EP0942064A1

EP0942064A1 - Liquid hypohalite bleach-based cleaning compositions

Info

Publication number: EP0942064A1
Application number: EP98870049A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Laura Galvagno, (NMN); Carla Scorsini, (NMN)
Original assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Current assignee: Procter and Gamble Co
Priority date: 1998-03-09
Filing date: 1998-03-09
Publication date: 1999-09-15
Also published as: WO1999046357A1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a liquid cleaning composition comprising:

a hypohalite bleach,
an alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate, wherein n is from 0.5 to 20,
and a zwitterionic betaine surfactant,

wherein the weight ratio of alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate to the zwitterionic surfactant is from 13 to 0.1. These compositions deliver excellent cleaning performance on both kitchen type and bathroom type soils while having the desired viscosity to be suitably used on non-horizontal surfaces.

Description

Field of the invention

The present invention relates to liquid cleaning compositions, in particular to liquid hypochlorite-containing compositions, which can be used to deliver improved overall cleaning performance on various hard-surfaces including non-horizontal surfaces.

Background of the invention

Efficient cleaning performance and viscosity of the cleaning compositions are two requirements which drive consumer acceptance of hard-surfaces cleaning products. Indeed, viscosity enables cleaning compositions to remain long enough on the surface to provide an effective cleaning action. Such a requirement is of particular utility in cleaning compositions intended to be applied "as is" to non-horizontal surfaces such as walls, windows and sanitary fittings such as sinks, baths, showers, wash basins and WCs. On the other hand, effective overall cleaning is important, especially on kitchen type soils like greasy and/or oily soils as well on bathroom type soils like grease soap scum.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide cleaning compositions having effective overall cleaning performance on both kitchen and bathroom type of soils and effective viscosity.
The Applicant has now found that such a need is fulfilled by providing liquid cleaning compositions comprising a hypohalite bleach, an alkyl (alkoxy) sulphate and a zwitterionic betaine surfactant at a weight ratio of the alkyl (alkoxy) sulphate to the zwitterionic surfactant of 13 to 0.1.
Advantageously, by combining an alkyl (alkoxy) sulphate and a zwitterionic betaine surfactant, in a hypohalite bleach-containing composition, effective viscosity is provided as well as effective overall cleaning performance on both kitchen and bathroom type soils, without the need of thickening aids having the sole advantage of providing viscosity without contributing to the cleaning performance of the composition or without the need of cleaning aids having the sole advantage of providing cleaning. In other words, the compositions herein deliver effective cleaning performance even on vertical hard-surfaces at effective cost, i.e. without the need of additional thickening aids having as sole property those of thickening a composition and being thus an inert material for the cleaning or the need of additional cleaning aids having as sole property those of cleaning and being thus an inert material for thickening.
Advantageously, the compositions herein may be used to clean hard-surfaces made of a variety of materials like glazed and non-glazed ceramic tiles, vinyl, no-wax vinyl, linoleum, melamine, glass, plastics, plastified wood, both in neat and diluted conditions, e.g., up to a dilution level of 1:200 (composition: water).
A further advantage of the present invention is that excellent cleaning performance is obtained with the compositions according to the present invention on various types of stains/soils including typical kitchen soils like greasy stains but also on other tough stains such as burnt/sticky food residues typically found in kitchens as well as bathroom type soils like grease soap scum. More particularly the compositions of the present invention have been found to deliver excellent fresh greasy spills removal performance. Indeed, fresh greasy soil, typically found in kitchen, is considered by the consumer as being one of the most difficult soils to completely remove from hard-surfaces.

Summary of the invention

The present invention encompasses a liquid cleaning composition comprising

a hypohalite bleach,
an alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate, wherein n is from 0.5 to 20
and a zwitterionic betaine surfactant,

_n

The present invention also encompasses a process of cleaning a hard-surface wherein a liquid composition as defined herein above, is contacted with said surface, in its neat or diluted form.

Detailed description of the invention

Liquid cleaning compositions:

The compositions according to the present invention are in liquid form. Preferably, the compositions of the invention are in liquid aqueous form. More preferably, they comprise water in an amount of from 60% to 98% by weight, more preferably of from 80% to 97% and most preferably of from 85% to 95% by weight of the total aqueous liquid bleaching composition.
The compositions according to the present invention are suitable for application on non-horizontal surfaces, thus they typically have a viscosity of from 10 cps to 3000 cps, when measured with a rheometer, for example with a Carri-med CSL2-100® at the following parameters: temperature of 25°C, a shear rate of 30 sec^-1, a spindle with: cone angle of 1°58', truncation gap of 60 µm, diameter of 4.0 cm and iner of 63.60 dyne*cm*s², preferably from 25 cps to 1500 cps, more preferably from 50 cps to 1200 cps and most preferably from 100 cps to 1000 cps. Where the composition is in a sprayable form, the viscosity of said sprayable compositions is preferably from 15 cps to 40 cps.

