GB2205851A - Cleaning composition - Google Patents

Abstract

A cleaning composition comprising 10-20% of an organic base, 0.2-4% of an anionic surfactant, 0.10-4.0% of a thickening agent and the balance solvent. The composition, which exhibits thixotropy upon manual or aerosol spraying onto surfaces, is applied to burned-on or baked-on food soils on cooking or eating utensils. After about 10 minutes, these soils are easily removed.

Description

CLEANING COMPOSITION This invention relates to liquid cleaners, particularly those used in cleaning cooking and eating utensils.

Background of the Invention Liquid cleaning compositions of many kinds are well known. These may comprise an aqueous solution or mixture of surfactant and alkaline agent and sometimes further include a thickening agent such as polyacrylic acid.

Thickened cleaning compositions are useful for keeping the cleaning composition directly in contact with the soiled utensil without the dilution that occurs when utensils are soaked.

While such thickened compositions may not run off from soiled cooking or eating utensils as quickly as water, they rarely cling for more than a few minutes.

Additionally, cleaning compositions with polyacrylic acid as a thickener usually are difficult to apply to soiled utensils. When sprayed from manual spray pumps, the cleaner does not mist into droplets but remains in the form of a thin viscous string. Besides having an unattractive appearance, these compositions are not easily applied to more than small areas of a utensil.

Another problem in the use of alkaline cleaners is that they frequently stain utensils made from aluminium.

Summary of the Invention A new liquid cleaning composition has been found to have many attractive qualities and to solve problems of earlier such compositions. The composition comprises 10-20% of an organic base, 0.1-48 of a thickening agent, 0.2-4% of an anionic surfactant and balance, solvent.

A major improvement inherent in this composition is its thixotropic quality. At rest, the composition is a gel, a non-fluid or only slightly fluid viscous material; but when subjected. to shearing action, the composition viscosity decreases rapidly to become fluid so it is pourable and sprayable. Upon coming to rest, the composition quickly regains its gel viscosity and non-fluid or low fluidity character.

This thixotropic quality is very attractive in a liquid cleaner for it permits easy and even application to soiled cooking or eating utensils, as for example by manual or aerosol spraying. Moreover, once the composition contacts the surface to be cleaned, it clings with substantially no dripping or run off even from vertical surfaces. Thus, the consumer may spray the composition on soiled pans or plates and leave the cleaning composition to work. No soaking of utensils is necessary. From 15 minutes to an hour after application of the composition, substantially all the baked-on or burned-on food soil may be removed from utensils with light rubbing and/or rinsing. The composition may be applied to utensils which are still warm from use or which have become cold. Thus, a further advantage of the composition is that it operates to clean soil from warm or cool utensils, eg from 45-2400F.

The organic base in the composition may be any of a variety of organic amines. Also, the nonionic surfactant may be a variety of sulphonated, sulphated, carboxylated or phosphated compounds. The thickeners of the present invention are either expandable layered clays of the smectite or attapulgite families or polycarboxylated polymeric materials substituted with surfactant moieties, i.e. moieties bearing multiple alkylene oxide units attached to a long alkyl chain. The solvent of the composition is water or a water-alcohol mixture.

The composition of the present invention resolves the staining problem of alkaline surfactant systems by incorporating 0.1-0.7% of an anti-staining agent such as phosporic acid or alkali metal silicate compounds.

Optionally, the composition may further include 0.5-108 of a nonionic surfactant compound and 8-25% of a grease solvent.

The composition pH is 10.5-12.5 or 11-12.

Detailed Description of the Invention The composition of the present invention comprises 10-20% of an organic base, 0.1-4% of a thickening agent, 0.2-4% of an anionic surfactant and the balance, solvent.

All percentage amounts herein indicate percent by weight unless otherwise noted.

The organic amine is a source of alkalinity for the composition. Suitable amines include monoethanolamine, pyrrolidine, n-butyl amine, s-butyl amine, 4-amino-1-butanol, 6-amino-1-hexanol, t-butylamine, cyclohexylamine, piperidine, trimethylenediamine, 1,6-diaminohexane, ethylene diamine, 2,6-dimethylpiperidine, 2-amino-l-butanol, benzylamine, N-benzylmethylamine, + 2-amino-l-butanol, glucosamine, and 3-amino-1-propanol.

