Abstract: A particulate detergent composition for fabric conditioning includes, in addition to a detergency active material, from 10-40% of a mixture of tripolyphosphate and orthophosphate in the ratio of 20:1 to 3:1 together with 2-25% of a mixture of soap and an anionic polyelectrolyte in the ratio of 10:1 to 1:1. Any pyrophosphate present must be kept below 5%. The soap and polyelectrolyte result in reduced deposition of inorganic materials onto the fabrics. The preferred polyelectrolyte is sodium polyacrylate with a molecular weight of about 27,000. The composition may also include conventional additional ingredients.

Abstract: Particulate alkaline detergent compositions for fabric washing, which include synthetic detergent compounds and alkali metal tripolyphosphate and alkali metal orthophosphate detergency builders, are made by spray-drying a detergent base powder containing some or all of the detergent compounds and some or all of the orthophosphate and admixing at least 2.5% by weight of the tripolyphosphate in particulate form with the spray-dried base powder.