Abstract: Adsorbents for polar organic compounds can be prepared by reacting 5-80% of an organic ammonium compound with 20-95% of a crystalline alkali metal phyllosilicate belonging to the group comprising phyllosilicates of the formulaMe.sub.2 Si.sub.x O.sub.2x+1.yH.sub.2 Oin which Me denotes an alkali metal ion or a proton, x denotes a number greater than 7, in particular from 7.5 to 23, and y denotes a number smaller than 7x. These organophilic phyllosilicic acids are capable of binding considerable amounts of organic compounds, such as, for example, fats or softeners. They are, therefore, excellently suitable for use as additives for enhancing the washing action in detergents or as a depot for organic compounds.