-described alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate and anionic sulfonate surfactants, in a weight ratio of sulfate to sulfonate surfactant of from about O.S to about 10, preferably from about 1 to abo~st 7, and more preferably from about 1.5 to about 4.
Water-Soluble Det_rgency Builder The compositions also contain from about 10% to about 25~6, preferably from about 15~6 to about 22g6, by weight of a water-soluble polycarboxylate, polyphosphonate, or polyphosphate detergency builder capable of sequestering calcium or magnesium ions in water solution. Sequestration i5 the formation of coor-dination complexes with metallic ions to prevent or inhibit pre-cipitation or other interfering reactions. The phenomenon is also .. ~ ..

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called chelation if certain structural criteria are met by the coordination complex.
Suitable polycarboxylate builders herein include the various aminopolycarboxylates, cycloalkane polycarboxylates, ether poly-carboxylates, alkyl polycarboxylates, epoxy polycarboxyla-tes, tetrahydrofuran polycarboxylates, benzene polycarboxylates, and polyacetal polycarboxylates.
Examples of such polycarboxylate builders are sodium and potassium ethylenediaminetetraacetate: sodium 'and potassium ~o nitrilotriacetate: the water-soluble salts of phytic acid, e.g., sodium and potassium phytates, disclosed in U . S. Patent 2,739,942, Eckey, issued March 27, 1956 the polycarboxylate materials described in U . S . Patent 3,364,103, - and the water soluble salts of polycarboxylate polymers and copolymers describ ed in U.S. Patent 3,308,067, Diehl, issued March 7, 1967, Useful detergent builders include the water-soluble salts of polymeric aliphatic polycarboxylic acids having the following ~o structural and physical characteristics: (a) a minimum molecular weight of about 350 calculated as to the acid form; ~b) an equi-valent weight of about 50 to about 80 calculated as to acid form;
(3) at least 45 mole percent of the monomeric species having at least two carboxyl radicals separated from each other by not more than two carbon atoms; ~d) the site of attachment of the polymer chain of any carboxyl-containing radical being separated by not more than three carbon atoms along the polymer chain from the site of attachment of the next carboxyl-containing radical.
Specific examples of such builders are the pobymers and copoly~
~c~ mers of itaconic acid, aconitic acid, maleic acid, mesaconic acid, fumaric acid, methylen~ malonic acid, and citraconic acid.
Other suitable polycariooxylate builders include the water-soluble salts, especially the sodium and potassium salts, of mellitic acid, citric acid, pyromellitic acid, benzene pentacarboxylic acid, oxydiacetic acid, carboxymethyloxysuccinic acid, carboxymethyl-oxymalonic acid, cis-cyclohexanehexacarboxylic acid, cis-cyclo-pentanetetracarboxylic ac;d and oxydisuccinic acid.

