GB2036783A - Cleaning composition for hard surfaces - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning composition, particularly for household surfaces, comprising an abrasive, a mineral oil, and a cationic dewatering agent containing an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group, and optionally an antistatic agent/emulsifier of the general formula:- <IMAGE> wherein x and y are each independently an integer of at least 1 and R is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group. The composition is used as an aqueous solution and to impregnate a substrate, such as a non-woven cloth or a porous sponge, which is then dried. The impregnated substrate is reactivated by moistening with water. An emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent is needed to stabilize the aqueous solution; the stabilizer/solvent containing at least one hydroxyl group and at least one ether group. The cleaned surface is polished by the cleaning composition and a water- repellent film left behind. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to cleaning compositions The present invention relates to cleaning compositions, and particularly to household cleaning compositions which can be used to impregnate a substrate such as a porous cloth or sponge.

Many household cleaning compositions are known which are based on a combination of an abrasive and a wax; the former to lift dirt and grease from a surface to be cleaned and the latter to impart a shiny protective, water-shedding film to the cleaned surface. Often a detergent is incorporated into the cleaning composition in order to improve the grease-removing properties of the composition.

These known compositions are formulated both as water-based liquids and as dry powders, and it is general to use a cloth or sponge which has been moistened with water to apply the cleaning compositions to the surfaces to be cleaned.

The inherent incompatibility between the water and the wax component in the composition leads to the inclusion in many compositions of emulsifiers in order to prevent the separating out of the components. Another problem which is often encountered with the use of cleaning compositions which are designed to leave a protective wax film on the cleaned surface is "haze", which is visible as streaks across the surface when the surface is viewed obliquely.

Another difficulty in formulating cleaning compositions is to obtain a composition which is suitable for use on a wide range of surfaces commonly found now-a-days in homes. A composition which might be well suited to the cleaning and polishing of the vitreous enamel of domestic cookers and refrigerators is often too harsh to be used on the stainless steel of sinks and serving dishes. A need exists therefore for a household cleaning composition of more general utility which will in one action clean a surface, polish it, and leave a water-repellantfilm on it.

In addition, it would be very convenient from the user's point of view if the cleaning composition were to be held on a supporting substrate which only needed moistening with water in order to activate the cleaning composition. The substrate is then thrown away when all of the impregnated cleaning composition has been used up. The formulation of a composition which is capable of being used in this manner presents difficulties in that water/wax emulsions are not easily taken up by porous substrates, and which taken up are often too readily leached out of the substrate when the substrate is moistened.

In addition, the abrasive component of an impregnated substrate is easily lost during storage and transport of the impregnated substrate.

In an early attempt at formulating a cleaning composition specifically designed for use in the cleaning and polishing of motor cars and which could successfully impregnate a porous substrate, a three component system was used; the active ingredients being derived from commercially available materials. The components were a kieselguhr, an arquad wax known in the United States of America as "Armagloss 100", and water. Although this formulation was suitable for use on some surfaces, it did give rise to a significant amount of smearing when used on certain types of surfaces. In addition, the formulation possessed a rather unpleasant small and unattractive colour.

From United States Patent No. 3497365, a protective polish composition is known consisting of a quaternary ammonium salt, a cationic emulsifier, an oil, some wax and/or silicone, and water. This composition is, however, designed to be used as a "rinse-type" protective polish composition, with particular application to the "laundering" of motor vehicles. One method of applying the polish to vehicles given in the patent specification is to dilute the composition 75 to 150 fold with water, and to spray it onto vehicles after they have been washed and rinsed. There is no teaching or suggestion in that patent of the possibility of using similar formulations in combination with an abrasive as a household cleaning composition, particularly when impregnated on a substrate to be moistened with water before use.

An object of the present invention is to provide a water-based cleaning composition which is suitable for use on a wide range of household surfaces.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a water-based cleaning composition which can be used to impregnate a porous substrate, which substrate need only be moistened with water prior to use.

An additional object of the present invention it to provide a water-based cleaning composition which does not suffer from some of the disadvantages of known water-based cleaning compositions.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a cleaning composition comprising an abrasive; a mineral oil; and a dewatering agent having cationic properties and containing an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group.

