Detergents with polyamine alkoxylates useful in cleaning dyed fabrics while inhibiting dye transfer

Claim 1

A method of cleaning dyed fabric while inhibiting loss of dye from the fabric, comprising washing the dyed fabric with an aqueous cleaning composition comprising a polyamine alkoxylate component selected from the group consisting of: (a) compounds of formula (A): ##STR3## and mixtures thereof, wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl radical containing 6 to 25 carbon atoms and 0 to 3 carbon-carbon double bonds, Q is --OCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 --, --C(═O)OCH 2 CH 2 --, --C(═O)NHCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 --, or --CH 2 --; each occurrence of R A is independently H, --OC(═O)R, --SO 3 --A + , or --CH 2 C(═O)O--A + wherein A + is an alkali metal cation, ammonium, or H + ; each occurrence of m is 3 to 8; each Alk is independently ethyl, isopropyl or n-propyl, v, w, x and y are each independently 1 to 20, n is 1 to 10; and the sum of (v+w+x+y) is (3+n) to 20; (b) compounds of formula (B) composed of (i) a cation wherein one or more nitrogen atoms of a compound of formula (A) is additionally substituted with hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, hydroxyethyl or benzyl, and (ii) one or more anions, equal in number to the number of the additionally substituted nitrogen atoms, being selected from the group consisting of chloride, methylsulfate, and ethylsulfate; and (c) compounds corresponding to amine oxides of compounds of formula (A).

Claim 2

A method of cleaning dyed fabric while inhibiting loss of dye from the fabric, comprising washing the dyed fabric with an aqueous cleaning composition comprising a polyamine alkoxylate component selected from the group consisting of: (a) compounds of formula (A): ##STR3## and mixtures thereof, wherein R is an alkyl or alkenyl radical containing 6 to 25 carbon atoms and 0 to 3 carbon-carbon double bonds, Q is --OCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 --, --C(═O)OCH 2 CH 2 --, --C(═O)NHCH 2 CH 2 CH 2 --, or --CH 2 --; each occurrence of R A is independently H, --OC(═O)R, --SO 3 --A + , or --CH 2 C(═O)O--A + wherein A + is an alkali metal cation, ammonium, or H + ; each occurrence of m is 3 to 8; each Alk is independently ethyl, isopropyl or n-propyl, v, w, x and y are each independently 1 to 20, n is 1 to 10; and the sum of (v+w+x+y) is (3+n) to 20; (b) compounds of formula (B) composed of (i) a cation wherein one or more nitrogen atoms of a compound of formula (A) is additionally substituted with hydrogen, methyl, ethyl, hydroxyethyl or benzyl, and (ii) one or more anions, equal in number to the number of the additionally substituted nitrogen atoms, being selected from the group consisting of chloride, methylsulfate, and ethylsulfate; and (c) compounds corresponding to amine oxides of compounds of formula (A).