DE69032814T2 - Cleaning booster additive and detergent system containing it - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL AREA

The present invention relates to a detergency booster additive containing alkali metal aluminosilicate, an organic sequestrant and sodium carbonate. The invention also relates to the use of the detergent booster additive in a "building block" type detergent system.

HISTORY AND STATE OF THE ART

A number of modular-type products are available on the German market: a main washing powder is supplied together with separately packaged additives, such as water softener (builder) and bleach, which are only to be used when the washing conditions require it.

GB 1 505 274 (Colgate-Palmolive) discloses a detergent composition containing separately packaged unit doses (tablets, perfume sachets, etc.) of surfactant, builder, bleach and other ingredients which can be mixed at will by the consumer to formulate a washing liquid.

EP 243 908A (Henkel) discloses a granular water-softening composition containing 50 to 60 percent by weight fine crystalline zeolite, 4 to 12 weight percent sodium carbonate, 4 to 15 weight percent sodium citrate, 3 to 5 weight percent acrylic or acrylic/maleic polymer (sodium salt), optionally up to 2 weight percent sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and 12 to 25 weight percent water. It can be used as an additive to supplement the action of a commercially available detergent powder.

The exemplary composition contains 62.5 weight percent (sic) Zeolite A, 5.1 weight percent sodium carbonate, 10.5 weight percent sodium citrate, 4.2 weight percent acrylic/maleic copolymer, 0.3 weight percent carboxymethyl cellulose and 17.5 weight percent water.

DE 31 44 297A (Degussa) discloses a cleaning enhancer composition (phosphate substitute) containing zeolite A and alkali metal or ammonium citrate, preferably prepared by spray drying. The preferred content of alkali metal or ammonium citrate is in the range of 5 to 50 weight percent.

EP 22 023B (Union Carbide) discloses a zeolite agglomerate including crystals of zeolite contained in a matrix of non-ionic surfactant and sodium citrate dihydrate.

DE 33 16 513A (Benckiser) discloses a free-flowing particulate granulate containing a water-insoluble aluminosilicate, at least 5% by weight of a homo- or copolymeric polycarboxylic acid or a salt, for example an acrylate/maleate copolymer, and possibly an aminopolycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof.

DE 35 34 888A (Toyo Soda) discloses a homogeneous granular cleaning enhancer composition containing an ion-exchanging zeolite, sodium carbonate and another inorganic salt, for example sodium sulfate, sodium bicarbonate or a sodium phosphate.

DEFINITION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a cleaning enhancer additive for use in the cleaning of soiled laundry, in conjunction with a main wash detergent powder containing one or more organic surfactants and one or more cleaning enhancers, wherein the builder additive is substantially free of organic surfactants and contains:

(i) At least 50% by weight (anhydrous basis) of a water-insoluble alkali metal aluminosilicate,

(ii) from 15 to 20% by weight of sodium carbonate, the total amount of (i) and (ii) preferably being at least 70% by weight, and

(iii) from 2 to 12% by weight of organic sequestration builder.

The present invention also provides a modular type detergent system for washing dirty laundry, comprising as separate components:

(a) A mains washing powder containing one or more organic surfactants and one or more cleaning enhancers;

(b) a cleaning enhancer additive as defined in the previous paragraph, and, where appropriate,

(c) a bleaching additive.

The present invention further provides a method for washing soiled laundry in a domestic washing machine using a detergent system as defined in the previous paragraph, which method includes the steps of separately introducing into the washing machine a main washing powder as defined in paragraph (a) above, a cleaning enhancer additive as defined in paragraph (b) above and optionally a bleach additive (c).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The cleaning booster additive

In its first embodiment, the invention relates to a Cleaning enhancer additive containing three essential components: alkali metal aluminosilicate, organic sequestration builder and sodium carbonate.