Hypohalite bleaches

An essential component of the invention is a hypohalite bleach. Hypohalite bleaches may be provided by a variety of sources, including bleaches that are oxidative bleaches and subsequently lead to the formation of positive halide ions as well as bleaches that are organic based sources of halides such as chloroisocyanurates.
Suitable hypohalite bleaches for use herein include the alkali metal and alkaline earth metal hypochlorites, hypobromites, hypoiodites, chlorinated trisodium phosphate dodecahydrates, potassium and sodium dichloroisocyanurates, potassium and sodium trichlorocyanurates, N-chloroimides, N-chloroamides, N-chloroamines and chlorohydantoins.
For the liquid compositions herein, the preferred hypohalite bleaches among the above described are the alkali metal and/or alkaline earth metal hypochlorites selected from the group consisting of sodium, potassium, magnesium, lithium and calcium hypochlorites, and mixtures thereof, more preferably the alkali metal sodium hypochlorite.
Preferably, the liquid compositions according to the present invention comprise said hypohalite bleach or mixture thereof such that the content of active halide in the composition is of from 0.01% to 10% by weight, more preferably from 0.01% to 5% by weight, even more preferably from 0.1% to 3% by weight and most preferably from 0.5% to 2.5% by weight of the composition.

The alkyl (alkoxy) sulphates

An essential component of the invention is an alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate, wherein n is from 0.5 to 20, or a mixture thereof.
Suitable alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate surfactants for use herein are water-soluble salts or acids of the formula : RO(A)_nSO₃M, wherein

R is a substituted or unsubstituted C₄-C₂₄ linear or branched alkyl group having a C₄-C₂₄ alkyl component, preferably a C₈-C₂₀ linear or branched alkyl, more preferably C₈-C₁₈ linear or branched alkyl, most preferably C₁₀-C₁₆ linear or branched alkyl,
A is an ethoxy or propoxy unit,
n is from 0.5 to 20, preferably 0.5 to 10, more preferably from 1 to 4, even more preferably 2 or 3 and most preferably 3,
and M is H or a cation which can be, for example, a metal cation (e.g., sodium, potassium, lithium, calcium, magnesium, etc.), ammonium or substituted-ammonium cation.

Alkyl (ethoxy)₂ sulphates and alkyl (ethoxy)₃ sulphates are preferred herein. Specific examples of substituted ammonium cations include methyl-, dimethyl-, trimethyl-ammonium and quaternary ammonium cations, such as tetramethylammonium, dimethyl piperdinium and cations derived from alkanolamines such as ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, mixtures thereof, and the like.
Sodium C12/C14 E3 sulphate may be for example commercially available from Albright & Wilson under the name EMPICOL ESC3®. Sodium C12/C14 E2 sulphate may be for example commercially available from Rhone Poulenc under the name Rhodapex ES-2®.
Preferably, the liquid compositions according to the present invention comprise said alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate or a mixture thereof in amount of from 0.1% to 20% by weight, more preferably from 0.5% to 15%, even more preferably from 0.7% to 10% by weight, most preferably from 1% to 5% by weight of the composition.
The presence of such an alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate, preferably an alkyl (ethoxy)_n sulphate, provides viscosity to the liquid bleaching compositions of the present invention while also delivering excellent cleaning performance on various types of stains including kitchen stains like greasy stains.

