Stable liquid detergent compositions

Claim 1

A stable liquid detergent composition comprising: (a) from about 3% to about 20% of an ethoxylated alcohol or ethoxylated alkyl phenol nonionic surfactant of the formula R(OC 2 H 4 ) n OH, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals containing from about 8 to about 15 carbon atoms and alkyl phenyl radicals in which the alkyl group contains from about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms, n is from about 3 to about 9, and said nonionic surfactant has an HLB value of from about 10 to about 13; (b) from about 2% to about 15% of an amine oxide surfactant having the formula ##STR5## wherein R 1 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, R 2 and R 3 are selected from the group consisting of methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, 2-hydroxyethyl, 2-hydroxypropyl, 3-hydroxypropyl, or said groups joined together to form a cyclic structure in which the nitrogen is part of a heterocyclic ring, and n is from 0 to about 10; (c) from about 1% to about 10% of an alcohol polyethoxylate sulfate surfactant having the formula R 4 O(C 2 H 4 O) m SO 3 M, wherein R 4 is an alkyl or hydroxyalkyl radical containing from about 10 to about 18 carbon atoms, m is from about 2 to about 10 and M is a compatible cation; (d) from about 10% to about 20% of a water-soluble nitrilotriacelate or citrate detergency builder capable of sequestering calcium and magnesium ions in water solution; provided that components (a), (b), (c) and (d) together represent less than about 40% by weight of the composition; (e) from 0% to about 25% of a hydrotrope; (f) up to about 89% water; said liquid detergent composition being in isotropic form and having a pH of from about 8 to about 13 in a 0.2% water solution at 20° C.