It is well known that the cleaning enhancer performance of aluminosilicates is in some respects deficient and must be supplemented by the incorporation of other builders, of which the organic sequestrants have proven to be particularly effective. The cleaning enhancer additive of the invention differs from that disclosed in the above-mentioned EP 243 908A (Henkel) in that it has a considerably lower proportion of organic sequestrant builder, but surprisingly its performance as a builder additive is at least as good. The lower content of organic material is environmentally advantageous because the oxygen demand during degradation is lower.

The cleaning enhancer additive described in EP 243 908A also contains two different organic sequestering agents, an acrylate/maleate copolymer (3 to 5 wt.%, e.g. 4.2 wt.%) and a citrate (4 to 15 wt.%, e.g. 10.5 wt.%), while the sodium carbonate content is only 4 to 12 wt.% (e.g. 5.1 wt.%). The total organic sequestration builder content in the exemplary composition is therefore 14.7 wt.% and the total inorganic builder content is 67.6 wt.%. The present inventors have found, as shown below, that equivalent or slightly better performance can be obtained from a composition containing only 5% by weight of organic sequestration builder (sodium citrate), together with a fairly similar level (58.52% by weight) of zeolite, but a considerably higher level (18% by weight) of sodium carbonate (total inorganic builder 76.52% by weight). This is all the more surprising in view of the absence of acrylic/maleic polymer, which is generally considered to be a more weight effective builder than citrate.

As indicated below, particularly preferred cleaning enhancer additives according to the invention contain a citrate as the only organic sequestration builder.

The alkali metal aluminosilicate

The alkali metal (preferably sodium) aluminosilicates used in the cleaning enhancer additive of the invention can be either crystalline or amorphous, or mixtures thereof, and have the general formula:

0.8-1.5 Na2O. Al2 O3 . 0.8-6 SiO2.

These materials contain some bound water and necessarily have a calcium ion exchange capacity of at least 50 mg CaO/g. The preferred sodium aluminosilicates contain 1.5 to 3.5 SiO2 units (in the above formula). Both the amorphous and crystalline materials can be readily prepared by reaction between sodium silicate and sodium aluminate, as described in detail in the literature.

Suitable crystalline sodium aluminosilicate ion exchange cleaning enhancers are described, for example, in GB 1 473 201 (Henkel) and in GB 1 429 143 (Procter & Gamble). The preferred sodium aluminosilicates of this type are well-known commercially available zeolites A and X, and mixtures thereof. Zeolite 4A is particularly preferred.

The novel Zeolite P, described and claimed in our pending British Patent Applications 88 25783.7, filed on November 3, 1988 and 89 10029.1, filed on May 2, 1989, can also be used in the cleaning enhancer additive of the invention.

Calculated on an anhydrous basis, the builder additive of the invention contains at least 50% by weight, more preferably from 50 to 65% by weight, most preferably from 55 to 65% by weight, aluminosilicate.

sodium

An important property of the builder additive of the invention is the relatively high content of sodium carbonate: 15 to 20 percent by weight.

The use of 15% or more by weight of sodium carbonate obviously enables a much smaller amount of organic sequestration builder to be used without loss of enhancing effectiveness; whereas levels of over 20% by weight, which could give rise to complaints of excess alkalinity and a requirement under any legislation for hazard warning labels, have been found to be redundant.

The use of the builder additive of the invention in conjunction with a separate main washing powder enables the builder content to be shaped to suitable conditions of water hardness so that optimum alkalinity and washing performance is achieved.

Total inorganic builder content

The total amount of aluminosilicate and sodium carbonate in the builder additive of the invention is preferably at least 70 weight percent, and more preferably at least 75 weight percent.

The organic sequestration builder

The organic sequestration builder is present in an amount in the range of 2 to 12 weight percent. If more than one organic sequestration builder is present, the total amount should be within this range. Preferably, the amount of organic sequestration builder is present in the range of 2 to 10 weight percent, more preferably 2 to 7 weight percent, and most preferably 4 to 7 weight percent.