Monoethanolamine, 1,6-diaminohexane and 2-(2-aminoethoxy) ethanol are preferred for incorporation in the present invention as they impart no unpleasant odour to the light duty composition.

The organic base may be present at from 10-20%, or 12-16% by weight.

The composition next comprises an anionic surfactant component. A wide variety of compounds is suitable for use in the present invention, including sulphonated and sulphated surfactants containing a C10-C16 alkyl or alkenyl group, such as long chain (C12-Cl8) fatty alcohol sulphates, or sulphated ethoxylated long chain (C12-C18) alcohols; and long chain (C12-Cl8) alkylamino and alkylamido sulphonates, e.g. N-C10-C16 alkyl-N-methyl taurates and N-C12-C16 fatty acyl-N-methyl taurates. Also suitable would be carboxylated long chain (C12-C18) alcohol ethoxylates.

Other suitable sulphonate surfactants are the water-soluble salts, particularly the alkali metal, and alkanolammonium (e.g., monoethanolammonium or triethanolammonium) salts of alkylbenzene sulphonates in which the alkyl group contains from about 10 to about 15 carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain configuration, e.g., those of the type described in U.S.

Patent Nos. 2 220 099 and 2 477 383, incorporated herein by reference. Especially valuable are linear straight chain alkylbenzene sulphonates in which the average number of carbon atoms in the alkyl group is from about 11 to about 13.

Also useful herein are the water-soluble salts of paraffin sulphonates, alkyl glyceryl ether sulphonates, and -alkyloxy alkane sulphonates containing from about 1 to 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl group.

Mixtures of the above-described sulphonates, particularly with the Cll 13 linear alkylbenzene sulphonates, can also be used.

Additional anionic surfactants useful in the present invention are various complex organic phosphate ester surfactants, e.g. esters of A-phosphated fatty acids, ss-alkyloxy alkane phosphates, and esters having formula (I) or (11):

where n is an integer from 0 to 25 and R is an alkyl group of 3-18 carbon atoms or a phenyl group. Alkali metal or ammonium or substituted ammonium salts of these complex organic phosphate esters are suitable as are mixtures of the esters, for use in the cleaning composition.

Commercially available examples of these anionic surfactants are surfactants sold under the trade names Neodol 23-3S (a mixture of sulphated primary alcohols having 12 and 13 carbon atoms condensed with 3 moles of ethylene oxide) produced by Shell Oil Company, Houston, Texas; and GAFAC LO-529 and GAFAC RM-510, respectively believed to be a partial sodium salt and an organic phosphate ester in free acid form of the compound having Formula (I) produced by GAF Corporation, New York, New York.

The anionic surfactant may be present at from 0.2-4% or 0.4-2% or 0.5-1.5%.

The thickening agent of the composition is either an expandable layered. clay or one of the following two types of polycarboxylated polymeric materials. The copolymers described in US Patent Nos 3 779 970 and 3 794 608, incorporated herein, may be employed as the thickening agents of the instant invention. These copolymers include more particularly a copolymer of 90-95% carboxylic-bearing monomers, e.g. acrylic or maleic acids, and 0.5-10% of a monomer having the following formula:

where x is an integer from 10 to 100 and y is an integer from 7 to 19. The molecular weight of the copolymer is at least 30,000 and alternatively from 150,000 to 300,000.

The linkage between the polymer backbone and the surfactant side chain of the monomer shown above may be several other types besides the ester linkage shown.

Alternative linkages include urethane, benzene, benzyl, amide, or ether linkages. The polymers are prepared as described in US Patent Nos. 3 779 970 and 3 794 608. One commercially available product suitable for the composition which is believed to come within the above description is sold by the trade name Acrysol ICS-1 by the Rohm & Haas Company of Wilmington, Delaware as a liquid dispserion of about 30% polymeric solids; hence, to provide 0.1-4% of the polymeric thickener, the amount of Acrysol ICS-1 used in the composition must be 0.33-13.3% by weight.

