Abstract: Sulfated hydroxyalkyl polyethylene glycol and hydroxyalkyl polypropylene glycol ethers corresponding to general formula (II) ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 is hydrogen or a linear C.sub.1 -C.sub.16 alkyl radical,R.sup.2 is a linear or branched, saturated C.sub.1 -C.sub.22 alkyl radical,R.sub.3 is hydrogen or a linear C.sub.1 -C.sub.16 alkyl radical,R.sup.4 is hydrogen or a methyl group,M represents hydrogen, ammonium, alkylammonium, alkanolammonium, in which the alkyl and alkanol radicals each contain from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or a monovalent metal atom, andn is a number of 1 to 30,with the proviso that the total number of carbon atoms in R.sup.1 and R.sub.

Abstract: Hydroxyalkyl polyethylene glycol and hydroxyalkyl polypropylene glycol ethers of the formula ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 is a linear C.sub.6 -C.sub.16 alkyl radical, R.sup.2 is a linear or branched, C.sub.1 -C.sub.22 alkyl or alkenyl radical, R.sup.3 is hydrogen or a methyl group, and n is a number of from 0 to 30, and to mixtures of several such compounds. Also, a process for the preparation of these hydroxy ethers, wherein epoxides are reacted with alcohol alkoxylates at an elevated temperature in the presence of a catalyst and in an inert gas atmosphere. The compounds or their mixtures are used as foam inhibiting additives in low-foam cleaning preparations.