CA1206705A

CA1206705A - Textile treatment compositions

Info

Publication number: CA1206705A
Application number: CA000397153A
Authority: CA
Inventors: John C. Turner; Anthony Dovey
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1981-02-28
Filing date: 1982-02-26
Publication date: 1986-07-02
Also published as: GR75151B; EP0059502A1; JPS57205580A; IE52564B1; IE820426L; ATE14027T1; DE3264359D1; JPH0215664B2; ES8303517A1; ES509979A0; EP0059502B1

Abstract

TEXTILE TREATMENT COMPOSITIONS

ABSTRACT

Aqueous textile treatment compositions comprising 2%
to 11% of an active mixture comprising a water-insoluble cationic fabric softener, a water-insoluble nonionic fabric softener selected from C10-C24 non cyclic hydrocarbons and C10-C40 fatty acid esters, and an alkoxylated ammonium surfactant having the general formula wherein R5 is C12-C24 alkyl or alkenyl, and R6, R7 and R8 represent C1-C4 alkyl, aryl or (CnH2nO)yH, wherein n is 2 or 3, y is from 0 to 9 and the sum total of CnH2nO groups is from 1 to 9, and wherein X is a counteranion.
The compositions are stable compositions displaying excellent viscosity characteristics, softening and antistatic performance.

Description

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.' TEXTILE TREATMENT CO~POSITIONS
. .
The present invention relates to textile treatment compositions. In particular, it relates to aqueous ~ composi~isns suitable for use in the rinse cycle of a ,~,3.'. 5 textile laundering op~ration to provide so~tening/static control benefits, the compositions being characterised ~y excellen~ physical cha~acteristics on storage.
Textile treatment compositions suitable for providing ~abric softening and static control bene~its during launderin~ are well-known in the ar~ and have found wide - scale comme~cia1 application. Co~ventionally, rinse-added fabric softening compositions contain, as the active softening component, substantially water-insoluble cationic materials having two long alkyl chains. Typical of such ~aterials are di-stearyl dimethyl ammonium chloride and : imidazolinium compounds substituted with two stearyl gro~lps.
~owever, although the above mentioned cationic compounds are highly effective so~teners when applied in a rinse solution, there are certain disadv~ntages associated with th~ir use. For example, the cationic compounds havin~
long alkyl chains are very sensitiYe to carry over of anionic detergent into the~rînse. Thus, carr~ over of ;~ anionic detergent tends to neutralize the softening effect ~ecause ~he anionic-cationic complex tends to precipitate ou~ of solution. Also, certain cationic surfactant compounas are expensive ~nd in short supply and it is therefore desirable, for commercial reasons, to provide &oftening compositions having a redu~ed amount o~ cationic ; ~urfac~ant compound.
While certain ~later-insoluble nonionic compounds have been propo~ed as ~abric softening agents, these are found to ; deposi~ only very inefficiently from aqueous solu~ion because of ~heir lack of positive charge and so they must be u~ed in con~unctlon ~7ith a cationic surfactan~ m~l~erial to act as "carriern. ~uch composi~ions containing mixtures of ~rater-in~olu~le catiC~nic ant3 noni.onic material6 have to be ., .
-'7~

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~2C~67~i ,,.,, ~, . ..
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formulated with great care to ensure that the compositions will have the necessary phase stability and viscosity characteristics over prolonged periods of storage under both low and high temperature conditions. In particular, the s viscosity of the product must be neither too high as to lead to problems with pourability or gel ~orma ion, nor too low as to lead to poor consumer impression, and of course the viscosity must be s~able within the appropriate range over long term storage and under varying temperature conditions.
British Patents 1550205 and 1550206 disclose the use !, of certain cationic surfactants for enhancing the deposition of fatty acid ester softening materials onto fabrics. U.SD
Paten~ 4233164 discloses the use of a protonated di-poly-ethoxy monoalkylamine for improving the freeze-thaw recovery of a fabric conditioning composition containing cationic fabric conditioner and a atty aci~ ester. There is a - continuing need, however, for textile treatment compositions having excellent softening/antistatic benefits, combined with optimum viscosity and phase stability characteristics.
~be present invention thus provides textile treatment compositions having improved softening characte~istics, particularly under hard water wash/rinse conditions, and improved formulation viscosity characteristics under long term storage together with excellent phase stability characteristics.
Accordinglyr the present invention provides an aqueous textile treatment ~omposition charac~erized by from ~% to 11% of an active mixture comprising ; (a) from 1~ to 10o of a substantially wa~er-insoluble cAtionic fabric ~of~ener having the ~eneral formula I
_ ~ R

M Y. I
\~
~ ~2 R~

~2~

. ~ .

