Compositions containing nonionic surfactant and sulfonated aromatic compatibilizing agent

Claim 1

A cleaning composition, particularly suitable for use in automatic dishwashers and having improved antiredeposition properties, comprising: (a) at least about 4% by weight of an alkoxylated low-foaming nonionic surface-active agent, wherein said nonionic surface-active agent is selected from the group consisting of a condensation product of one mole tallow alcohol with from about 6 to about 20 moles of ethylene oxide; an alkoxylate having the formula Y[(C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O).sub.n (C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.m H].sub.x wherein x has a value of at least about 2, n has a value such that the molecular weight of the polyoxypropylene hydrophobic base is at least about 900 and m has a value such that the oxyethylene content of the molecule is from about 10% to about 90% by weight, and wherein Y is selected from the group consisting of propylene glycol, glycerine, pentaerythritol, trimethylolpropane, ethylene diamine and mixtures thereof; a polyetherester having the formula (ClC.sub.6 H.sub.4).sub.2 CHCO.sub.2 (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.x R wherein x is an integer from 4 to 20 and R is a lower alkyl group containing not more than 4 carbon atoms; a surfactant having the formula Y(C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O).sub.n (C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.m H wherein Y is the residue of an organic compound having from about 1 to 6 carbon atoms and one reactive hydrogen atom, n has an average of at least about 6.4, as determined by hydroxyl number, and m has a value such that the oxyethylene portion constitutes about 10 to 90 weight percent of the molecule; a surfactant having the formula P[(C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O).sub.n (C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.m H].sub.x wherein P is the residue of an organic compound having from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms and containing x reactive hydrogen atoms in which x has a value of 1 or 2, n has a value such that the molecular weight of the polyoxypropylene portion is at least about 58 and m has a value such that the oxyethylene content of the molecule is from about 10 to 90 weight percent; a surfactant having the formula P[(C.sub.2 H.sub.4 O).sub.n (C.sub.3 H.sub.6 O).sub.m H].sub.x wherein P is the residue of an organic compound having from about 8 to 18 carbon atoms and containing x reactive hydrogen atoms in which x has a value of 1 or 2, n has a value such that the molecular weight of the polyoxyethylene portion is at least about 44 and m has a value such that the oxypropylene content of the molecule is from about 10 to 90 weight percent; a condensation product of benzyl chloride and an ethoxylated alkyl phenol wherein the alkyl group has from about 6 to about 12 carbon atoms and wherein from about 12 to about 20 ethylene oxide molecules have been condensed per mole of alkyl phenol; and mixtures of the foregoing surfactants; and (b) at least about 5% by weight of a sulfonated aromatic compatibilizing agent having a critical micelle concentration greater than 1% by weight at 25° C., wherein the weight ratio of said alkoxylated nonionic surface-active agent to said sulfonated compatibilizing agent is in the range from about 2:5 to about 5:3, the compositions being substantially free of a chlorine bleach component and being in a form selected from the group consisting of a solid, a paste, a gel, or a non-aqueous liquid.