The organic sequestration builder is preferably a polycarboxylate material. Polycarboxylate detergency enhancers are known to the skilled detergent manufacturer and include polymeric polycarboxylates such as polyacrylates, acrylic/maleic copolymers and polyacetal carboxylates, and monomeric polycarboxylates such as nitrilotriacetates, citrates, oxydisuccinates, tartrate monosuccinates and disuccinates, and carboxymethyloxysuccinates; this list is not intended to be exhaustive. A mixture of two or more organic sequestration builders may be present if desired.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the organic sequestration builder contains a water-soluble salt of citric acid, for example an alkali metal citrate or an ammonium citrate, suitably sodium citrate. Citrates have the known advantage of being readily biodegradable and environmentally harmless.

According to a predominantly environmentally friendly embodiment of the invention, the builder additive contains a water-soluble citric acid salt as the only organic sequestration builder.

Other polycarboxylate builders known to have environmental benefits, such as carboxymethyloxysuccinates, may be used optionally.

Another class of polycarboxylate builders suitable for use in the cleaning enhancer additive of the invention includes the water-soluble salts of polymeric polycarboxylic acids. Particularly preferred are water-soluble salts of homo- and copolymers of acrylic acid, and most particularly acrylic/maleic copolymers. Similar to the citrates, these are suitably and preferably used in sodium salt form.

The cleaning enhancer additive of the invention may also contain both polymer and citrate if desired, provided that the total amount of the two is within the range of 2 to 12 weight percent; however, the use of a single organic sequestrant, particularly citrate, is generally found to give good performance, combined with simple ness and ease of formulation, preferred.

Polymeric polycarboxylate builders which may suitably be used alone or in combination in the cleaning enhancer additive of the invention include the following polymer types:

* Means trademark

Ratio of aluminosilicate to organic builder

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestration builder is preferably within the range of 5:1 to 30:1, more preferably 10:1 to 15:1.

Production of the builder additive

The builder additive is suitably prepared by processes including dry blending the sodium carbonate with the remaining ingredients.

The alkali metal aluminosilicate is suitably incorporated in the form of a granular spray dried material, as described for example in EP 191 1878, EP 195 127A, EP 279 038A, EP 279 039A and EP 279 040A (Degussa).

If the organic sequestration builder is available in granular form, it may suitably be dry blended with the granular aluminosilicate and sodium carbonate. Both sodium citrate and acrylic/maleic copolymer may suitably be incorporated by this process.

An alternative method involves spraying an aqueous solution of the organic sequestration builder onto the granular aluminosilicate, and then dry blending the resulting granules with the sodium carbonate.

Other suitable methods for preparing the detergency booster additive of the invention will readily occur to the skilled detergent manufacturer.

Other ingredients

The cleaning enhancer additive of the invention may, if desired, contain minor amounts of other ingredients, for example, processing aids, binders, inorganic salts, perfumes or colorants. Some of these minor ingredients may be introduced directly from granular aluminosilicate raw material.

As previously stated, the cleaning enhancer additive is substantially free of organic surfactants. This does not preclude the presence of low levels, for example up to 5% by weight and preferably not more than 3% by weight, of surfactant material, for example introduced from commercially available aluminosilicate granules, as a binder or processing aid.

The modular detergent system

In its second aspect, the invention is concerned with a modular type washing system which provides in separate packages a main washing powder, sufficient in itself for lightly soiled loads and low water hardness, and a builder additive which can be used to supplement the main washing powder when the load is heavily soiled or the water hardness is high. The modular system has the environmental advantage of reducing the unnecessary use of chemicals.

The main washing powder is therefore sufficiently fully formulated to enable it to be used alone under favourable washing conditions. It contains at least one organic surfactant and at least one cleaning enhancer.

The total amount of detergent-active material (Surfac tant) in the main washing powder is suitably from 2 to 50% by weight, and is preferably in the range from 5 to 40% by weight.