.. . ,, . . . . . : , . . . . .... . .... .. . .... . .... .
.

,, -` wherein Rl and R2 represent alkyl or alkenyl ~ groups of from 12 to 24 carbon atoms; R3 and R4 ; represent hydrogen or alkyl, alkenyl or h~droxyalk~l groups containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;
(b) ~rom 0.1% to 2~ of an alkoxylated ammonium surfactant having the general formula II
, . ~ .
~ ~ Rs ~7 ;: \ /
` - N ~ ~ : X - II-. / \

.: _ wherein R5 represents an alkyl or alkenyl group of rom 12 to 24 carbon atoms, and R6, R7 and R8 independentl~
represent an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, an a~yl - group~ or ~CDB2nO)yH wherein n is ~ or 3 and y is a number average in the range from 0 to 9, and wherein the SUTn total of CnH2nO groups in the molecule is in the range from 1 to 9, and X is as defined above; and (c~ from 0.5% to 5% of a substantially ~qater-insoluble ~ nonionic fabric softener selected from C10-C2~
-~~ non-cyclic hydrocarbons and fatty acid esters, having a total of from 10 to 40 carbon atoms.
All percentages and ratios herein are specified by weight o~ total compositiont unless otherwise indicated.
Preferabl~, the textile treatment compositions contain ~rom about 2% to about 8%, more preferably from 2.5~ to about 6% o~ the cationic fabric softener, from about 0.~% to about 1.5%, Tnore preerably from about 0.5~ to abo~lt 1.2~ of thè alkoxylated ammonium surfactant, and from abollt 1~ to about 3%, more pref~rably from about 1~ to about 2% of ~he nonionic fabric softener. '~hese levels of active matérials are pre~erred from the vie-,1point of obtaining optimal product visco~it~ and stability characteristics.

~.

'..f,,.?' In a preferred embodiment, the alkoxylated a1nmonium surfactant component has the general formula III

R5 (~nH2n)x .. \ / .
` N X III
. / \
H ~ ~ ~CnH2n)yH
.,~ , , .
wherein R5 is a Cl6-C2~ alkyl or alkenyl group, n is 2 `~ S and x t Y are each a number average in ~he range from 0 to 6, preferably 0 to 3, and the sum total of x and y is in the range from l to 6~ preferably l to 3-and wherein X is as defined above. By 'nurnber average' is meant that x, y each~
represent the weight averaged rlumber of moles of alkylene lo oxide in the corresponding polyoxyalkylene moiety of the surfactantO
.. . .
Note that, depending on the precise pB of the textile treatment composition, alkoxylated surfactant o~ a non-~uaternary ammonium type, may be present in the composition in partially deprotonated form. In such cases, all weight percentages and ratios herein are expressed in terms of the corresponding^fully protonated salt.
The compositions of the invention are generally formulated so as to have a slightly acidic pH, pr~ferably

2~ from about 3.5 to 7, mor~ preferably from about 4 to 6;
moreover, it is desirable that the final formulation pH be lo~er than the acidity constant (pKa) of the amine so that the amine exists predominantly in the form of its protonated or ammonium derivative. Physically, the compositions take the form of a particula~e disper~ion of the cationic and nonionic fabric softeners in an aqueous continuum containin~
at least sorne of the alkoxylated ammonium ~urfactant.
A hiyhl~ prefer~ed composition coTnprises:
~a) ~rom abou~ 2~ to abvut 8~ of the ca~ionic fak,ric softener having gen~ral formula I, ~2~

