Detergent bleach compositions

Claim 1

A detergent bleach composition comprising a surface active material, a peroxide bleaching agent and a dinuclear manganese complex, as the bleach catalyst, having the formula: wherein Mn is manganese which can individually be in the III or IV oxidation state; X₁, X₂ and X₃ each independently represent a coordinating or bridging species selected from the group consisting of H₂O, O₂²⁻ , O²⁻, OH⁻, HO₂⁻, SH⁻, S²⁻, >SO, Cl⁻, N³⁻, SCN⁻, RCOO⁻, RSO⁻₃, NH₂⁻ and NR₃, with R being H, alkyl aryl, both optionally substituted, or R'COO⁻ where R' is alkyl, aryl both optionally substituted; L is a ligand which is an organic molecule containing at least three nitrogen atoms which coordinates via all or some of the nitrogen atoms to the manganese centres; z denotes the charge of the complex and is an integer which can be positive or negative; Y is a monovalent or multivalent counter-ion, leading to charge neutrality, which is dependent upon the charge z of the complex; and q = z /[charge Y], characterised in that the composition comprises from 0-25% by weight of anionic surfactant and from 7.5-55% by weight of nonionic surfactant, the weight ratio of nonionic surfactant to anionic surfactant being at least 0.75 if the composition contains 0-7.5% by weight of a carbonate, expressed as sodium carbonate, and at least 2.2. if the composition contains more than 7.5% by weight of a carbonate.