The thickening agent may also suitably be one of the terpolymers described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,600,761 or 4,616,074 incorporated herein, i.e., a terpolymer that is the emulsion polymerization product having molecular weight over 30,000 e.g., 150,000-300,000, of a mpnomer system comprising: (A) about 1 to about 25 percent of at least one of at least one non ionic urethane monomer which is the urethane reaction product of a monoethylenically unsaturated monoisocyanate with a nonionic surfactant of the formula:

or at least one methylene succinic acid ester monomer of the formula::

where in either of IV or V, x is an integer from 1 to 150, and y is an integer from 0 to 50 when R is alkoxy, alkylphenoxy, dialkyl phenoxy, or alkyl carbonyloxy having 5 to 30 carbon atoms or a sorbitan fatty ester of the formula

where each of p, q, r and s is an integer and the sum of said integers is from 1 to 100, R1 is H or COR2 and R2 is alkyl, alkyl phenyl, or dialkyl phenyl having 5 to 30 carbon atoms; (B) about 5 to about 70 percent of a copolymerizable 6 9 -ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer of the formula:

where R is H and R1 is H, an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or -CH2COOX;R is -COOX and R1 is H, and X is H or an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and (C) about 10 to about 90 percent of at least one nonionic, copolymerizable -ethylenically unsaturated monomer of the formula CH2=CYZ (VII) where Y is H and Z is CN, C1, -COOR, -C6H4R,

or -CH=CH2; Y and Z are C1, 'and Y is CH3 and Z is CN,

-CH=CH2, -C6H4R, or -COOR1, and R is H, C1, Br or alkyl containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1 is alkyl containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or hydroxyalkyl containing from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and R2 is alkyl containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms. Optionally the terpolymer may further incorporate (D) up to 1 percent of a copolymerizable polyethylenically unsaturated cross-linking monomer. The terpolymers are prepared as described in U.S. Patent Nos.

4,600,176 and 4,616,074, and have molecular weight of 150,000-300,000.

More particularly, the terpolymer may be made from 40-608 acrylic acid, 30-558 of a monomer of formula (VIII):

where x is an integer from 10 to 40 and y is an integer from 7 to 17 and 30-55% of a hydrophobic monomer such as methyl or ethyl acrylate. This last polymer is believed to be commercially available under the trade name Alco EXP-1098-5 ex Alco Chemical Corporation of Chattanooga, Tennessee, as a liquid dispersion of 30% polymeric solids.

Alco EXP-1098-5 may be added directly to the other components of the composition.

The amount of the polymeric materials to be incorporated in the present composition is 0.1-2%, or more particularly 0.2-0.8% or 0.4-0.78.

It is noted that polymeric materials of the type described may impart an even greater viscosity to compositions which have an alkaline pH or which include nonionic surfactant. In such compositions it may be desirable to use correspondingly lower amounts of polymeric materials e.g. 0.1-0.8% or 0.3-0.6%.

When the composition incorporates an expandable layered clay thickening agent, the clay may be naturally occurring or synthetic. Naturally occurring clays include smectite and attapulgite clays.

The clay materials which function in the instant composition as thickening agents can be described as expandable layered clays, i.e. aluminosilicates and magnesium silicates. The term "expandable" as used to describe the instant clays relates to the ability of the layered clay structure to be swollen, or expanded, on contact with water. The expandable clays used herein are those materials classified geologically as smectites (or montmorillonoids) and attapulgites (or palygorskites).

Smectites are three-layered clays. There are two .:r distinct classes of smectite-type clays. In the first, aluminium oxide is present in the silicate crystal lattice; in the second class of smectites, magnesium oxide is present in the silicate crystal lattice. The general formulas of these smectites are A12(Si2O)2(OH)2 and Mg3(Si205)(OH)2, for the aluminium and magnesium oxide type clays, respectively. It is to be recognised that the range of the water of hydration in the above formulas can vary with the processing to which the clay has been subjected. This is immaterial to the use of the smectite clays in the present compositions in that the expandable characteristics of the hydrated clays are dictated by the silicate lattice structure.Furthermore, atom substitution by iron and magnesium can occur within the crystal lattic or the smectites, while metal cations such as Na+, Ca++, as well as H+, can be copresent in the water of hydration to provide electrical neutrality. Although the presence of iron in such clay material is preferably avoided to minimise chemical interaction between clay and bleach, such cation substitutions in general are immaterial to the use of the clays herein since the desirable physical properties of the clay are not substantially altered thereby.