The zwitterionic betaine surfactants

An essential component of the invention is a zwitterionic betaine surfactant or a mixture thereof.
Suitable zwitterionic betaine surfactants for use herein contain both a cationic hydrophilic group, i.e., a quaternary ammonium group, and anionic hydrophilic group on the same molecule at a relatively wide range of pH's. The typical anionic hydrophilic groups are carboxylates and sulfonates, although other groups like sulfates, phosphonates, and the like can be used. A generic formula for the zwitterionic betaine surfactants for use herein is R₁ -N⁺(R₂)(R₃)R₄X^- wherein R₁ is a hydrophobic group; R₂ is C₁-C₆ alkyl, or a substituted C₁-C₆ alkyl group; R₃ is C₁-C₆ alkyl, or a substituted C₁-C₆ alkyl group which can also be joined to R₂ to form ring structures with the N, or a C₁-C₆ carboxylic acid group or a C₁-C₆ sulfonate group; R₄ is a moiety joining the cationic nitrogen atom to the hydrophilic group and is typically an alkylene containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms, or polyalkoxy group containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and X is the hydrophilic group which is a carboxylate or sulfonate group.
Preferred hydrophobic group R₁ is aliphatic or aromatic, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon chain. More preferred R₁ is an alkyl group containing from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably from 8 to 18, and more preferably from 10 to 16. These simple alkyl groups are preferred for cost and stability reasons.
Preferred R₂ is a C₁-C₃ alkyl and more preferably methyl. Preferred R₃ is a C₁-C₄ carboxylic acid group or C1-C4 sulfonate group, or a C₁-C₃ alkyl and more preferably methyl. Preferred R₄ is (CH2)_n wherein n is an integer from 1 to 10, preferably from 1 to 6, more preferably is from 1 to 3.
Some common examples of betaine/sulphobetaine are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,082,275, 2,702,279 and 2,255,082, incorporated herein by reference.
Examples of particularly suitable alkyldimethyl betaines include coconut-dimethyl betaine, lauryl dimethyl betaine, decyl dimethyl betaine, myristyl dimethyl betaine, palmityl dimethyl betaine, cetyl dimethyl betaine, stearyl dimethyl betaine. For example Coconut dimethyl betaine is commercially available from Seppic under the trade name of Amonyl 265®. Lauryl betaine is commercially available from Albright & Wilson under the trade name Empigen BB/L® or from Clariant under the trade name of Genagen LAB®.
Preferably, the liquid compositions according to the present invention comprise said zwitterionic betaine surfactant or a mixture thereof in amount of from 0.1% to 20% by weight, more preferably from 0.5% to 15%, even more preferably from 0.7% to 10% by weight, most preferably from 1 % to 5% by weight of the composition.
A significant cooperation has been observed between the alkyl alkoxy sulphate and the zwitterionic betaine surfactant to get optimum cleaning performance on both kitchen and bathroom type soils.
Indeed, it is essential in order to get effective overall cleaning performance and effective viscosity that the alkyl alkoxy sulphate and the zwitterionic betaine surfactant are present in the hypohalite bleach-containing compositions herein at a weight ratio of the alkyl alkoxy sulphate to the zwitterionic betaine surfactant of from 13 to 0.1, preferably of from 10 to 0.5, more preferably of from 5 to 0.5, and most preferably of from 2.5 to 0.7.
Advantageously excellent overall cleaning performance and viscosity can be obtained with the compositions herein at low total level of surfactants. Typically, the compositions herein comprise from 0.01% to 20% by weight of the total composition of the alkyl alkoxy sulphate and the zwitterionic betaine surfactant, preferably from 0.1% to 15%, more preferably from 0.5% to 10% and most preferably from 1% to 6%.
Indeed, the present invention is based on the finding that the use of zwitterionic betaine surfactant together with the alkyl alkoxy sulphate at the appropriate ratios, in a liquid composition comprising a hypohalite bleach, boosts the cleaning, i.e., the removal of various types of stains including greasy stains (e.g., lipstick, olive oil, mayonnaise, vegetal oil, sebum, make-up) and bathroom type stains (e.g., grease soap scum), as compared to the cleaning performance delivered by the same composition based only on one of these surfactants (i.e., alkyl alkoxy sulphate or zwitterionic betaine surfactant) at equal total level of surfactants.
The cleaning performance may be evaluated by the following test method on various type of stains.
A suitable test method for evaluating the cleaning performance on a soiled hard-surface is the following:
Black glossy ceramic tiles can be soiled by various soils (e.g. a fresh vegetal oil like Crisco® , representative of typical kitchen type soils, and/or by calcium stearate, representative of bathroom type soils). The oil is for example poured drop by drop, so as to cover the entire tile surface. The surface is then cleaned (4 stokes horizontally then 4 stokes vertically) with 2 ml of composition to test (put on a sponge). Two different types of rinsing can follow:

a sponge is left: to absorb 5 ml of water and then used to clean the tile with 4 stokes horizontally and then 4 stokes vertically before leaving the tile to dry or,
the tile is cleaned with a well squeezed sponge with 4 strokes horizontally then 4 stokes vertically before being left to dry.

