Near-neutral pH detergents containing anionic surfactant, cosurfactant and fatty acid

Claim 1

A detergent composition comprising: (a) from about 2% to about 60% by weight of an anionic synthetic surfactant; (b) from about 0.25% to about 12% by weight of a cosurfactant selected from the group consisting of: (i) quarternary ammonium surfactants having the formula: [R.sup.2 (OR.sup.3).sub.y ][R.sup.4 (OR.sup.3).sub.y ].sub.2 R.sup.5 N.sup.+ X.sup.- wherein R 2 is an alkyl or alkyl benzyl group having from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain; each R 3 is selected from the group consisting of --CH 2 CH 2 --, --CH 2 CH(CH 3 )--, --CH 2 CH(CH 2 OH)--, --CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 --, and mixtures thereof; each R 4 selected from the group consisting of C 1-4 alkyl, C 1-4 hydroxyalkyl, benzyl, and hydrogen when y is not 0; R 5 is the same as R 4 or is an alkyl chain wherein the total number of carbon atoms of R 2 plus R 5 is not more than about 18; each y is from 0 to about 10 and the sum of the y values is from 0 to about 15; and X is any compatible anion; and (ii) diquaternary ammonium surfactants having the formula: [R.sup.2 (OR.sup.3).sub.y ][R.sup.4 (OR.sup.3).sub.y [.sub.2 N.sup.+ R.sup.3 N.sup.+ R.sup.5 [R.sup.4 (OR.sup.3).sub.y ].sub.2 (X.sup.-).sub.2 wherein R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , y and x are as defined above; (c) from about 5% to about 40% by weight of a fatty acid containing from about 10 to about 22 carbon atoms; and (d) from about 3% to about 10% by weight of a detergent builder; said composition having a molar ratio of the anionic synthetic surfactant to the cosurfactant of at least 1 and formulated to provide an initial pH of from about 6.0 to about 8.5 at a concentration of from about 0.1% to about 2% by weight in water at 20° C.