The layered expandable aluminosilicate smectite clays useful herein are further characterised by a dioctahedral crystal lattice, whereas the expandable magnesium silicate clays have a trioctahedral crystal lattice.

The smectite clays used in the compositions herein are all commercially available. Such clays include, for example, montmorillonite (bentonite), volchonskoite, nontronite, beidellite, hectorite, saponite, sauconite and vermiculite. The clays herein are available under various trade names such as Thixogel No. 1 and Gelwhite GP from Georgia Kaolin Company, Elizabeth, New Jersey (both montmorillonites); and Laponite RDS from Laporte Industries, Ltd., Luton, England.

A second type of expandable clay material useful in the cleaning composition is classified geologically as attapulgite (palygorskite). Attapulgites are magnesium-rich clays having principles of superposition of tetrahedral and octahedral unit cell elements different from the smectites. An idealised composition of the attapulgite unit cell is given as: (OH2)4(OH)2Mg5Si8O20. 4H2O.

A typical attapulgite analyses yields 55.02% SiO2; 10.24% A1203; 3.53% Fe203; 10.45% MgO; 0.47% K2O; 9.73% H2O removed at 1500C; 10.13% H2O removed at higher temperatures.

Like the smectites, attapulgite clays are commercially available. For example, such clays are marketed under the trade name Attagel, i.e. Attagel 40, Attagel 50 and Attagel 150 from Englehard Minerals & BR< Chemicals Corporation.

Particularly preferred for the colloid-forming clay component in certain embodiments of the instant composition are mix-clay components exhibit increased fluidity upon application of shear stress but are still adequately thickened solutions at times when flow is not desired. Clay mixtures in a smectite/attapulgite weight ratio of from 5:1 to 1:5 are suitable. More particularly, ratios of from 2:1 to 1:2 or 1:1 may also be used.

As noted above, the clay employed in the compositions of the present invention contain cationic counterions such as protons, sodium ions, potassium ions, calcium ions, magnesium ions and the like. It is customary to distinguish between clays on the basis of one cation which is predominantly or exclusively absorbed. For example, a sodium clay in one which the absorbed cation is predominantly sodium. Such absorbed cations can become involved in exchange reactions with cations present in aqueous solutions. The present compositions may contain up to about 12% or alternatively up to about 8% potassium ions since they improve the viscosity increasing characteristics of the clay. At least 1%, or at least 2% of the potassium ions may be present.

The expandable clay is incorporated in the present composition in amounts from 0.5 to about 4% or 1-3% or 1.25-2.25%.

The solvent of the composition is water, which may be demineralized by procedures known in the art.

There may be an alcohol added to the water to help dissolve the components of the composition. Suitable alcohols include methanol, ethanol, and propanol, or a mixture of one or more of these alcohols. One alcohol which is commercially available is 3A-Alcohol Regular, comprising ethanol and methanol in a 95:5 ratio, also known as denatured alcohol or industrial methylated spirits. These alcohols may be present at 3-10% by weight and more particularly 5-8%.

Among the additional components which may be incorporated in the present composition are nonionic surfactants, organic solvents and anti-stain agents.