Preferably the composition also contains an antistatic agent/emulsifier of the general formula:-

wherein x and y are each independently an integer of at least 1, and R is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the cleaning composition of the present invention additionally contains water and an emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent containing at least one hydroxy group and at least one ether group. It is in this aqueous form that the composition can be used to impregnate a porous substrate, the water being removed after impregnation by drying. The present invention therefore also provides an impregnated substrate when manufactured by this impregnation method.

The basic idea of the present invention is a cleaning composition in the form of a "liquid" mixture which can be applied to a surface in order to clean it, polish it and impart a water-shedding characteristic to the surface. It may be used in the liquid form, but more advantageously may be used dry on an impregnated substrate.

Although it is described as a liquid, the present composition is in fact a mixture of liquid phases, some in solution and some in a dispersion or emulsion. There is also a solid phase present but evenly distributed throughout the liquid phases, i.e. in suspension the composition retains the characteristics of a slightly viscous liquid.

The application of the composition to a dirty or dull surface is carried out using a physical carrier and the best carriers found so far are: 1. a non-woven fabric, especially a bonded viscose fibre cloth such as a "J cloth" (a United Kingdom Trade Name) of "Handiwipe" (a United States Trade Name). The term "wipe" will be hereinafter used to refer to this type of carrier 2. A polyurethane sponge of open-cell character.

When used as an impregnant the aqueous form of the present composition is impregnated into either form of substrate, allowed to dry, and the impregnated substrate stored in that form until ready for use. Before using the impregnated sponge or wipe as a cleaning article, it is moistened slightly with water.

The moistening makes the action of cleaning smoother by reducing surface friction but also assists in the transfer of the cleaning composition from the center of the sponge to the outer surface, or from between fibres in the wipe to the surface.

The composition of the present invention without the water and the emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent is in the form of a waxy semi-solid. This "wax" can be used in the same way a household wax polish or cleaning paste is used, but although effective in this way it is easy to use more than is needed.

The impregnated wipes or sponges therefore provide a more economical way of applying the present composition to a surface.

The non-woven fabric (NWF) used for the wipe can be of several types but the feature in common of most currently available types is that they are made from viscose fibre produced from wood cellulose.

These fibres may be "wet laid" or "dry laid" to produce the fabric but in either case are bonded together using an acrylic, vinyl acetate or SBR bonding agent. (SBR=styrene butadiene resin). A dye is frequently incorpprated with the binder. The most satisfactory NWF has been found to be the "J Cloth" i.e. the NF made and marketed under the name in the United Kingdom by Johnson & ohnson of Slough. An identical product is made and marketed in the United States of America. This material is very satisfactory as a porous substrate because it has holes in it. This allows the material to stretch in one direction and permits easier and more even impregnation.

This type of material is produced in a range of weights from 1 6 g/m2 to 110 g/m2, but is typically used at 50 g/m2 as in the case of the "J Cloth". Generally this commercially available material has its holes in rows with no offset between the rows, i.e. the holes are arranged in a simple square grid. Some material is available with holes arranged with an offset as with the diagonal rows of a square grid. This type of cloth will stretch in two directions but is not as good as the former type as a wipe since it lacks the firmness in the cloth to allow a firm wiping action.

The cleaning composition of the present invention can clean satisfactorily with a wide range of abrasives, the choise of abrasive being dependent upon the cleaning duty required. However too hard an abrasive can sometimes damage the surface being cleaned. Examples of hard abrasives are: Carborundum (Mohs hardness scale 10) Alumina (Mohs hardness scale 9) Silica (in various forms) (Mohs hardness scale 7) Softer materials which can be used are: Calcium carbonate as calcite (Mohs hardness scale 3) Diatomaceous earths (Mohs hardness scale 1.5-1) and this latter class of materials is preferred. Generally diatomaceous earths are dull in colour e.g.

pinkish-buff or off-white and thus, from an aesthetic point of view, it is preferred to use a diatomaceous earth which has been calcined in the presence of a flux to yield a white powder.

The particle size of the abrasive affects the harshness of the cleaning composition, as well as the intrinsic hardness of the abrasive, and it has been found desirable for household cleaning compositions to have a relatively small particle size.