(b) from about 0~% to about 1.5% of the al~oxylated ammonium surfactant having general formula II wherein the weight ratio o~ (a) to (b~ is in the range from about 6:1 to about 3-1, ana (c) frorn about 1% to about 3% of the nonionic ~abric sof~enerjwherein the weight ratio of [(a)~b)l to (c) is in the range from about 6:1 to about 1.5~
The nonionic fabric softener materials herein are C10-C~4 non-cyclic hydrocarbons and fatty acid esters having a total of 10 to 40 carbon atoms~ A-particularly preferred material is glyceryl monostearate.
The presen~ invention also provides a method of making the textile treatment compositions generally described above by the s~eps of:
(a) preparing a molten premix of the water-insoluble cationic fabric softener, the water-soluble alkoxylated surfactant and the water-insoluble nonionic fabric softener~
~b) intimately mixing the molten premix with water at a temperature above the melting point of the premix to form an aqueous dispersion, and (c) cooling the dispersion.
Tl~e compositions of ~he invention preferably are stable to separation in a centrifuge at 3000 r.p.m. for 16 hours and have a dynamic viscosity in the range from about 350 cp ~O.35 Pa.s) to about 70 cp (0.07 Pa.s), preferably from a~out 200 cp (0.~ Pa.s) to about 100 cp (0.1 Pa.s) measured in a Brookfield Viscometer, using Spindlle No. 2 at 6~ r.p.m. and at 21C.
The variou5 ingredients of the compositions of the invention ~lill no~7 be discussed in detail.
~he ~ater-insoluble cationic ~abric softener is preferabl~ a fabric-substantive cationic compound which, in pure form a~ a stron~ acid salt [e.g. chloride), has a solubilit~ in diskilled ~later at p~l 2.5 and 20C of less than 1~/1, or can be a mixture of ~uch compounds. In this Z

~)6~5 .

.

, context, the soluble ~raction of the surfactant is taken to be that material which cannot be separated from water by centrifugal action and which passes a 100 nm ~uclepore filte~ (Registered Trade Mark)~ In addition, the cationic softener desirably has a monomer solubility ~as measured by ; critical micelle concentration or ~.M.C.) such that the : C.M.C. of the material under the conditions defined above is less than about ~0 p.p.m, preerahly less than about 20 p.pOm. Literature C.M.C. values are taken where possible, 1~ especially surface tension~ conductimetric or dye adsorption values.
The substantially water-insoluble cationic fabric softeners are the quaternary ammonium and amine salt compounds having the formula:-1 ~ 3 . , \ /
N \ X
R~ R4 wherein Rl and R2 represent alkyl or alkenyl groups of :~ from about 12 to about 24 carbon atoms, R3 and R4 represent hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl or hydroxyalkyl groups containing from 1 to about 4 carbon atoms; and X is the salt counteranior~, preferably selected EroJn halide, methylsulfate, ethyl sulfate, benzoatel aceta~e, propionate and phosphate radicals. ~epresentative examples o~ these quaternary softeners include ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride; ditallow dimethyl ammonium methyl sulfclte;
; 25 di.hexadecyl dime~hyl atnrnoniurn chloride; dithydroqenated tallo~ alkyl) dimethyl amrnonium chloride; dioctacleoyl -~ dimethyl amJnonium chloride; dieicosyl dirnethyl anionic chloride; didscosyl dimethyl ammoniurn chloride; cli (hydrogenated tallo~l) dimethyl arnrnonium rnethyl sulfate;
dihe%ade(yl diethyl arnrnoni~lrrl ch:Loride; di~c~corlut: alkyl~
dirnethyl an-l~noniurn chloride, and di~coconut alkyl~ dirnethyl ., i, :
,~, ,.
~,-~2~

.. . .. .. . .. . . .. . .. .. . . . .. . . .

amrnonium methosulfate. Of these ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride and di(hydrogenated tallow alkyl) dimethyl ammonium chloride are preferred~
- With respect to-the alkoxylated ammonium surfactant ; 5 component, this includes both quaternary and non-quaternary ammonium species although the latter are pre~erred ~rom the viewpoint of providing optimum viscosity and stabilit~
characteristics. Suitable surfactants of the non-quaternized variety include protonated mono- or di-polyethoxy primary alkyl amines wherein the amine contains from abou~ 16 ~o about 22 carbon atoms in the alk~l chain, and wherein the average number of ethoxy c~roups per polyethoxy chain is from 0 to about 6, preferabl~ from about 0 to about 3, and wherein the sum to~al of polyethoxy yroups per molecule is from 1 to about 6, pxeferably rom 1 to about 3. ~ighly preferred amines have an alk~l group derived from hardened or unhardened tallsw or stearyl and are ethoxylated with an average of about 2 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of amine (referriny to Formula III, x=y=l~.
The corresponding polyal~oxylated ~uaternary ammonium surfactants are also suitable, for instance, (referring to Formula II) t those species in ~hich R5 is Cls~C22 alkyl or alkenyl, R6 is methyl or ethyl, and R7 and R~
-;~ are groups of formula (C2H40)xH, (C2H40)yE3, respectively wherein x, y are each rom 0 ~o abou~ 6, ; preferably 0 to about 3 and the sum total of x and y is from 1 to about 6, preferably from 1 to about 3. In a specific e~ample, R5 is tallowyl, R6 is methyl, and x, y are each about 1.
Pre~erred water-insoluble nonionic abric soteners o~
the fatty acid ester cla~s are C10-C2~ ~atty acid esters of mono- or poly-hydroxy alcohol~ con~ainin~ 1 ~o ahout 12 carbon atorn~. Preferably the alcohol has ~rom 1 to about ~
carbon alvms, and th~ ~atty acid est~r has at leas~ 1, more

