Detergency builder system

Claim 1

A detergent composition comprising: (a) from about 2% to about 30% by weight of a surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic, ampholytic and cationic surfactants and mixtures thereof; (b) from about 15% to about 40% of an ether polycarboxylate compound or mixtures thereof of the structure: ##STR20## wherein R 1 and R 2 are each independently H, COOM or CH 2 COOM and wherein R 1 and R 2 are not both H and wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and said compound has a log K Ca (35° C., 0.1M ionic strength, pH 9.5) of at least about 3.6; (c) from about 0.75% to about 3% by weight of an iron and manganese chelating agent selected from the group consisting of: 1) amino carboxylates having one or more units of the substructure: ##STR21## wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium, and x is from 1 to about 3, (2) amino phosphonates having one or more units of the substructure: ##STR22## wherein M is hydrogen, an alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and x is from 1 to about 3, 3) polyfunctionally-substituted aromatic chelating agents consisting of compounds having the formula: ##STR23## wherein at least one R is --SO 3 H, or --COOH or soluble salts thereof and mixtures thereof and 4) mixtures thereof; (d) from about 0.75% to about 3% by weight of one or more polymeric polycarboxylic acid dispersing agents, copolymers thereof and salts thereof containing at least about 60% by weight of segments with the general formula: ##STR24## wherein X, Y and Z are each selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, methyl, and carboxy; M is hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium or substituted ammonium and n is from about 30 to about 400; and (e) from 0% to about 75% by weight of an inorganic detergency builder selected from the group consisting of alkali metal phosphates, sodium carbonate, sodium silicate, sodium aluminosilicate and mixtures thereof.