One abrasive, of the diatomaceous earth-type, which we tested had 7% by weight retained on a 1 50 ASTM mesh sieve (i.e. an aperture size of 105 microns). another and more preferably diatomaceous earth tested had only 1.2% by weight retained on a 325 ASTM mesh (i.e. an aperture size of 44 microns). Materials of this type have a predominant particle size range of from 1 micron to 10 microns and in the preferred type the average particle size is about 7 microns.

When used to impregnate a porous substrate, an excessive amount of abrasive in the impregnated composition is undesirable since there is a natural tendency for the solid particles to shake out during transportation and use of the impregnated substrate.

It has been found that with too little abrasive incorporated in the impregnant the composition is not sufficiently effective in its cleaning action. The proportion of abrasive based on the dried cleaning composition (without the substrate) may be between 10% and 85% by weight, but is most satisfactory between 40% and 65% by weight, and is optimally about 55 to 57% by weight.

The precise function of the mineral oil in the present composition is not completely understood, but it does assist in the production of a water-repellant film on the cleaned surface. Paraffinic hydrocarbon oils have been found to be very satisfactory; particularly those known by the generic name "Mineral Seal Oil".

Variations in the amount of mineral oil present in the composition have been found to affect the stability of the liquid mixture and the ability of the liquid phase to hold the abrasive particles in suspension.

An amount of mineral oil varying from 2.3% to 17.5% by weight in the dried composition may be used, but the preferred range is from 6% to 14% by weight, and optimally about 11% by weight.

The antistatic agent/emulsifier which is preferably used in the composition of the present invention is an ethoxylated amine of the general formula:-

wherein x and y are each independently an integer of at least 1 and up to 1 Otand R is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group. The amine is usually obtained by the conversion of the carboxylic acid group of a fatty acid into a nitrile group, followed by reduction of the nitrile group to yield an amine group, which is then ethoxylated. By this means, all of the carbon atoms originally present in the fatty acid are retained in the group R of the ethoxylated amine. The word "residue" is used in this specification in this sense.

In the preferred ethoxylated amine, the sum of x and y is, on average, equal to five, and the group R is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 1 8 carbon atoms. A commercially available ethoxylated amine of the general formula recited above which is particularly suitable is that derived from a coconut oil residue. Essentially the group R is in this case a mixture of myristic, lauric, palmitic and stearic acid residues.The percentages of the different fatty acids in coconut oil are believed to be approximately as follows:- Fatty Acid Number of carbon atoms Percentage Caproic 6 0.5 Caprylic 8 6.5 Capric 10 6.0 Lauric 12 49.5 Myristic 14 19.5 - Palmitic 16 8.5 Oleic 18 6.0 Stearic 18 2.0 Linoleic 18 1.5 100% The presence of the antistatic agent/emulsifier in the cleaning composition of the present invention is believed to stabilise the mixture of the mineral and the dewatering agent, and to assist in providing the cleaned surface with a wax-like shine. An excessive amount of the antistatic agent/emulsifier in the composition should, however, be avoided since haze can be produced on the cleaned surface.

The preferred amount of this component is O to 10% by weight, but in order to facilitate the impregnation and to avoid excessive haze, it is more preferred in the range 1 to 5% by weight, and optimally about 3% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition when impregnated into the substrate and dried.

The dewatering agent used in combination with the mineral oil in the cleaning composition of the present invention is an organic compound which has cationic properties and contains an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group. A number of dewatering agents of this type can be used, including the following:: (i) the condensation product of a fatty acid with a fatty acid amine, for example Ra.CO.NHRb wherein Ra is a typical coco alkyl group, such as a lauryl group, and Rb is a typical tallow alkyl group, such as an oleyl or palmityl group, (ii) an imidazoline fatty acid derivative, for example

where RC is a fatty acid alkyl group, such as a stearyl group (C18H37-). This type of compound is made by the cyclisation of the amide from a fatty acid condensation product with ethylene diamine, (iii) a quaternary ammonium salt containing at least one fatty acid alkyl group, e.g. stearyl trimethyl quaternary amine chloride

(iv) the condensation product of a fatty acid amine and an co-chloro fatty acid, for example Rd.NH.ReCO2H made by condensing stearylamine with chioroacetic acid to give C,8H37.NH.CH2.CO2H, (v) fatty acid amine oxide made by oxidation of a tertiary fatty acid amine with hydrogen peroxide to give

for example, wherein Rf is a stearyl group, (vi) The condensation product of a fatty acid amine and ethylene oxide, for example Rg.NH.(CH2CH2O)X H where R9 is a fatty acid alkyl e.g. stearyl group and x is an integer from 1 to 4, (vii) a fatty acid amine salt, for example, coco amine hydrochloride Rh.NH.2.HCI where Rh is a coco alkyl group.