pH

The pH of the liquid compositions according to the present invention, as is, is typically from 9 to 14 measured at 25°C, preferably from 10 to 14, even more preferably from 12 to 14. This is achieved by the addition of strong source of alkalinity.
Suitable sources of alkalinity are the caustic alkalis such as sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide and/or lithium hydroxide, and/or the alkali metal oxides such as sodium and/or potassium oxide. A preferred strong source of alkalinity is a caustic alkali, more preferably sodium hydroxide and/or potassium hydroxide. Typical levels of such caustic alkalis, when present, are of from 0.1% to 2% by weight, preferably from 0.5% to 1.5% by weight of the composition.
The composition according to the invention may comprise other optional components such as other bleach-stable surfactants, builders, chelants, radical scavengers, solvents, enzymes, pH buffers, hydrotropes, polymers, pigments, dyes, solvents, perfumes, and mixtures thereof.

Optional surfactants

The liquid compositions of the present invention may further comprise another surfactant or a mixture thereof on top of the alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate and zwitterionic surfactant mentioned herein before.
Surfactants for use herein include other anionic surfactants, nonionic surfactants, cationic surfactants, amphoteric surfactants, other zwitterionic surfactants, and mixtures thereof as long as they do not affect the viscosity and the cleaning properties of the compositions according to the present invention. Naturally, for the purpose of the invention, the additional surfactants have to be stable to the hypohalite bleach.
Preferred other surfactants for use herein are typically anionic surfactants especially alkyl sulphates and/or fatty acids.
Suitable alkyl sulphates for use in the compositions herein include water-soluble salts or acids of the formula ROSO₃M wherein R preferably is a C₄-C₂₄ hydrocarbyl, preferably linear or branched alkyl having a C₆-C₂₀ alkyl component, more preferably a C₆- C₁₈ linear or branched alkyl, most preferably a C₆- C₁₆ linear or branched alkyl and M is H or a cation, e.g., an alkali metal cation (e.g., sodium, potassium, lithium), or ammonium or substituted ammonium (e.g., methyl-, dimethyl-, and trimethyl ammonium cations and quaternary ammonium cations, such as tetramethyl-ammonium and dimethyl piperdinium cations and quaternary ammonium cations derived from alkylamines such as ethylamine, diethylamine, triethylamine, and mixtures thereof, and the like).
Typically, the compositions herein comprise up to 5% by weight of the total composition of an alkyl sulphate or a mixture thereof, preferably from 0.1% to 3% and more preferably from 0.5% to 1.5%.
Alkyl sulphates are suitable herein as they further contribute to the benefit of the compositions herein, they especially improve the cleaning performance on grease soils.
Suitable fatty acid for use herein include alkali metal salt of a C₈-C₁₈ fatty acid. Said fatty acids are used as suds suppressors. When incorporated in the composition of the invention, a reduction of the generation of foam as well as an increase in the collapse rate is observed. Suitable fatty acids for use herein can be any fully saturated C₈-C₁₈ fatty acids, preferably a sodium, potassium or lithium salt, more preferably the sodium salt. Suitable fatty acids may be selected from caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, myristic acid, palmitic acid, stearic acid and mixtures of fatty acids suitably hardened, derived from natural sources such as tallow, coconut oil, ground oil and babassu oil. Compositions according to the present invention comprise from 0.1% to 10%, preferably from 0.1% to 4%, more preferably less than 2% by weight of the composition of such a fatty acid or a mixture thereof.

Packaging form of the compositions

The compositions herein may be packaged in a variety of suitable detergent packaging known to those skilled in the art. The liquid compositions herein may desirably be packaged in manually operated spray dispensing containers, which are usually made of synthetic organic polymeric plastic materials. Accordingly, the present invention also encompasses liquid cleaning compositions of the invention packaged in a spray dispenser, preferably in a trigger spray dispenser. Indeed, said spray-type dispensers allow to uniformly apply to a relatively large area of a surface to be cleaned the liquid cleaning compositions suitable for use according to the present invention; thereby contributing to the cleaning properties of said compositions. Such spray-type dispensers are particularly suitable to clean vertical surfaces.
Suitable spray-type dispensers to be used according to the present invention include manually operated foam trigger-type dispensers sold for example by Specialty Packaging Products, Inc. or Continental Sprayers, Inc. These types of dispensers are disclosed, for instance, in US-4,701,311 to Dunnining et al. and US-4,646,973 and US-4,538,745 both to Focarracci. Particularly preferred to be used herein are spray-type dispensers such as T 8900® commercially available from Continental Spray International or T 8100® commercially available from Canyon, Northern Ireland. In such a dispenser the liquid composition is divided in fine liquid droplets resulting in a spray that is directed onto the surface to be treated. Indeed, in such a spray-type dispenser the composition contained in the body of said dispenser is directed through the spray-type dispenser head via energy communicated to a pumping mechanism by the user as said user activates said pumping mechanism. More particularly, in said spray-type dispenser head the composition is forced against an obstacle, e.g. a grid or a cone or the like, thereby providing shocks to help atomise the liquid composition, i.e. to help the formation of liquid droplets.

