Liquid detergent composition

Claim 1

An aqueous liquid detergent composition containing from 10% to 50% by weight of an anionic surfactant, from 2% to 20% by weight of an ethoxylated nonionic surfactant and from O% to 10% of an organic or inorganic builder salt characterised in that it comprises a drainage-promoting ethoxylated nonionic surfactant selected from i) an ethoxylated aliphatic alcohol of the formula R (OC 2 H 4 ) n OH wherein R is an aliphatic hydrocarbyl radical containing from 16 to 30 carbon atoms, wherein n is from 16 to 100; ii) an ethoxylated alkyl phenol of the formula R(OC2H4)nOH wherein R is an alkyl phenyl radical containing a total of from 18 to 30 carbon atoms and at least one alkvl group containing at least 12 carbon atoms and wherein n is from 16 to 100; iii) the condensation product of mono C 16-22 fatty acid esters of polyglycols with from 13 to 100 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of the mono-ester; iv) the condensation product of cholesterol and from 13 to 100 moles of ethylene oxide; v) a material which is a condensate of ethylene oxide, propylene oxide and a compound containing hydroxy or amine groups onto which alkyl oxides can be polymerized, said polymer having a molecular weight of from 500 to 15,000,an ethylene oxide content of from 30% to 70% by weight and a propylene oxide content of from 30% to 70% by weight; and vi) mixtures thereof; in combination with from 1.5% to 10% of a suds stabilizing nonionic surfactant selected from a) amides of general formula wherein R 1 is a C 7 -C 21 saturated or unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbon radicle, R 2 is methylene or ethylene and m is 1-3; b) amine oxides of general formula wherein R 1 is an alkyl, 2-hydroxyalkyl, 3-hydroxyalkyl or 3-alkoxy 2-hydroxypropyl radical in which the alkyl and alkoxy groups respectively have 8-18 carbon atoms, R2 and R 3 are C 1 -C 3 alkyl or hydroxy C 2 -C 3 alkyl and n is O to 10, and c) mixtures thereof.