Abstract: A nonionic surfactant based liquid laundry detergent formulation which consists essentially of between about 20 and about 30 percent by weight of one or more nonionic surfactants, between about 1 and 10 percent by weight of one or more of certain carboxysulfonate compounds which may be prepared, for example, by the direct reaction of a hydrocarbyl succinic anhydride with either an aminoalkyl sulfonate or a salt of isethionic acid, between about 2 and about 20 percent by weight of detergent builder, between about 2 and about 8 percent by weight of triethanol amine, and water. The formulation is very effective for removal of both particulate and oily soils from fabrics and for preventing their redeposition onto the fabrics during the wash. The formulations are further characterized as low-foaming and relatively insensitive to water hardness. The several components are highly compatible and can be formulated into stable, single-phase compositions, without the need for added hydrotropes and/or solubilizers.

Abstract: A nonionic surfactant based powdered laundry detergent formulation which consists essentially of between about 15 and about 25 percent by weight of one or more nonionic surfactants, between about 1 and 10 percent by weight of one or more of certan carboxysulfonate compounds which may be prepared, for example, by the direct reaction of a hydrocarbyl succinic anhydride with either an aminoalkyl sulfonate or a salt of isethionic acid, between about 2 and about 10 percent by weight of a silicate salt anticorrosion agent, between about 2 and about 40 percent by weight of detergent builder, and a sulfate salt filler. The combination of nonionic surfactant and anionic carboxysulfonate surfactant in the formulation provides a highly effective detergent performance. However, the formulation retains the beneficial properties of mildness, low foam generation, and biodegradability characteristic of nonionic surfactants.

Abstract: A reliable method for testing the performance of detergent compositions, particularly from the standpoint of the redeposition of soils on fabrics during the laundry wash cycle, which comprises subjecting a clean control fabric swatch to multiple washings, each washing conducted in a solution of the detergent composition and in the presence of one or more pre-soiled fabric swatches, and then analyzing the control swatch for soil content, for example, by light reflectance or radiotracer methods.