The process of cleaning a hard-surface:

The present invention also encompasses a process of cleaning hard-surfaces wherein a liquid composition as described herein before, is contacted with said surfaces.
By "hard-surfaces", it is meant herein any kind of surfaces typically found in houses like kitchens, bathrooms, or in car interiors or exteriors, e.g., floors, walls, tiles, windows, sinks, showers, shower plastified curtains, wash basins, WCs, dishes, fixtures and fittings and the like made of different materials like ceramic, vinyl, no-wax vinyl, linoleum, melamine, glass, any plastics, plastified wood, metal or any painted or varnished or sealed surface and the like. Hard-surfaces also include household appliances including, but not limited to, refrigerators, freezers, washing machines, automatic dryers, ovens, microwave ovens, dishwashers and so on.
The liquid compositions of the present invention may be contacted to the surface to be cleaned in its neat form or in its diluted form.
By "diluted form" it is meant herein that said liquid composition is diluted by the user typically with water. The composition is diluted prior use to a typical dilution level of 10 to 200 times its weight of water, preferably from 10 to 150 and more preferably from 10 to 100. Usual recommended dilution level is a 1.2% dilution of the composition in water.
In the preferred process of cleaning hard-surfaces according to the present invention where said composition is used in diluted form, there is no need to rinse the surface after application of the composition in order to obtain excellent cleaning performance especially on kitchen type soils and/or bathroom type soils and also excellent end result surface appearance.

Examples

The invention is illustrated in the following non limiting examples, in which all percentages are on a weight basis unless otherwise stated.
In the detergent compositions of the invention, the abbreviated component identifications have the following meanings:

C7-C9 AS :: Eptyl Nonyl sulphate, available from Albright and Wilson, under the tradename Empimin® LN
Betaine 1 :: Lauryl dimethyl betaine commercially available from Albright & Wilson or Clariant
Betaine 2 :: Coconut dimethyl betaine commercially available from Seppic under the name Amonyl 265®
AES 1 :: Sodium C12/C14 E3 sulphate commercially available from Albright & Wilson under the name EMPICOL ESC3®.
AES 2 :: Sodium C12/C14 E2 sulphate may be for example commercially available from Rhone Poulenc under the name Rhodapex ES-2®.
Fatty acid :: C₈-C₁₈ fatty acid

The following compositions, according to the invention, were prepared:

(WEIGHT %)	A	B	C	D	E	F
C7-C9 AS	1.0	1.0	1.0	-	-	1.0
Betaine 1	2.0	2.5	1.5	0.3	2.0	1.0
AES 1	2.0	1.5	2.5	3.0	2.0	2.0
Fatty acid	1.0	1.5	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.5
Sodium hypochlorite	1.5	1.5	1.5	3.0	1.5	1.5
Caustic	1.0	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.0	1.0
Water and minors up to 100

(WEIGHT %)	G	H	I	J
C7-C9 AS	-	1.0	-	-
Betaine 1	3.0	2.5	2.5	2.0
AES 1	3.0	2.0	2.0	1.5
Fatty acid	1.0	1.0	1.0	-
Sodium hypochlorite	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Caustic	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Water and minors up to 100

(WEIGHT %)	K	L	M	N	O	P
C7-C9 AS	1.0	1.0	1.0	-	-	1.0
Betaine 2	2.0	2.5	1.5	0.3	2.0	1.0
AES 1	2.0	1.5	2.5	3.0	2.0	2.0
Fatty acid	1.0	1.5	1.0	1.0	-	0.5
Sodium hypochlorite	1.5	1.5	1.5	3.0	1.5	1.5
Caustic	1.0	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.0	1.0
Water and minors up to 100

