Abstract: Short-chain surfactants such as octyl sulfate are used to provide a solvent-like cleaning function in detergent compositions. Preferred bleach-containing hard surface cleaners comprising the short-chain surfactants and long-chain surfactants, are especially useful for bathroom and kitchen clean-up operations. Compositions with long-plus-short chain surfactants including alkyl sulfates, olefin sulfonates, amine oxides and the like, are disclosed.

Abstract: A composition comprising short chain alkoxylated alcohols as nonionic surfactants. The short chain alkoxylated alcohols provide superior cleaning compared to their homologues with longer chains as well as other benefits including, low foaming and skin mildness, and the ability to formulate concentrated compositions.

Abstract: Process for using detergent compositions comprising a surfactant system that is either (1) a mixture of nonionic and zwitterionic detergent surfactants; (2) a mixture of nonionic and amphoteric (non-zwitterionic) detergent surfactants, preferably; or (3) short chain nonionic detergent surfactant, the nonionic detergent surfactants preferably being short chain and/or having peaked distribution; optional hydrophobic cleaning solvent; and polycarboxylate, especially dicarboxylate, detergent builder provide superior cleaning of all of the soils commonly found in the bathroom. The compositions have a pH of from about 1 to about 5.5, preferably from about 2 to about 4 when the dicarboxylate builder is used. The compositions are in the form of aqueous liquids. Short chain peaked distribution nonionic detergent suffactants provide surprisingly superior sudsing characteristics.