3~r~ preferabl~ at least 2, frQe ~i.e., unes~eAri~ied) ~lydro~yl c~roupc; ~

~-2~

.. . .... .. . . ... ... .

., The moro or poly-hydric alcohol portion of the ester can be represented by methanol, isobutanol, 2-ethyl-hexanol, isopropanol~ ethylene glycol and polyethylene glycol with a maximum of ~ ethylene glycol units, ylycerol, dig~ycerol, polyglycerol, xylitol~ erythritol, pentaerythritol, sorbitol ~, or sorbitan, sugars such as glucose, fructose, galactose, ~annose, xylose, arabinose, ribose, 2-dPoxy-ribose, sedoheptulose and sucrose. Ethylene glycol, glycerol, and sor~itan esters are particularly preferred, especially the monoesters of glycerol~
'!`~ The fat~y acid portion of the ester n~rmally comrrise-~ a fa~t~ acid having from lO ~o 24 (preferably 12 to 22) carbon atoms, typical examples being lauric acid, m~ristic : acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, be~enic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid.
The glycerol esters are very hiyhly preferred. These are the mono-, di- or tri-esters of glycerol and ~at~y acids o~ the class described above. Commercial glyceryl mono-stearate, which may contain a proportion of di- and ~ ~ri-stearate, is suitable. Also useful are mixtures of ` saturiated and unsaturated esters of gl~cerol derived from - mixed saturated and unsaturated fatty acids.
Another suitable group of nonionic fabric conditioning agents are the ClO to C24 fatty acid es~ers of sorbitan ~5 such a~ those described in l~urphy et al., US Pa~ent

4,085,052 issued April 18, 1978. Sorbitan mono- and di-esters of lauric, myristic, palmitic1 stearic, arachidic or behenic, ol~ic or linoleic acids are particularly useful as ~oftening agents and can also provide antistatic benefits. Sorbitian esters are commercially available, for instance, under the trademark "Span". For the purpose of the present invention, it is preferred that a signiflcian~ amount of di~ and tri~sorbitan esters are present in ~he ester ~Z~67QS

mixture. Ester mixtures having from 20~ - 50~ mono-esterr 25~ - 50% di~ester and 10~ - 35% of tri- and tetra-esters are preferred.
Preferred nonionic fahric softeners of the hydrocarbon

- 5 class are paraffins or olefins containing from about 14 to about 22 carbon atoms. Materials known generall~ as paraffin oil, soft paraffin wax and petrolatum are - especially suitable. Examples of specific materials are tetradecane, hexadecane, octadecane and octadecene.
Preerred commercially-available paraffin mixtures include ;~ spindle oil and light oil, techn7cal grade mixtures of C14/C17 n~paraffins and C18/C20 n-paraffins and refined white oil.
In addition to the cationic softener, nonionic softener, and alkoxylated ammonium suractant components, the present compositions can be supplemented by all manner o~ optional components conventionally used in textile , .
treatment compositivns, for example, colorants, perfumes, preservatives, optical brighteners, opacifiers, pH buffers, viscosity modifiers, fabric conditioning agents, surfactants, stabilizers such as guar gum and polyethylene glycol, anti-shrinkage agents, anti-wrinkle agents, fabric crisping agents, nonionic softening agents, spottiny agents, soil-release agents, germicides, fungicides, anti-oxidants such as butylated hydroxy toluene, anti-corrosion agents -etc. Of course, the level of these optional ingredients should, if necessaryr be controlled so as not to deleteriously effect the physical stability and viscosity characteristics o~ the product.
Another optional ingredient is a water-soluble non-al~o~ylated quaternary arnmonium surfactant havin~ the general formula IV
., - t .