A suitable dewatering agent is a quaternary ammonium salt in which two of the groups attached to the nitrogen atom are aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon groups and the remaining two groups are methyl or ethyl groups. It is preferred that the two hydrocarbon groups are the same and contain from 6 to 1 8 carbon atoms, and the remaining two groups are both methyl groups. A number of commercial dewatering agents of this type are available wherein the hydrocarbon groups are both coconut oil residues and the salt is a halide or a sulphate.

Another very acceptable dewatering agent is the condensation product of the general formula:- R'NH.CO.R" wherein R' is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 18 carbon atoms and R" is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 14 to 18 carbon atoms. Preferably R' is a coconut oil residue and R" is a hydrogenated tallow residue.

The amount of dewatering agent in the cleaning composition determines the area of surface that may be treated by an impregnated wipe of a given size. The upper limit is set by acceptability of the "feel" of the wipe, whilst the lower limit is set by the performance of the wipe. The preferred range of this component which may be used is from 10 to 50% by weight, and more desirably between 20% and 35% by weight. Optimally it will be about 29% by weight of the dry composition.

Whether the cleaning composition of the present invention is to be used either direct as a liquid cleaning composition or as an impregnant for a substrate, it is formulated as an aqueous solution/dispersion. In view of the incompatibility of the water and the organic components of the composition, an emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent has to be used. It has been found that the presence in the emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent of at least one hydroxyl group and at least one ether group is needed; a particular example being of the general formula:- HO.CH2CH20RO wherein RO is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group, preferably an n-butyl group.This class of compounds is a well known range of solvents in which RO can be one of the following:-- methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl hexyl, allyl, phenyl or benzyl. The preferred groups are ethyl, isopropyl, butyl or isobutyl. Of these the butyl group is the most preferred. Between 0 and 1 5% by weight could be used, but for the best economical and effective use the range is between 4% and 10% by weight, with about 6% being a suitable preferred figure in the optimal region.

The amount of water present in the liquid composition or in the impregnant is not critical. In general it is found that the lower limit is set by the requirement to have a solution of the correct concentration of solid, dewatering agents and other components for applying an adequate amount of the composition to the substrate. If the mixture as applied is too concentrated an excess of composition is applied to the substrate. On the other hand if the mixture is too dilute insufficient composition is applied. These two limits set the range for the water content and this range is from 20% to 90% by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion. The preferred range is from 40 to 75% by weight, with the optimal concentration about 69% by weight. A lower amount could probably be used if automatic impregnating methods were used.

The cleaning composition of the present invention could also contain a dye, pigment, perfume, disinfectant or germicide.

Some embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example.

EXAMPLE 1 "The following components were mixed together at room temperature:- Lutensit K-HT 25 parts by weight Kostat P 650/5 2.5 parts by weight Mineral Seal Oil 10 parts by weight Butyl oxitol 20 parts by weight The mixture was then heated to 600C and mixed with 42.5 parts by weight of water, which had been pre-heated to 600 C. This mixing was carried out with stirring and the stirring was maintained while the mixture cooled. This concentrated form of the active liquid phase was stable enough to be capable of long term storage and transportation before formulating the final cleaning composition.

Two parts by weight of this liquid concentrate was diluted with four parts by weight of water, with stirring, and then one part by weight of Celite 281 was added with vigorous stirring. A slight tendency for the solid phase to settle out on standing was noticed, but a small amount of stirring or shaking was all that was necessary to effect complete re-dispersion of the solid.

Two types of porous substrate were impregnated with the final cleaning composition.

A. Individual wipes were prepared by cutting currently available "large size" J cloths (356 mm. x 622 mm.) in half to yield a cleaning cloth of a convenient size to grasp in the hand (356 mm. x 311 mm.). Each wipe weighed 5 grams and was impregnated with 28 grams of the final cleaning composition. Manual impregnation was used, but automation of this step can readily be achieved with known technology. The impregnated wipes were then dried in a current of air at 35 to 400 C. The final weight of each of the dried wipes was about 12 grams; indicating that all of the water and the butyl oxitol had been evaporated.

