A polishing composition comprises a continuous aqueous phase, a dispersed solid film former, an emulsifying agent, and an optical brightener in an amount sufficient to offset or modify the colour the composition would have if the brightener were absent. Detergents, coalescing agents, plasticizers, surface tension depressants or levelling agents, anti-slip agents and foam control agents and preservatives may be present. The cone of water may be 75-95% by wt. of composition. The film forming agents may be water-insoluble natural or synthetic waxes and/or water-insoluble polymers and alkali-soluble resins. Examples are carnauba, paraffin and microcrystalline waxes, polyethylene and polypropylene waxes (e.g. M.W. = 1000-5000) oxidized polyethylene and polypropylene waxes, adducts of maleic or fumaric acid and rosin esterified with ethyleneglycol and/or propyleneglycol, shellac and shellac modified esters, polystyrene, shellac-modified polystyrene, polyacrylates, poly-ethylenes, copolymers of acrylates and styrene, copolymers of mixtures of acrylic acids and their esters and styrene e.g. a composition containing 30-90% by wt. of acrylic and/or methacrylic esters of methyl, ethyl and propyl alcohol, 5-15% by wt. of acrylic and/or methacrylic acid, and 5-70% by weight of styrene; examples of acrylic-styrene copolymer emulsions are given, containing alkyl sulphate emulsifier. The emulsifying agent may be salts of C12-C20 fatty acids, e.g. of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acid, salts of ammonia, morpholine, N-methyl morpholine, ethanolamines, diethanolamines and 2 - amino - 2 - methyl - 1 - propanol, e.g. morpholine oleate. The optical brightener which may be present in concentrations of 0.01-0.5% by wt. of the polishing composition may be stilbenes; coumarins; sulphones; triazoles; bisbenzimidazoles; diaminodiphenylureas; diaminodibenzyls; diphenylimidazolones; phenylbenzothiazoles and tris (aminophenyl) ethylenes; disodium 4-(sulphomononaphthotriazole) - 2 - stilbene sulphonate; substituted tetra anilino type 4,41-bis - (2,4 - anilino - 1,3,5 - triazine - 6 - yl amino)-2,21-stilbene disodium disulphonate; 4,41 - bis(2 - anilino - 4 - methylethanolamino-1,3,5 - triazine - 6 - ylamino) stilbene 2,21 disodium disulphonate. Detergents may be anionic or non-ionic e.g. triethanolamine lauryl sulphate, ammonium salt of a sulphated monoglyceride ester, ethoxylated lauryl sulphates, non-volatile ethyloxylated phenols, nonyl phenoxy (ethoxy)14 ethanol, etholoxylated octyl phenols, fatty acid monoesters of sorbitol anhydride (possibly alkylene-oxy) and fatty acid diethanolamine condensates. Coalescing agents may be ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monethyl ether, 2 - pyrrolidone and N - methyl - 2 - pyrrolidone. Plasticizers may be tributoxyethyl phosphate, dibutyl phthalate and butyl benzyl phthalate. Also present may be a potassium salt of N-ethyl N-perfluorooctanesulphonyl glycine, colloidal silica, silicones, and chloromethoxypropyl mercuric acetate, conventional perfumes and colouring agents. Specific examples of compositions of the above are given.ALSO:A polishing composition comprises a continuous aqueous phase, a dispersed solid film former, an emulsifying agent, and an optical brightener. Detergents, coalescing agents, plasticizers, surface tension depressants or levelling agents, anti-slip agents and foam control agents and preservatives may be present. The film forming agents may be water-insoluble natural waxes. Examples are carnauba, paraffin and microcrystalline waxes, shellac and shellac modified esters. The emulsifying agent may be salts of C12-C20 fatty acids, e.g. of lauric, myristic, palmitic, stearic and oleic acid, and of ammonia, morpholine, N-methyl morpholine, ethanolamines, diethanolamines and 2-amino-2-methyl-1-propanol, e.g. morpholine oleate. The optical brightener may be stilbenes; coumarins; sulphones; triazoles; bisbenzimidazoles; diaminodiphenylureas; diaminodibenzyls; diphenylimidazolones; phenylbenzothiazoles and tris (aminophenyl) ethylenes; disodium 4-(sulphomononaphthaotriazole)-2-stilbene sulphonate; substituted tetra anilino type 4,4\sv-bis-(2,4-anilino-1,3,5-triazine-6-yl amino)-2,2\sv-stilbene disodium disulphonate; and 4,4\sv-bis(2-anilino-4-methylethanolamino-1, 3,5-triazine-6-yl amino) stilbene 2,2\sv disodium disulphonate. Detergents may be anionic or nonionic e.g. triethanolamine lauryl sulphate, ammonium salt of a sulphated monoglyceride ester, ethoxylated lauryl sulphates, non-volatile ethoxylated nonyl phenols wherein 5-30 moles of ethylene oxide are condensed with one mole of the phenol, nonyl phenoxy (ethoxy)14 ethanol, ethoxylated octyl phenols, fatty acid monoesters of sorbitol anhydride with or without alkylene oxide modification, fatty acid diethanolamine condensates in which the fatty acid is predominantly C12 in a C12-C14 mixture. Coalescing agents may be ethylene glycol, ethylene glycol monoethyl ether, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether, diethylene glycol, diethylene glycol monomethyl ether, diethylene glycol monoethyl ether, 2-pyrrolidone and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone. Plasticizers may be tributoxyethyl phosphate, dibutyl phthalate and butyl benzyl phthalate. Also present may be a potassium salt of N-ethyl N-perfluorooctanesulphonyl glycine, colloidal silica, silicones, and chloromethoxypropyl mercuric acetate, conventional perfumes and colouring agents. Specific examples of compositions of the above are given.