Abstract: An acidic aqueous cleaner, preferably in emulsion or microemulsion form, which is of a pH in the range of one to four and is useful for cleaning hard surfaced items, such as bathtubs, sinks, tiles and porcelains and even some such items which are not acid resistant, such as those of a European enamel known as zirconium white enamel, comprises synthetic organic detergent, such as a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents, e.g., sodium paraffin sulfonate, higher fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfate and higher fatty alcohol or phenol ethoxylate, organic acids, e.g., mixture of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids, phosphonic acid, e.g., aminotris-(methylenephosphonic acid) and phosphoric acid in an aqueous medium.