B. Standard pieces of open-cell polyurethane foam measuring 1 50 mm. x 100 mm. x 50 mm.

weighing an average of 16 grams each were impregnated with 170 grams of the final cleaning composition. The sponges were dried at a similar temperature to that of the wipes. A higher drying temperature could be used in order to speed up the drying process but the amount and type of degradation, if any, of the components is at present unknown.

The impregnated wipes and sponges of the present invention were found to perform best on hard surfaces such as glazed earthenware, stoved enamel, vitreous enamel, "Formica", Melamine and similar surfaces used on plastics in the form of thermosetting mouldings or GRP laminates (e.g. telephones, and GRP shower units). They were less successful on varnished or polished wood, mirrors and certain paints, and on plastic finishes (e.g. the finish on a domestic deep freeze cabinet or matt black desk tops).

While they were very good on chromium or brass, they were less suitable for "brushed" aluminium. However, they were effective on the stainless steel of a domestic sink. The dirt removed was seen to be carried away in the wipe or sponge, and a thin protective film was left behind, which imparted a visible sheen to the surface and rendered it smooth to the touch.

Before use, each wipe and sponge was moistened slightly with a suitable volume of water. For the wipe this was 5 to 8 ml. The area which each wipe or sponge was able to clean depended upon the vigour with which they were used and the nature of the surface and of the dirt which was removed.

The impregnant was found to be slightly alkaline as indicated by a moist Universal indicator paper pressed onto a wipe or sponge when a colour corresponding approximately to pH 8 was produced. This degree of alkalinity was considered to present no problems when using the wipes or sponges with bare hands. On some surfaces, especially vitreous enamel or stoved enamel an improvement in shine was obtained by allowing the surface to dry after passage of the wipe or sponge, followed by buffing with a dry cloth.

EXAMPLES 2 TO 7 Example 1 was repeated with the exception that the following components in the following proportions were used:-

Example Component 2 3 4 5 6 Lutensit K-HT 25 25 25 25 1 25 Kostat P650/5 2.5 8 8 8 0 Mineral Seal Oil 2.0 10 2.0 2 10 Butyl oxitol 20 12 20 12 20 Water 50.5 45 45 53 45 Example Component 7 Arquad 2C.75 10 Mineral Seal Oil 11 Kostat P650/5 1 Water 78 i Satisfactory results were also obtained with the resulting impregnated substrates prepared from these components.

In Examples 1 to 7, the following trade names were used:- Lutensit K-HT-a dewatering agent manufactured by BASF of the general formula:- R'NH.CO.R" wherein R' is a coconut oil residue and R" is a hydrogenated tallow residue.

Kostat P 650/5-an antistatic agent/emulsifier manufactured by Humko Ltd of the general formula:-

wherein the sum of x and y is, on average, equal to five and R is a coconut oil residue.

"Mineral seal oil"-a commercially available material manufactured by Gulf Oil Corporation. This oil is a narrow cut, straight run, highly paraffinic hydrocarbon oil which is practically odourless and has a low viscosity. Its relative density at 1 5.60C is 0.821 and it has a boiling point range of from about 265 to about 3050C.

Arquad 2C-75-a dewatering agent manufactured by Armour Industrial Chemical Company Limited which is a quaternary ammonium chloride wherein two of the groups attached to the nitrogen atom are methyl groups and the remaining two groups are both coconut oil residues. A 75% w/w solution of Arquad 2C-75 in isopropanol together with other ingredients, is soid under the Trade Name "Armogloss 100".

Celite 281-a calcined diatomaceous earth abrasive sold by the Johns-Manville Corporation, the particles of which predominantly have a particle size of from 1 to 10 microns, with an average particle size of about 7 microns. 1.2% by weight of this abrasive is retained on a 325 ASTM mesh sieve.

Claims (47)

1. A cleaning composition comprising an abrasive; a mineral oil; and a dewatering agent having cationic properties and containing an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group.

2. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 wherein the abrasive is a diatomaceous earth.

3. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 2 wherein the diatomaceous earth has been calcined in the presence of an added flux.

4. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the abrasive has a particle size range essentially from 1 to 10 microns with an average particle size of about 7 microns.

5. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the abrasive is present in an amount of between 10 and 85 percent by weight, based on the total weight the composition.

6. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 5 wherein the abrasive is present in an amount of between 40 and 65 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

7. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 6 wherein the abrasive is present in an amount of about 57 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

6. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the mineral oil is a paraffinic hydrocarbon oil.

9. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 8 wherein the paraffinic hydrocarbon oil has a boiling point range of from about 265 to 3050C.

10. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the mineral oil is present in an amount of from 2.3 to 1 7.5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

11. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 10 wherein the mineral oil is present in an amount offrom 6 to 14 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

12. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 11 wherein the mineral oil is present in an amount of about 11 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

13. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including an antistatic agentlemulsifier of the general formulas

wherein x and y are each independently an integer of at least 1 and up to 1 a, and R is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group.

14. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 13 wherein the sum of x and y is, on average, equal to five.

1 5. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 13 or claim 14 wherein R is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 18 carbon atoms.

1 6. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 15 wherein R is a coconut oil residue.

1 7. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of claims 13 to 1 6 wherein the antistatic agent/emulsirier is present in an amount of up to 10 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

18. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 7 wherein the antistatic agent/emulsifier is present in an amount of from 1 to 5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

1 9. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 8 wherein the antistatic agent/emulsifier is present in an amount of about 3 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

20. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the dewatering agent is a condensation product of a fatty acid primary amine and another fatty acid.

21. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 20 wherein the condensation product has the general formula:- R'NH.CO.R" wherein R' is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 1 8 carbon atoms and R" is an aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 14 to 18 carbon atoms.

22. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 21 wherein R' is a coconut oil residue and fl1, is a hydrogenated tallow residue.

23. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 1 9 wherein the dewatering agent is a quaternary ammonium salt in which two of the groups attached to the nitrogen atom are aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon groups and the remaining two groups are methyl or ethyl groups.

24. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 23 wherein two of the groups attached to the nitrogen atom are identical and are both aliphatic or olefinic hydrocarbon group containing from 6 to 1 8 carbon atoms, and therein the remaining two groups are both methyl groups.

25. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 24 wherein the residue is a coconut oil residue and the salt is a halide or a sulphate.

26. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the dewatering agent is present in an amount of from 10 to 50 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

27. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 26 wherein the dewatering agent is present in an amount of from 20 to 35 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

28. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 27 wherein the dewatering agent is present in an amount of about 29 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition.

29. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims additionally containing water and an emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent containing at least one hydroxyl group and at least one ether group.

30. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 29 wherein the emulsion stabiliser/mutual solvent has the general formula:- HO.CH2CH2OR0 wherein RO is an aliphatic hydrocarbon group.

31. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 30 wherein R is an n-butyl group.

32. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 31 wherein the emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent is present in an amount of up to 1 5 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent.

33. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 32 wherein the emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent is present in an amount of from 4 to 10 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent.

34. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 33 wherein the emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent is present in an amount of about 6 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent.

35. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 34 wherein the water is present in an amount of from 20 to 90 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent.

36. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 35 wherein the water is present in an amount of from 40 to 75 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent.

37. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 36 wherein the water is present in an amount of about 69 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the composition including water and emulsion stabilizer/mutual solvent.

38. A cleaning composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims including a dye, pigment, perfume, disinfectant or germicide.

39. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described.

40. A cleaning composition as claimed in claim 1 substantially as hereinbefore described in any one of the specific Examples.

41. A substrate when impregnated with a cleaning composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 two~28, or 38 to 40.

42. A porous non-woven fabric when impregnated with a composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 28, or 38 to 40.

43. A open-cell polyurethane sponge when impregnated with a composition as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 28, or 38 to 40.

44. A method of manufacturing an impregnated substrate for use as a cleaning article comprising mixing together a cleaning composition as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 37 to form a homogeneous mixture, impregnating a substrate with the homogeneous mixture, and drying the impregnated substrate to remove the water.

45. A method as claimed in claim 44 substantially as hereinbefore described.

46. A method as claimed in claim 44 substantially as hereinbefore described in any one of the specific Examples.

47. An impregnated substrate when manufactured by a method as claimed in any one of claims 44to46.