~7~ ~

. . .

, _ '`'` ~9 \ / 11 / N \ X IV

R~ / \ R12 wherein R9 represents a C8~C2~ alkyl or alkenyl group, and ~10~ Rll, Rl~ independently represent a C~L-C4 alkyl or alkenyl group or an aryl group and wherein X is as defined earlier.
Suitable materials of this general type include the tallow trimethyl ammonium salts, cetyl tri-methyl ammonium salts, myristyl trimethyl ammonium salts and coconutalkyl ~rimethyl ammonium salts.
I~ addition to the above-mentioned components, the compositions may contain other textile treatment or conditioning agents. Such agents include silicones, as for èxample described in German Patent Application DOS 26 31 419, published on February 3rd, 1977. The optional silicone comp~nent can be used in an amount of from about 0.1% to about 6%, preferably from ~.2% to 2~ of thé softener composition.
~nother optional ingredient of the present .~ ~compositions is a water-soluble cationic polymer havin~ a molecular weight in the range from about 2000 to 250,000, preferahly from about 5000 to 150,000 and containing an average of from about 100 to about 1000, preferab]Ly from about 150 to 700 monomer units per molecule. Molecular weights are ~pecified as viscosity average molecualr welghts and can ':~

il ,~, L~

~2~'7Q~

be determined as described in F. Daniels et al''Experimental Physical Chemistr~', pp 71-74, 242-246, McGraw-Hill l1949), -at 25 C using an Ostwald viscometer. The po7ymers ar~
~; pxeferably soluble in aistilled water to the extent o~ ~
5 0.5~ by weight at 20C. Such polymers can provide valuable softening robustness in the presence of anionic sur~actant carried over from a previous cleaning operation, and also ~
^, contribute to viscosity control. Suitable polymers of this type include polyethyleneimine having an average ," 10 molecular weight o~ from ahout 10,000 to about 35,Q00, ethoxyla~ed polyethyleneimine wherein the weicyht ratio of : polyethyleneim;ne to ethyleneoxide is at least 1:1 and wherein the molecular weight is from about 20,000 to about 70,000, and quaternised polyethyleneimines sold under the 15 trademark '~lcostat"by Allied Colloids.
Suitable preservativPs for use in the present cornpo-sitions include 2-nitro-2-bromo-propane-1,3-diol, glutar-- aldehyde and 2-me~hyl-4-isothiazolin-3-one and its 5-chloro derivative.
The textile treatment compositions of the invention can be used by adding to the rinse cycle of a convention~l home laundry ope~ation.~ Generally, rinse ~Jater has a temperature of from ahout 5C to about 60~C. The concen-tration of the total active ingredients is generally from ;, ,~5 about 2 ppm to ahout 1000 ppm, preferably from about 10 ppm to about 500 ppm, by weight of the aqueous rinsing bath.
In general, the present invention in its textile treatment method aspect cornpr,ises (a) washing fabrics in 30 a conventional ~lashing machine ~ith a deterc~el~-t composition;
; (~) rinsing the fabxics; ~c~,adding,during 1:h~ rinsing ~tac3e o the opera~ion the above-described amounts of cationic f~bric ~oft~ner in an aqueous liquid composition containlny a speclicd amount of alkoxyla~ctl amine as 35 her~inl3efore describe~;and (d) drying the fabrics.