The main washing powder may contain one or more anionic, nonionic, cationic, amphoteric or zwitterionic soap or non-soap surfactants, or combinations thereof. Many suitable detergent-active compounds are available and fully described in the literature, for example in "Surface-Active Agents and Detergents", Vol. I and II, by Schwartz, Perry and Berch.

The preferred detergent-active compounds that can be used are soaps and synthetic anionic non-soap surfactants and non-ionic surfactants.

Synthetic anionic surfactants are well known to those skilled in the art. Examples include alkylbenzenesulfonates, particularly linear sodium alkylbenzenesulfonates having an alkyl chain length of C8 to C15; primary and secondary alkyl sulfates, particularly sodium C12-C15; primary alcohol sulfates; olefin sulfonates; alkanesulfonates; dialkyl sulfosuccinates; and fatty acid ester sulfonates.

Suitable nonionic detergent compounds which can be used include in particular the reaction products of compounds possessing a hydrophobic group and a reactive hydrogen atom, for example aliphatic alcohols, acids, amides or alkylphenols with alkylene oxides, in particular ethylene oxide, either alone or with propylene oxide. Specific nonionic detergent compounds are alkyl (C6-22) phenol-ethylene oxide condensates, the condensation products of linear or branched aliphatic primary or secondary C8-20 alcohols with ethylene oxide, and products prepared by condensation of ethylene oxide with the reaction products of propylene oxide and ethylenediamine. Other so-called non-ionic detergent compounds include long chain tertiary amine oxides, tertiary phosphine oxides and dialkyl sulfoxides.

Particularly preferred are the primary and secondary alcohol ethoxylates, in particular the primary and secondary C₁₂₋₁₅- Alcohols ethoxylated with an average of 5 to 20 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol.

It may also be desirable to include one or more fatty acid soaps. These are preferably sodium soaps derived from naturally occurring fatty acids, for example the fatty acids of coconut oil, beef tallow, sunflower or hydrogenated rapeseed oil.

Detergent compositions suitable for use in automatic fabric washing machines mostly containing anionic surfactant, or nonionic surfactant, or both together in any proportions, and soap may also be present if desired.

The main washing powder also contains one or more cleaning enhancers. Since it is intended that the performance of the main washing powder in hard or moderately hard water should be enhanced by the additional use of the cleaning enhancer additive, the content of builder in the main washing powder can be relatively modest.

Cleaning enhancers are well known to those skilled in the art. Inorganic builders which may be present include alkali metal (usually sodium) ortho-, pyro- and tripolyphosphate, the latter material being particularly effective. However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the main wash powder contains less than 10% by weight of the inorganic phosphate, and more preferably is substantially free of inorganic phosphate.

Non-phosphate cleaning enhancers are also well known to the skilled detergent manufacturer. Inorganic non-phosphate builders include alkali metal (usually sodium) carbonates and aluminosilicates; and examples of organic non-phosphate builders have been set forth above in the description of the builder additive of the invention.

Preferably, the main washing powder contains a builder system based on an alkali metal aluminosilicate and/or an alkali metal carbonate. An example of a carbonate-based builder system suitable for use in the main washing powder, is an alkali metal carbonate in combination with finely divided calcite, as described and claimed in GB 1 437 950 (Unilever).

However, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the main washing powder contains a builder system similar to that of the builder additive, containing an alkali metal aluminosilicate, optionally an alkali metal carbonate, and an organic sequestration builder. The preferred organic sequestration builders for use in the main washing powder are those mentioned above as preferred for use in the builder additive; the organic sequestration builders used in the two components may be the same or different.

The preferred ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestration builder in the main washing powder is within the range of 5:1 to 30:1.

If desired, the main wash powder may contain other functional ingredients commonly found in detergent powders, such as peroxy bleaches, bleach activators, bleach stabilizers, enzymes, fabric softeners, defoamers, anti-soil repulping agents, sodium silicate, perfumes and other materials well known to the experienced detergent manufacturer. However, bleaching ingredients are preferably separated out into a second additive, as described in more detail below, which need only be used if the soiling of the laundry load so requires.