Many nonionic surfactants can be utilised in the cleaning compositions of this invention. The surfactant provides a pentrating and wetting effect, so as to increase the rate at which the composition penetrates food soil. Generally, the classes of nonionic surfactants which have been found to be most effective at the above-mentioned concentration levels include the following: a) ethoxylated linear primary alcohols having the general formula CmH2m+10(CH CH 0) H m 2m+1 2 2 n where m is 12 to 15, where n i 0.5 to 8.0. Mixtures of these alcohols are also effective in the present composition, e.g. a mixture of primary alcohols with 12 to 13 carbon atoms condensed with 3 moles of ethylene oxide, available commercially as Neodol 23-3 ex Shell Oil Company.

b) ethoxylated linear secondary alcohols having the general formula

where the sum of m and p is 6 to 13 and n including the moles of ethylene oxide may be 0.5 to 8. Mixtures of these secondary alcohols are also suitable for the composition, e.g. a mixture of linear secondary alcohols having 11-15 carbon atoms condensed with three moles of ethylene oxide, available commercially under the trade name Tergitol 15-S-3 ex Union Carbide Company of Danbury, Connecticut.

c) ethoxylated alkyl phenols having the general formula

where m is at least 8, and n is at least 3.

The amount of nonionic surfactant in the composition may be 0.5-10%, or 1-9% or 2-6%. It has been noted that use of certain nonionic surfactants from class a) and b) above has not produced thixotropic gel compositions.

These surfactants are Neodol 23-6.5 and Tergitol 15-S-7 and 15-S-9. One common characteristic of these surfactants is the amount of ethylene oxide. These three surfactants are condensation products of alcohols 6.5,7 and 9 moles of ethylene oxide. Without in any way limiting the scope of the invention, it is applicants' surmise that the larger amounts of ethylene oxide in these surfactants interferes with intermolecular interactions described in U.S. patent No. 4,426,485 incorporated herein by reference. It is preferred to employ nonionic surfactants of class a) and b) which have no more than 6 moles of ethylene oxide, or alternatively no more than 4.5 moles.

Organic solvents for aiding in the dissolving of oils and grease can include individually or mixtures of lower alkylene glycols (e.g. ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, butanediols, hexamethyleneglycol, etc.) and the glycol ethers (e.g. glycol monoethyl ether, glycol monobutyl ether, diethyleneglycol monoethyl ether diethylene glycol butyl ether). One commercially available product comprising propylene glycol ethers which is compatible with the present composition is Dowanol BC 100 ex Dow Chemical Company of Midland, Michigan.

The grease solvent may comprise 8-25% or 10-22% of the cleaning composition.

The composition may be found to strain cooking utensils which contain aluminium. The staining can be a darkening or blackening of isolated or large areas of the utensil. Incorporation of 0.01-0.7% of one of the following anti-stain ingredients has been found to greatly reduce and in most cases prevent staining.

The compositions of this invention may contain as an anti-stain agent from about 0.01% to about 0.7%, alternatively from about 0.04% to about 0.3% of an alkali metal silicate, preferably sodium or potassium silicates, having a ratio of silicon dioxide to alkali metal oxide of greater than 1, preferably greater than 1, preferably greater than 1.5, and most preferably greater than 2.

These silicates serve primarily to improve the corrosion protection of the composition. The clays also contribute to corrosion protection and human safety, including skin mildness and ingestion safety when used with the silicate.

Accordingly, even when thickening agents are used, it is desirable to add some clay to improve corrosion protection.

One commercially available product suitable for incorporation in the instant invention is the liquid dispersion sold as RU Silicate ex PQ Corporation of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which contain 46.8% solids on the average.

Alternatively, orthophosphate salts may be used as the anti-stain agent in an amount of 0.01-0.7% or 0.1-0.4%, added as phosphoric, orthophosphoric, pyrophosphoric or polyphosphoric acids. The acids may be neutralised by various alkaline agents including the organic base component of the composition.

g In order to test the effectiveness of various anti-stain compounds, the following tests were performed.

In each test, the compositions of Example 2 was used with the anti-stain in the amount listed. The stains on utensils were measured on a 5 point scale (0 = no stain, 4 = very obvious stain).

