Detergent compositions containing a mixture of an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer and a polycarboxylate

Claim 1

A detergent composition comprising: (a) from 5% to about 50% by weight of an organic surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic, cationic, nonionic, zwitterionic and ampholytic surfactants, and mixtures thereof; (b) from 5% to about 80% by weight of a nonphosphorous detergent builder; and (c) from about 1% to about 30% of a mixture of an ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer and a polycarboxylate, in which mixture the ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer: polycarboxylate weight ratio is from about 1:3 to about 3:1, said ethylene oxide/propylene oxide block copolymer having a weight average molecular weight of from about 1,000 to about 50,000 wherein said ethylene oxide/ propylene oxide block copolymer comprises at least about 80% ethylene oxide by weight, and said polycarboxylate comprises a homopolymer or copolymer formed of monomers having the general formula: ##STR11## wherein X and Z are each hydrogen, hydroxy or methyl, Y is hydrogen or COOM; each M is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkali metal, ammonium and substituted ammonium, m, r and q, at the same time, are 0, 0 and 1, respectively, or m, r and q, at the same time, are 1, 0 and 0, respectively; and the weight average molecular weight of said polycarboxylate is from about 4,000 to about 75,000.