Liquid detergent softening and brightening composition

Claim 1

An aqueous, stable, liquid detergent composition having enhanced softening and brightening properties comprising: (a) a water soluble non-ionic surfactant system having a relatively high cloud point in amounts from about 10 to 50% by weight, (b) a quaternary ammonium fabric softener having an equivalent weight from about 400 to 2000 in amounts from about 0.75 to 6% by weight of the formula: ##STR8## wherein Z is a water soluble, salt-forming anion, R 1 is a C 10 -C 20 alkyl radical, R 2 is R' or a C 10 -C 20 alkyl radical, X and Y are the same or different and are methyl, ethyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxy propyl, --R"--C--C--O--H, or ##STR9## wherein R" is a polymer having from 1 to 10 ethoxy, isoproxy or mixed ethoxy-isopropoxy units, and R' is polyethoxy ethanol having from 1 to 10 ethoxy units only when: (i) X and Y are both methyl, or (ii) X is methyl and Y is polyethoxyethanol having from 1 to 10 ethoxy units, (iii) X is ethyl and Y is polyethoxy ethanol having from to 10 ethoxy units; (c) an optical brightener of the formula: ##STR10## wherein A and A 1 are the same or different and are hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, propanamido or taken together are morpholino or anilino; B is H, m-SO 3 H or p-SO 3 H wherein the total number of --SO 3 H groups is from 3 to 5, and the salts thereof having water soluble anions, wherein the equivalent weight ratio of (b) to (c) is from about 1/2:1 to 1:1, wherein the weights are based on the total weight of the aqueous composition; (d) a hydrotrope is sufficient amounts to maintain a stable composition; and (e) an aqueous solvent medium wherein said composition has a pH of from 6 to 10.