The main washing powder is preferably free or substantially free from inert fillers, for example inorganic salts such as sodium sulphate, which do not contribute to washing performance. This also applies to the builder additive and, where appropriate, the bleach additive. However, small amounts of apparently inert ingredients, for example inorganic salts, may be present to ensure that powder properties such as flow and resistance to caking are acceptable.

The bleaching additive

The bleach additive which optionally, and preferably, forms part of the modular detergent system of the invention suitably contains a persalt or a peracid, if necessary or desired, together with a bleach precursor and/or a bleach stabilizer.

The bleach additive may, for example, contain a major proportion of an inorganic persalt, for example sodium perborate monohydrate or tetrahydrate; a minor proportion of a bleach precursor, for example tetraacetylethylenediamine; and any suitable minor ingredients, for example bleach stabilizer, colorant, perfume.

The washing process

In its third embodiment, the invention provides a method for washing soiled laundry in a domestic washing machine which utilises the flexibility of the modular detergent system defined above.

Therefore, when washing a lightly soiled load in soft water, the main wash powder may be used alone. When the load is stained, the main wash powder is suitably used in conjunction with the bleach additive. In hard water conditions, the main wash powder and builder additive should both be used normally, if necessary in conjunction with the bleach additive. Different amounts of the main wash powder, bleach and builder additives will generally be suitable for different conditions.

The main washing powder, the builder additive and (if present) the bleach additive will generally be packaged in separate containers within a larger outer container and instructions will be provided to enable the consumer to use amounts and ratios of the components most appropriate for the washing conditions and any particular occasions.

Of course, it is also essential for the flexibility of the modular detergent system that the main wash powder, the builder additive and (if appropriate) the bleach additive should also be available separately as refills, since supplies of the three components are unlikely to be used up simultaneously.

The multipacks initially supplied will be provided with instructions indicating recommended dosages of the various components under different conditions of water hardness, load size, degree of soiling of the load, washing machine program and other relevant parameters. The recommended amounts and proportions will of course depend on the exact formulations of these components.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the various components of the modular system of the present invention may be colour coded to assist the consumer, i.e. the main washing powder, the builder additive and (if present) the bleach additive may have different colourings. Preferably, the main washing powder, which is the component used in the greater (or largest) amount, is uncoloured (i.e. of natural colour) to minimise the use of colourant, whilst the builder additive and (if present) the bleach additive are deliberately given a striking appearance by the use of colourant.

The powders may be homogeneously colored, or, preferably, contain a small percentage - about 0.5 to 3% by weight, preferably 1 to 2% by weight - of colored grains, leaving the majority of natural color, thus achieving clarity with a minimal use of colorant. In a system containing both a builder additive and a bleach additive, the additives may contain differently colored grains, for example green for the builder additive and blue for the bleach additive. The grains should preferably simply consist of colored particles of the component itself, or from a suitable component which would in any event be present either in the component in question or in another component.

The invention will now be illustrated by the following non-limiting examples in which parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise indicated.

EXAMPLES 1 TO 5, COMPARATIVE EXAMPLE A: PRODUCTION OF BUILDER ADDITIVES example 1

A builder additive was prepared by dry blending to the following formulation:

(1) Wessalith (trademark) CS from Degussa

(2) Containing 0.1 wt.% green dye

The exact composition of this builder additive was as follows:

This builder additive contained 76.52 percent by weight, total, zeolite (anhydrous basis) and sodium carbonate; and 5.0 weight percent organic sequestration builder (sodium citrate).

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestrant in this builder additive was 11.7:1.

Comparison example A

A builder additive according to EP 243 908A (Henkel) was prepared to the following formulation:

(3)Sokalan (trademark) CP5 from BASF

This builder additive contained 67.6 weight percent, total, of zeolite (anhydrous basis) and sodium carbonate; and 14.7 weight percent, total, of organic sequestration builder (sodium citrate and acrylic/maleic copolymer).