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Other polycarboxylates for use herein are the polyacetal carboxylates described in U.S. Patent 4,144,226, issued March 13, 1979 to Crutchfield et al, and in U.S. Patent 4,146,495, issued March 27, 1979 to Crutchfield et al, Sodium and potassium nitrilotriacetates are highly preferred builders for use in the present compositions.
Polyphosphonate builders useful herein are disclosed in U.S.
Patent 3,213,030, Diehl, issued October 19, 1965, U.S. Patent 3,433,021, Roy, issued January 14, 1968, U.S. Patent 3,2g2,121, Gedge, issued January 9, 1969 and U.S. Patent 2,599,807, Bers-worth, issued June 10, 1952, ~`~~~~
Preferred polyphosphonate builders are the sodium and potassium salts of ethylene diphosphonic acid, ethane l-hydroxy~ diphos-15 phonic acid, and ethane-l,i,2-triphosphonic acid.
Preferred aminopolyphosphonate builders ara the sodium and potassium salts of diethylenetriaminepentamethylenephosphonic acid, hexamethylenediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid, diethyl-enediaminetetramethylenephosphonic acid, and nitrilotrimethylene-20 phosphonic acid.
Polyphosphates useful herein include the water soluble tripolyphosphates, pyrophosphates, and the polymeric metaphos-phates having a degree of polymerization of from about 6 to 21.
However, the tripolyphosphates and metaphosphates tend to 25 hydrolyze to a mixture of orthophosphate and pyrophosphate with prolonged storage in aqueous solutions. 5ince the orthophos-phates precipitate but do not sequester water-hardness ions, the pyrophosphates are the preferred polyphosphates for use in the present invention. Particularly preferred is potassium pyrophos-30 phate since sodium pyrophosphate has a tendency to precipitatefrom concentra~ed solutions at low storage temperatures.
It is to be understood that while the alkali metal (and par-ticularly the sodium and potassium) salts of the foregoing deter-gency builders are preferred for use herein frorn economic and 35 solubility standpoints, the ammonium, alkanolammonium, e.g., .. . . .... . ... ... . . . . . ... . .. ..
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monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, and the like, water-soluble salts of any of the foregoing buiiders can be used.
H ydrotrope The compositions herein can contain from about 0% to about 25~o, preferably from about 2% to about 15%, most preferably from about 4% to about 10%, by weight of a hydrotrope. The hydro-tropè helps to solubilize the surfactants and builders in the water phasè under a wide variety of conditions. The types and levels of hydrotrope needed for optimum product phase stability and viscosity will be dependent on the types and levels of the other components used herein.
The hydrotropes of the present invention are water soluble and preferably have an HLB value above about 14. Suitable hydrotropes have shorter alkyl chain lengths than the correspon-ding surfactants typically used in detergent compositions~ For example, the soluble salts, particularly the sodium and potassium salts, of toluene sulfonate, xylene sulfonate, and cumene sul-fonate are preferred hydrophilic stabilizing a~ents in the practice of the invention. The cations are the same as or compatible with those of the anionic alcohol polyethoxylate sulfa~e surfactants herein .
Phosphate esters, particulariy those with a predominance of single alkyl groups and designated primary esters, can have the hydrophilic characteristics necessary to assist in the formation of an isotropic liquid detergent composition. 'Emphos' PS-413 and PS-236 ~Yitco Chemical Company) and 'Gafac PE-510' ~CAF C:orpor-ation) are commercially available phosphate materials suitable as the hydrotrope in the practice of the invention. Preferred phos-phate esters will contain a high proportion of monoalkyl phosphate esters and can be of the type consisting of the condensation product of the reaction of R(OC2H4~xOH and a phosphoric or polyphosphoric acid, R being an alkyl or alkyl phenyl group, said alkyl containing from about 4 to about 18 carbon atoms and x being 0 to 20.
Ethoxylated nonionic surfactants with a relatively high degree of ethoxylation and a corresponding high HLE3 value can find use in the compositions of the present invention.

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1~1ixtures of hydrotropes, especially mixtures of lower alkyl-benzene sulfonates, such as toluene sulfonate, and phosphate esters, can be used, but preferably no phosphorus is present~
Water The compositions of this invention contain from about 40% to about 70~, preferably from about 45% to about 60%, by weight of water .
Optional Components The compositions of the present invention preferabiy contain minor amounts of a suds modifying agent, such as fatty acids and the silicone materials, microcrystalline waxes and phosphate esters described in U.S. Patent 4,28~,532, Leikhim et al, issued August 1 8 , 1 981, particularly from Column 7 , line 25 to Column 9 , line 8~
The fat~y acld soap and ester mixtures described in U . S . Patent 4, 017, 409, Demessemaekers et al, issued April 12, 1g77 ~ are also useful suds suppressors herein.
Optional components which can also be added in minor amounts lgenerally less than about 10%, preferably less than 5%
by weight) to the compositions of the present invention include cosurfactants; cobuilders; bleaching agents; bleach activators, soil release agents; soil suspending agents; corrosion inhibitors;
dyes; fillers; optical brighteners; germicides; enzymes; enzyme-stabilizing agents; perfumes; carriers; opacifiers; and the like.
All percentages, parts, and ratios used herein are by weight unless otherwise specified.
The following nonlimiting examples illustrate the compositions of the present invention.