TABLE I Compo Amount sition Stain Anti-Stain Agent (%) tE Score Comments Sodium silicate** 0 12.2 4 Sodium silicate 0.5 12.5 2 clay system flocculated; viscosity reduced Phosphoric Acid 0 12.2 4 Phosphoric Acid 0.25 11.7 1 very slight staining Phosphoric Acid 0.5 11.5 < 1 clay system unaffected; vis cosity maintained Sulphuric Acid 0.25 12.2 4 Sulphuric Acid 0.5 11.5 4 Mixed Silicate 0 1 Phosphoric Acid 0.25 Silicate 0.1 Phosphoric Acid 0.25 **Na2O:Si 20 in ratio of 1:2.4 As the results in Table 1 indicate, phosphoric acid added as the anti-stain agent effectively prevents stain in a composition incorporating expandable clay thickener.

Sodium silicate may not prevent stains from such a composition. Silicate may not be favoured as the anti-stain agent in compositions incorporating clay thickeners anyway because the silicate may not properly disperse. Additionally, when a mixture of phosphoric acid and the silicate in Table I is used, undesirable crystals of sodium phosphate may form. Consequently, it is preferred to use phosphoric acid alone (thereby producing organic ammonium salts of the acid) as the anti-stain agent in clay-thickened compositions.

It is important in mixing the composition to add the phosphoric acid to the other components after the organic solvents, otherwise the clay may precipitate from the composition during storage.

Some additional ingredients which may be included are effective amounts of antimicrobial agents such fungicidal agents such as 2-(4-thiazolyl)-benzimidazole, sold by Merck & Co., Inc. as Metasol TK-100; wetting agents such as Zonyl FSN, a fluorocarbon nonionic surfactant. sold by E.I. DuPont de Nemours and Co. Inc. having a flash point of 920F and a density of 9.0 pounds per gallon; perfumes; dyes, anti-soil redeposition agents or suspending agents (e.g. carboxymethylcellulose or polyvinylalcohol) and solubilizers.

Further additional components, which may be added in minor amounts, e.g. less than 5% and preferably less that 2%, include opacifiers, enzymes and enzyme stabilising agents.

The cleaning compositions described herein may be poured onto soiled utensils and spread over the surface to be cleaned. Alternatively, the compositions may be sprayed on to the utensils. Suitable spraying mechanisms include manual spray pumps and aerosol cans. Due to the thixotropic quality of the cleaning compositions, the viscous composition become fluid upon application of shear force from manual or gas pressure. The packaging of the composition is by conventional methods, as by adding the composition to a metal container pressurised to up to 100 psi with a suitable propellant (e.g., butane gas) and fitted with an aerosol cap.

For a fuller understanding of the present invention, reference may be made to the following examples.

EXAMPLE I A composition.comprising 73.8% water, 1% Acrysol ICS-1R, 15% monoethanolamine, 0.5% RU Silicate , 3% Neodol 23-3R, 6% denatured alcohol, 0.5% GAFAC LO529, and 0.2% perfume is mixed and sprayed from a manual pump dispenser on to three aluminum sauce pans soiled as follows: Pan A: Equal parts of Baker's chocolate and milk are added to the clean aluminum saucepan. The pan is heated until the chocolate melts and is completely mixed with the milk. Heat is then reduced and the mixture is cooked until almost dry. The pan is removed from the heat and allowed to cool.

R Pan B: Enough RaguR spaghetti sauce is added to cover the pan bottom. The pan is tilted to coat the sides. Pan is heated until sauce is almost dry and turning dark. Pan is then removed and allowed to cool.

Pan C: A mixture of 2 parts CriscoR vegetable shortening and 1 part PillsburyR R All-Purpose flour is warmed until melted. The mixture is applied to the inside surfaces of the pan by brush. The pan is baked at 4000F for 40 minutes, then cooled to room temperature. A second coat of the fat/flour mixture is applied and the pan is baked again at 4000F for 40 minutes then cooled at room temperature.

The composition forms a mist in spraying and covers the sprayed pan area with small droplets. The droplets adhere to the pan or soil surface. The droplets remain where they land and do not trickle down.

After 20-40 minutes, each pan is lightly scrubbed with rinsing. Substantially all of the soil washes off easily within thirty seconds from each pan, and any remaining soil requires only a short concentrated scrubbing before being loosened. Pans A, B and C have no noticeable darkening stain due to the composition.