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic seguest agent in this builder additive was 4.25:1.

Example 2

A builder additive was prepared by dry blending to the following formulation:

The exact composition of this builder additive was as follows:

This builder additive contained 77.0 weight percent, total, of zeolite (anhydrous basis) and sodium carbonate; and 5 weight percent of organic sequestration builder (sodium citrate).

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestrant in this builder additive was 11.4:1.

Example 3

A builder additive was prepared by dry blending the following materials to the following formulation:

The exact composition of this builder additive was as follows:

This builder additive contained 75 weight percent, total, of zeolite (anhydrous basis) and sodium carbonate; and 5.0 weight percent of organic sequestration builder (acrylic/maleic copolymer).

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestrant in this builder additive was 12.16.1.

Example 4

A builder additive was prepared according to the procedure of Example 1 to the following formulation:

The exact composition of this builder additive was as follows:

This builder additive contained 77.0 weight percent, total, of zeolite (anhydrous basis) and sodium carbonate; and 5.0 weight percent of organic sequestration builder (acrylic/maleic copolymer).

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestrant in this builder additive was 11.4:1.

Example 5

A builder additive was prepared to the following formulation by spraying an aqueous solution of the acrylic/maleic copolymer onto the granulated zeolite and then dry blending the sodium carbonate and the sodium carbonate granules:

The exact composition of this builder additive was as follows:

This builder additive contained 76.78 weight percent, total, of zeolite (anhydrous basis) and sodium carbonate; and 4.5 weight percent of organic sequestration builder (acrylic/maleic copolymer).

The ratio of aluminosilicate to organic sequestrant in this builder additive was 13.17:1.

EXAMPLES 6 TO 11 - MODULAR SYSTEMS Example 6

A main washing powder was prepared to the following formulation by spray drying and dosing:

* As disclosed in Example 3 of EP 266 863A (Unilever)

This main washing powder was used to form a builder detergent system together with the builder additive of Example 5 above and a bleach additive of the following composition prepared by dry blending:

Recommended dosages for use in a standard washing machine (washing liquid volume approximately 20 liters) were as follows:

Main washing powder 80 or 110 g (main wash), 55 g (prewash);

Builder additive 0, 10, 20 or 30 g;

Bleaching additive 0, 20 or 30 g.

The use of main washing powder and bleach additive will depend on soiling conditions (and the machine program selected accordingly) as follows:

However, the use of the builder additive will only depend on the water hardness, and a suitable recommendation is as follows:

Water hardness 1 (0-7ºd German degree): 0 g

Water hardness 2 (7-14ºd German degree): 10 g

Water hardness 3 (14-21ºd German degree): 20 g

Water hardness 4 (> 21ºd German degree): 30 g

A Tergotometer (trademark) test was conducted to demonstrate the effect of the builder additive in adjusting the cleaning performance from hard water to soft water levels.

The test was carried out using a commercially available test fabric (oily/particulate soil), heating to 40ºC and a 30 minute wash cycle and the results were as shown in Table I. Table I

Example 7

A main washing powder was prepared by spray drying and post-doping prepared to the following formulation:

* As disclosed in Example 3 of EP 266 863A (Unilever)

This main wash powder was used to form a builder detergent system together with the builder additive of Example 1 above.

Detergents were determined under various water hardness conditions in the Tergotometer (Trade Mark) using a heating at 40ºC and a wash cycle of 30 minutes. The detergents were monitored using two different test fabrics and the reflectance factors at 460 nm were measured before and after the wash procedure on an ICS-Micromatch Flectometer (Trade Mark). The conditions and results are set out in Table II below. Table II Conditions Reflection factor increase (ΔR460*)

Example 8

A main washing powder was prepared by spray drying and dosing to the following formulation:

This main wash powder was used to form a builder detergent system together with the builder additive of Example 1 above.

