Low-foaming disinfecting agents based on quaternary ammonium compounds

Claim 1

A low-foaming disinfecting agent composition for spraying or sprinkling applications consisting essentially of a disinfecting amount of a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR4## wherein R 1 is an organic group having 8 to 20 carbon atoms R 2 and R 3 are members selected from the group consisting of alkyl having 1 to 3 carbon atoms and alkylol having 2 to 3 carbon atoms, R 4 is a member selected from the group consisting of alkyl having from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and an aromatic hydrocarbon substituted alkyl having 1 to 12 carbon atoms in the alkyl, optionally substituted in the aromatic hydrocarbon ring with halogen, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy, and X is an anion, from 0.1% to 20% by weight, based on the solids weight of said composition of an alkyl laurate having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms in the alkyl, as a foam inhibitor, and from 0 to 55% by weight, based on the solids weight of said composition, of a sequestering compound counteracting the hardness components of water selected from the group consisting of an alkali metal polymeric phosphate, a phosphonic acid, an alkali metal salt or an ammonium salt of a phosphonic acid, an aminopolycarboxylic acid, and an alkali metal salt or an ammonium salt of an aminopolycarboxylic acid.