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12hO299 EXAMPLES
Wt. %
Component I 11 111 IV V Vl C12 16 alkyl dimethylamine 6.6 4.0 4.2 oxide C12-16 alkyl diethanolamide 6.6 8.5 3.3 Sodium C14_15 allcyl poly- 8.1 7.0 7.8 8.1 6.8 4.2 ethoxylat0 ~x) sulfate (x)= (0.7) (0.7)(1.1) (1.0) (1.1) (1.7) Monoethanolamine Cl 1 13 3 9 3 . 63 . 9 3. 9 3 . 5 4. 9 linear alkylbenzene sulfonate Sodium toluene sulfonate 8.0 8.û 6.0 5.5 6.0 6.0 Sodium nitrilotriacetate 18.2 18.2 21.0 18.2 18.2 18.2 Oleic acid 0.5 t.5 lS Monoethanolamine 5.4 5.4 6.0 3.9 4.2 5.6 Water and minors ~ -Balance to 100 Reserve alkalinity 3.0 3.0 3~5 3.0 2.9 2.7 The above compositions were prepared by mixing the compo-nents to form single phase isotropic liquids.
Other compositions of the present invention are obtained when the diethanolarnide in Examples IV-VI is replaced with the corresponding monoethanolamide, with coconutalkyl monoethanol-amide additionally containing 1 or 2 ethylene oxide units in the ethanol group, or with oleyl diethanolamide.
When the alkylbenzene sulfonate sur~actant in the above compositions is replaced with sodium C1 4-1 6 alkane sulfo a sodium alpha-olefin sulfonate containing from 14 to 16 carbon atoms, sodium 2-acetoxy-dodecane-1-sulfonate, potassium ~-meth-oxytridecanesulfonate or sodium hexyl-~s-sulfomyristate, other compositions within the invention are obtained.
Other compositions herein are also obtained when the sodium nitrilotriacetate in the above compositions is replaced with sodium citrate, potassium pyrophosphate, or with a 1:1 weight ratio mixture of sodium nitrilotriacetate and sodium ethane 1-hydroxy-1,1-diphosphona~e, and the monoethanolamine level is adjusted to provicle the indicated reserve alkalinity.

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Claims (13)

1. A heavy-duty liquid detergent composition comprising:
(a) from about 1% to about 10% by weight of a nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of:
(i) amine oxide surfactants of the formula wherein R1 is an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyhydroxypropyl, alkoxyhydroxyethyl, alkyl amido or alkyl carboxylate radical in which the alkyl and alkoxy portions contain from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms, R2 and R3 are selected from the group consist-ing of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hy-droxypropyl and 3-hydroxypropyl, or are joined together to form a cyclic structure containing the nitrogen atom and from 4 to 6 carbon atoms, and n is from 0 to about 10; and (ii) amide surfactants of the formula wherein R1 is an alkyl, hydroxyalkyl or alkenyl radical containing from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms, and R2 and R3 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, 3-hydroxy-propyl, and said radicals additionally containing up to about 5 ethylene oxide units, or are joined together to form a cyclic structure containing the nitrogen atom and from 4 to 6 carbon atoms;
(b) an alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactant of the formula R1O(C2H4O)mSO3M

wherein R1 is an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl radical containing from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms, m is from about 0.5 to about 5, and M is a compatible cation;

(c) an anionic sulfonate surfactant;
(d) from about 10% to about 25% by weight of a water-soluble polycarboxylate, detergency builder capable of sequestering calcium and masgnesium ions in water solution;
(e) from about 0% to about 25% by weight of a hydrotrope;
and (f) from about 40% to about 70% by weight of water;
said composition containing from about 5% to about 20% by weight of the alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate and anionic sulfonate sur-factants in a weight ratio of alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate to anionic sulfonate surfactant of from about 0.5 to about 10, and having a reserve alkalinity, defined as the equivalent grams of caustic as sodium hydroxide exceeding pH 9.5 per 100 grams of composition, of greater than about 2.5.

2. The composition of Claim 1 having a reserve alkalinity of from about 2.8 to about 3.8.

3. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is a C12-16 alkyl dimethyl amine oxide.

4. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the nonionic surfactant is a C12-16 alkyl monoethanol or diethanol amide.

5. The composition of Claim 1 wherein the R1 substituent of the polyethoxylate sulfate surfactant is an alkyl radical containing from about 12 to about 18 carbon atoms, and m is from about 0.6 to about 2.5.

6. The composition of Claim 5 wherein the anionic sulfonate surfactant is a linear alkylbenzene sulfonate containing from about 11 to about 14 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain.

7. The composition of Claim 6 wherein the weight ratio of alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate to anionic sulfonate surfactant is from about 1 . 5 to about 4 .

8. The composition of Claim 7 having a reserve alkalinity of from about 2.8 to about 3.8.

9. The composition of Claim 8 wherein the water-soluble deter-gency builder comprises sodium or potassium nitrilotriacetate.

10. The composition of Claim 9 wherein the nonionic surfactant is a C12-16 alkyl dimethylamine oxide.

11. The composition of Claim 10 comprising from about 3% to about 7% by weight of the amine oxide, from about 7% to about 15% by weight of the alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate and anionic sulfonate surfactants, and from about 15% to about 22% by weight of the water-soluble detergency builder.

12. The composition of Claim 9 wherein the nonionic surfactant is a C12-16 alkyl monoethanol or diethanol amide.

13. The composition of Claim 12 comprising from about 3% to about 7% by weight of the amide, from about 7% to about 15% by weight of the alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate and anionic sulfonate surfactants, and from about 15% to about 22% by weight of the water-soluble detergency builder.