Colgate Palmolive Company

Colgate-palmolive

Baudouin Valange

Claude A Blanvalet

Myriam M Loth

Genevieve Blandiaux

Michel Thomas

An acidic aqueous cleaner, preferably in emulsion or microemulsion form, which is of a pH in the range of one to four and is useful for cleaning hard surfaced items, such as bathtubs, sinks, tiles and porcelains and even some such items which are not acid resistant, such as those of a European enamel known as zirconium white enamel, comprises synthetic organic detergent, such as a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents, e.g., sodium paraffin sulfonate, higher fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfate and higher fatty alcohol or phenol ethoxylate, organic acids, e.g., mixture of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids, phosphonic acid, e.g., aminotris-(methylenephosphonic acid) and phosphoric acid in an aqueous medium. The acidic cleaner is useful to remove soap scum, lime scale and grease from surfaces of the mentioned items without adversely affecting such surfaces, and removals of the scum, scale and grease are easy, being effected by applying the microemulsion to the surface to be cleaned, followed by wiping it off. Although the cleaned surfaces may be rinsed, that is often not necessary and the surfaces will be left clean and shiny after wiping, even without rinsing, or with minimal rinsing. In the described emulsions, the organic acid components effectively remove soap scum and lime scale, the detergents remove greasy soils and promote effective contact between the acid and the surfaces to be treated, and the combination of phosphoric and phosphonic acids prevent acidic attack by the organic acid(s) on the European enamel surface being cleaned.

Safe acidic hard surface cleaner

An acidic aqueous cleaner, preferably in emulsion or microemulsion form, which is of a pH in the range of one to four and is useful for cleaning hard surfaced items, such as bathtubs, sinks, tiles and porcelains, and even some such items which are not acid resistant, such as those of a European enamel known as zirconium white enamel, comprises synthetic organic detergent, such as a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents, e.g., sodium paraffin sulfonate, higher fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfate and higher fatty alcohol or phenol ethoxylate, organic acid, e.g., mixture of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids, phosphonic acid, e.g., aminotris-(methylenephosphonic acid) and phosphoric acid in an aqueous medium. The acidic cleaner is useful to remove soap scum, lime scale and grease from surfaces of the mentioned items without adversely affecting such surfaces, and removals of the scum, scale and grease are easy, being effected by applying the microemulsion to the surface to be cleaned, followed by wiping it off. Although the cleaned surfaces may be rinsed that is often not necessary and the surfaces will be left clean and shiny after wiping, even without rinsing, or with minimal rinsing. In the described emulsions the organic acid components effectively remove soap scum and lime scale, the detergents remove greasy soils and promote effective contact between the acid and the surfaces to be treated, and the combination of phosphoric and phosphonic acids prevents acidic attack by the organic acid(s) on the European enamel surface being cleaned.

Stable microemulsion cleaning compositions are described which, in the absence of opacifying component, appear clear to the eye, and which are especialy useful for cleaning surfaces having oily or greasy soils thereon, which comprise synthetic organic detergent, water, co-surfactant of a described type, and perfume (or equivalent hydrocarbon). The detergent composition may be concentrated and may be employed as is, or it may be in dilution with water, in the form of a similarly clear and stable microemulsion. In process aspects of the invention both the concentrated and the diluted compositions may be employed to remove oily and greasy stains from substrates, such as normally shiny bathroom fixture and floor and wall surfaces, including tiles, by a 'spray and wipe' process, which leaves the surface shiny, with minimal or no rinsing needed. When the invented compositions are acidic they are also useful for removing lime scale and soap scum from hard surfaces. Also described are processes for manufacturing the invented compositions.

Stable microemulsion cleaning composition

An improvement is described in microemulsion compositions containing an anionic detergent, one of the specified cosurfactants, a hydrocarbon ingredient and water which comprises the use of a water-insoluble odoriferous perfume as the essential hydrocarbon ingredient in a proportion sufficient to form either a dilute o/w microemulsion composition containing, by weight, 1% to 10% of an anionic detergent, 2% to 10% of cosurfactant, 0.4% to 10% of perfume and the balance water or a concentrated microemulsion composition containing, by weight 18% to 65% of anionic and nonionic detergent, 2% to 30% of cosurfactant, 10% to 50% of perfume and the balance water which upon dilution with water will yield said dilute o/w microemulsion composition.

Microemulsion all purpose liquid cleaning composition

A stable microemulsion cleaning composition is described, which, in the absence of opacifying component, appears clear to the eye, and which is especially useful for cleaning surfaces having oily or greasy soils thereon, which comprises synthetic organic detergent, water, co-surfactant of the described type, and perfume, which is the only 'solvent'. The concentrated detergent composition may be employed as is, or may be easily diluted with water to form a similarly clear and stable microemulsion. In process aspects of the invention both the concentrated and the diluted compositions may be employed to remove oily and greasy stains from substrates, such as normally shiny bathroom fixture and floor and wall surfaces, including tiles, by a 'spray and wipe' process, which leaves the surface shiny. When the invented compositions are acidic they are useful for removing lime scale and soap scum from hard surfaces. Also described are processed for manufacturing and diluting the invented compositions.

An improvement is described in microemulsion compositions containing an anionic detergent, one of the specified cosurfactants, a hydrocarbon ingredient and water which comprises the use of a water-insoluble odoriferous perfume as the essential hydrocarbon ingredient in a proportion sufficient to form either a dilute o/w microemulsion composition containing, by weight, 1% to 10% of an anionic detergent, 2% to 10% of cosurfactant, 0.4% to 10% of perfume and the balance water or a concentrated microemulsion composition containing, by weight, 18% to 65% of anionic and nonionic detergent, 2% to 30% of cosurfactant, 10% to 50% of perfume and the balance water which upon dilution with water will yield said dilute o/w microemulsion composition.

An acidic aqueous cleaner, preferably in microemulsion form, which is of a pH in the range of one to four and is useful for cleaning hard surfaced items, such as bathtubs, sinks, tiles and porcelains, and even some such items which are not acid resistant, such as those of a European enamel known as zirconium white enamel, comprises synthetic organic detergent, such as a mixture of anionic and nonionic detergents, e.g., sodium paraffin sulfonate, higher fatty alcohol ethoxylate sulfate and higher fatty alcohol or phenol ethoxylate, carboxylic acid, e.g., mixture of succinic, glutaric and adipic acids, and phosphonic acid, e.g., aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid)in an aqueous medium. Preferably a phophoric acid is present to further improve protection of such European enamel surfaces. The acidic cleaner is useful to remove soap scum, lime scale and grease from surfaces and mentioned items without adversely affecting such surfaces, and removals of the scum, scale and grease is easy, being effected by applying the microemulsion to the surface to be cleaned, followed by wiping it off. Although the cleaned surfaces may be rinsed that is not necessary and the surface will be left clean and shiny after wiping, even without rinsing, or with minimal rinsing. In the described emulsions the carboxylic acid components effectively remove soap scum and lime scale, the detergents remove greasy soils and promote effective contact between the acid and the surfaces to be treated, and the combination of phosphoric and phosponic acids prevents acidic attack of the dicarboxylic acids on the surface being cleaned, with the phosphoric acid increasing protective action of the phosphonic acid component.

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Gembloux, Belgium

Baudouin Valange