Detergents were determined using various test fabrics as described in Example 7. The conditions and results are set forth in Table III below. Table III Conditions Reflection factor increase (ΔR460*)

Example 9

The effects of the builder additives of Example 1 and of Comparative Example A were compared using a Tergotometer as in Examples 7 and 8.

The main washing powder of Example 8 was used together with a bleach additive similar to that described in Example 6. Detergents were compared using the Tergotometer as in Examples 6 to 8 (40ºC heating and washing). The results are set out in Table IV below. Table IV Conditions Reflection factor increase (ΔR460*) Table IV (continued)

It can be seen that the builder additive of Example 1 performs at least as well as the prior art builder additive of Comparative Example A, despite its significantly lower organic sequestrant content and the absence of acrylic/maleic copolymer.

Example 10

In this example, the effect of the builder additive of Example 1 on the detergency of the main washing powder of Example 8 in water of 30º (French) hard water was investigated using an AEG Lavamat (trade mark) washing machine, using the 60ºC wash cycle and a 2.5 kg load of pure cotton sheets and terry cloth. The detergency was monitored using various test fabrics. Conditions and results were the same as shown in Table V.

Example 11

The procedure of Example 10 was repeated using 40º (French) hard water.

Conditions and results were as shown in Table VI. Table V Conditions Reflection factor increase (ΔR460*) Table V (continued) Table VI Conditions Reflection factor increase (ΔR460*) Table VI (continued)

Claims (15)

1. A cleaning enhancer additive for use in the wet washing of soiled laundry, in conjunction with a main wash detergent powder containing one or more organic surfactants and one or more cleaning enhancers, wherein the enhancer additive is substantially free of organic surfactants and is characterized in that it comprises: (i) At least 50% by weight (anhydrous basis) of a water-insoluble alkali metal aluminosilicate, (ii) from 15 to 20% by weight of sodium carbonate, (iii) from 2 to 12% by weight of organic sequestration builder. 2. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the total amount of aluminosilicate (i) and sodium carbonate (ii) is at least 70% by weight. 3. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the total amount of aluminosilicate (i) and sodium carbonate (ii) is at least 75% by weight. 4. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amount of organic sequestration builder (iii) is within the range of 2 to 7% by weight. 5. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the amount of aluminosilicate (i) is within the range of 55 to 65% by weight. 6. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the ratio of aluminosilicate (i) to organic sequestration builder (iii) is within the range of 10:1 to 15:1. 7. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the organic sequestration builder contains a water-soluble salt of citric acid. 8. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that the organic sequestration builder consists exclusively of a water-soluble salt of citric acid. 9. A cleaning enhancer additive as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the organic sequestration builder contains a water-soluble salt of a homo- or copolymer of acrylic acid. 10. A modular type detergent system for washing dirty laundry, characterized in that it contains as separate components: (a) A mains washing powder containing one or more organic surfactants and one or more cleaning enhancers; (b) a builder additive as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; and, where applicable (c) a bleaching additive. 11. A detergent system as claimed in claim 10, characterized in that the main washing powder (a) contains an alkali metal aluminosilicate and an organic sequestration builder selected from water-soluble salts of citric acid, water-soluble salts of homo- and copolymers of acrylic acid, and mixtures thereof. 12. A detergent system as claimed in claim 10 or claim 11, characterized in that the main washing powder (a), the builder additive (b) and, if present, the bleaching additive (c) have different colours. 13. A detergent system as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the builder additive (b) contains colored grains. 14. A detergent system as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that a bleaching additive is present, and the builder additive (b) and the bleaching additive (c) are different contain colored measles. 15. A method for washing dirty laundry in a domestic washing machine, characterized in that the method includes the steps of separately introducing into the washing machine (a) a main washing powder containing one or more organic surfactants and one or more cleaning enhancers; (b) a builder additive as claimed in any of claims 1 to 9; and, optionally (c) a bleaching additive.