(WEIGHT %)	Q	R	S	T
C7-C9 AS	-	1.0	-	-
Betaine 2	3.0	2.5	2.5	2.0
AES 2	3.0	2.0	2.0	1.5
Fatty acid	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.5
Sodium hypochlorite	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Caustic	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Water and minors up to 100

(WEIGHT %)	U	V	W	X
C7-C9 AS	-	1.0	-	-
Betaine 1	0.5	2.5	2.5	2.0
AES 2	3.0	2.0	2.0	1.5
Fatty acid	1.0	1.0	1.0	0.5
Sodium hypochlorite	1.5	1.5	1.5	1.5
Caustic	1.0	1.0	1.0	1.0
Water and minors up to 100

All these compositions deliver effective cleaning performance when used to clean kitchen soils and bathroom soils in their neat or diluted form, e.g. 200 times their weight of water. These compositions are especially suitable for cleaning non-horizontal hard-surfaces.

Claims

A liquid cleaning composition comprising:

a hypohalite bleach,

an alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate, wherein n is from 0.5 to 20,

and a zwitterionic betaine surfactant,

wherein the weight ratio of alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate to the zwitterionic surfactant is from 13 to 0.1.
A composition according to claim 1, wherein said hypohalite bleach is an alkali metal sodium hypochlorite.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said hypohalite, based on active halide, is present in an amount of from 0.01% to 10% by weight of the composition, preferably from 0.01% to 5% and most preferably from 0.5% to 2.5%.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate is water-soluble salt or acid of the formula RO(A)_nSO₃M, wherein

R is a substituted or unsubstituted C₄-C₂₄ linear or branched alkyl group, preferably a C₈-C₂₀ linear or branched alkyl, more preferably C₈-C₁₈ linear or branched alkyl, most preferably C₁₀-C₁₆ linear or branched alkyl,

A is an ethoxy or propoxy unit,

n is an integer from 0.5 to 20, preferably from 0.5 to 5, preferably 2 or 3, more preferably 3,

and M is H or a cation, preferably a metal cation, ammonium or substituted-ammonium cation, or mixture thereof.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate is sodium C12/C14 E3 sulphate and/or sodium C12/C14 E2 sulphate.
A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said zwitterionic betaine surfactant is according to the formula: R₁-N⁺(R₂)(R₃)R₄X^-

wherein R₁ is an aliphatic or aromatic, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon chain, preferably an alkyl group containing from 1 to 24 carbon atoms, preferably from 8 to 18;

R₂ is C₁-C₆ alkyl, or a substituted C₁-C₆ alkyl group;

R₃ is C₁-C₆ alkyl, or a substituted C₁-C₆ alkyl group which can also be joined to R₂ to form ring structures with the N, or a C₁-C₆ carboxylic acid group or a C₁-C₆ sulfonate group;

R₄ is a moiety joining the cationic nitrogen atom to the hydrophilic group and is typically an alkylene, or polyalkoxy group containing from 1 to 10 carbon atoms;

and X is a carboxylate or sulfonate group.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said zwitterionic betaine surfactant is coconut-dimethyl betaine, lauryl dimethyl betaine, decyl dimethyl betaine, myristyl dimethyl betaine, palmityl dimethyl betaine, cetyl dimethyl betaine, stearyl dimethyl betaine and/or a mixture thereof.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate and said zwitterionic surfactant are present at a weight ratio of said alkyl (alkoxy)_n sulphate to said zwitterionic surfactant of from 10 to 0.1, preferably of from 5 to 0.5 and more preferably of from 2.5 to 0.7.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, which further comprises another surfactant, preferably an anionic surfactant more preferably alkyl sulphate and/or fatty acid.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said composition further comprises a strong source of alkalinity.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein said composition further comprises builders, chelants, radical scavengers, solvents, enzymes, pH buffers, hydrotropes, polymers, pigments, dyes, solvents, perfumes, or mixtures thereof.
A composition according to any of the preceding claims, which has a viscosity of from 10 cps to 3000 cps, when measured with a rheometer at a temperature of 25°C and a shear rate of 30 sec^-1, preferably from 25 cps to 1500 cps, more preferably from 50 cps to 1200 cps and most preferably from 100 cps to 1000 cps
A process of cleaning a hard-surface wherein a liquid composition according to any of the preceding claims, is contacted with said surface.
A process of cleaning a hard-surface according to claim 13 wherein said composition is contacted with said surface after having been diluted with water.
A process according to claim 14 wherein said surface is not rinsed after said composition has been contacted with said surface.