i, , ~L2~:1467~5 . -.12 -~ . T11e detergent composition'normally contains an : anionic, nonionic, ~nphoteric or ampholytic surfactant ; or a mixture thereof, and requently contains in addition an organic or inorganic builder. ,When multiple rinses :. . 5 are used, the ~abric conditioning composition is preer-ably aaded to the final rinse. Fabric drying can take place either in ~he open air or in an automatic dryex.
The following examples illustrate the invention.
In the Examples, the followin~ abbreviations are used:
' 10 Ditallow dimeth~l~ammoni-~n chloride DTDMAC' . Didocosyl dimethyl ammonium chloride .~DD~C
' Dilauryl diethyl ammonium methosulate D~DEAM
Ethox~lated tallo~7amine (2Eo7, benzoate .' salt , TA2E0 ' .
` " ~ E~hoxylated stearylamine ~Eoi, phosphate ; - salt ~ SA5E0 ' 15 .~thoxylatèd coconu~ amine (3E0~, acetate .' salt CA3E0 .
Di(hydroxy eth~l) methyl tallo~1yl ammonium chloride DHr~lTAC
I~10notallo~7yltrimethylammoni~n chloride. MTTMAC
Glyceryl monos,teara-te (~O~i monoestex; '' 60~ di and triesters~ GMS
.. , s , . .
Examples ~ to VI
,j 20 Aqueous ~extile ~reatment compositions are prepar'ed having the follo~7in~ formulae:- .

III ~V V VI
~TD,~AC - 6 3 - , ~ 2~5 DDDMAC 8 - - - ' 3 25 DJJ'DE~ . 5 , _ , _ ~r~2E~ , O. i -S~5~ 2 ~
C~3Ii'0 _ ~ - 0 75 ~ - 1.5 - - 0.5 ~5TT~51~C . ~ ~ 0 3 ~ 0~4 ....

~2~t~7(3~i - 13 ~

GMS - . 2 1~5 1 1.5 0.5 Silicone 0.2 : - 0.1 n-C 4-C17 para-f~ln 2.5 ~ - 0.5 Perfume, dye, isopropanol to 100 ~ -The compositions are prepared by forming a molten premix of the water-insoluble cationic and nonionic fabr.ic softeners and alkoxylated ammonium surfactants, and where presenty silicone and non-alkoxylatea water-soluble surfactant, at a temperature o a~out 65C.. The molten premix is then injected into a water sea~ containing minor : ingredients/ apart from perume, held at about ~5C and this is stirred for about 5 minutes. Thereafter, the . ~ dispersion is passed through a heat exchangex to bring . the temperature down to about 25C and finally perfu~e is adaed. . .
The products thus prepared are stable dispersions displaying excellent viscosity characteristics at both . lo~ and hi~h temperatures over prolonged periods of . storage; they deliver excellent softening and antistatic performance across the~range of natural and synthetic fabrics in both hara and soft water and theY also display excellent dispensins and dissolving characteristics in . ~ cold rinse ~ater.

,~

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows.

1. An aqueous textile treatment composition characterized by from 2% to 11% of an active mixture comprising (a) from 1% to 10% of a substantially water-insoluble cationic fabric softener having the general formula I

X I

wherein R1 and R2 represent alkyl or alkenyl groups of from 12 to 24 carbon atoms; R3 and R4 represent hydrogen or alkyl, alkenyl or hydroxyalkyl groups containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and X is an equivalent amount of a counteranion, (b) from 0.1% to 2% of an alkoxylated ammonium surfactant having the general formula III

X III

wherein R5 is a C16-C22 alkyl or alkenyl group, n is 2, and x, y are each a number average in the range from 0 to 6, the sum total of x and y being in the range from 1 to 6, and X is as defined above; and (c) from 0.5% to 5% of a substantially water-insoluble nonionic fabric softener selected from C10-C24 non-cyclic hydrocarbons and fatty acid esters having a total of from 10 to 40 carbon atoms the above percentages and ratios being by weight of the total composition.

2. A composition according to claim 1 characterized by from 2% to 8% of the cationic fabric softener having general formula I.

3. A composition according to claim 1 characterized by from 0.4% to 1.5% of the alkoxylated ammonia surfactant having general formula III.

4. A composition according to claim 1 characterized by from 1% to 3% of the nonionic fabric softener.

5. A composition according to claim 4 characterized in that x, y are each a number average in the range from 0 to 3, the sum total of x and y being in the range from 1 to 3.

6. A composition according to claim 5 characterized in that the nonionic softening agent is glyceryl monostearate.

7. A composition according to claim 1 characterized by:
(a) from 2% to 8% of the cationic fabric softener having the general formula I, (b) from 0.4% to 1.5% of the alkoxylated ammonium surfactant having general formula III wherein the weight ratio of (a) to (b) is in the range from 6:1 to 3:1; and (c) from 1% to 3% of the nonionic fabric softener, wherein the weight ratio of (a)+(b) to (c) is in the range from 6:1 to 1.5:1.