EXAMPLE II A composition comprising 15% Laponite RDSR, 15% monoethanolamine, 0.25% phosphoric acid, 2% Neodol 916R, 2.5% Neodol 23-3SR, 6% industrial methylated spirits, 20% Dowanol DpMR and balance water is packaged in a closed metal container fitted with an aerosol cap and pressurised using conventional methods up to 100 psi: pressure with butane gas.

The composition is sprayed from the aerosol can onto three aluminium pans soiled as per Example I. The composition forms a fine mist upon spraying and evenly coats with small droplets the parts of the pan that are sprayed. These droplets adhere to the pan surface or the soiled surface and do not trickle down any vertical pan surfaces.

After 20-40 minutes, each pan cleans with rinsing and light scrubbing as easily as pans A, B and C in Example I.

There are only a few slight, scattered darkened stains on each pan.

Claims (9)

Claims

1. A cleaning composition comprising 10-20% of an organic base, 0.2-4% of an anionic surfactant, 0.10-4.0% of a thickening agent and the balance solvent.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the thickening agent is selected from the group consisting of (a) a copolymer of 90-95% carboxylic-bearing monomers and 0.5-108 of monomers having the formula

where x is an integer from 1 to 100 and y is an integer from 8 to 18, and W is a chemical linkage selected from the group consisting of ester, ether, urethane, benzene, benzyl or amide, the molecular weight of the copolymer being from 30,000 to 300,000, or b) a terpolymer that is the emulsion polymerization product of A) about 1 to about 25 percent of at least one methylene succinic acid aster monomer of the formula::

in which x is an integer from 1 to 150, and y is an integer from 0 to 50 when R is alkoxy, alkylphenoxy, dialkyl phenoxy, or alkyl carbonyloxy having 5 to 30 carbon atoms or a sorbitan fatty ester of the formula

where each of p, q, r and s is an integer and the sum of said integers is from 0 to 100, R1 is H or COR2 and R2 is alkyl, alkyl phenyl, or dialkyl phenyl having 5 to 30 carbon atoms; (B) about 5 to about 70 percent of a copolymerizable i B -ethyenically unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer of the formula:

where R is H and R1 is H, an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, or -CH2COOX;R is -COOX and R1 is H, and X is H or an alkyl group containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and (C) about 10 to about 90 percent of at least one nonionic, copolymerizable , -ethylenically unsaturated monomer of the formula CH2=CYZ where Y is H and Z is CN, C1, -COOR, -C6H4R,

or -CH=CH2; Y and Z are C1, and Y is CH3 and Z is CN,

-CH=CH2, -C6H4R, or -COOR1, and R is H, Cl, Br or alkyl containing from 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R1 is alkyl containing from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or hydroxyalkyl containing from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, and R2 is alkyl containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

3. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the thickening agent is an expandable layered clay from the smectite family or the attapulgite family or is a mixture of clays from one or both families.

4. A composition according to claim 3 wherein the expandable layered clay is a magnesium oxide smectite clay.

5. A composition according to claim 1 further comprising 0.04-0.3% by weight of an alkali metal silicate as an antistain agent.

6. A composition according to claim 1 further comprising 0.1-0.4% of phosphoric acid as an anti-stain agent.

7. A composition according to claim 1 further comprising 10-22% by weight of a grease solvent.

8. A composition according to claim 2 comprising 12-16% by weight of monoethanolamine, 0.5-1.5% of an anionic surfactant, 0.1-0.8% of the copolymer or terpolymer, 5-8% of denatured alcohol, 2-6% of a mixture of ethoxylated primary alcohols having 12 to 13 carbon atoms condensed with 3 moles ethylene oxide, 0.04-0.3% by weight of alkali metal silicate and the balance water.

9. A composition according'to claim 3 comprising 12-16% by weight monoethanolamine, 0.5-1.5% by weight of an anionic surfactant, 1.25-2.25% by weight of the expandable layered smectite or attapulgite clay, 5-8% by weight of denatured alcohol, 10-22% by weight of a grease solvent, 0.1-0.4% by weight of phospheric acid and the balance water.