Products stated to be useful in the textile, leather, paper, lacquer, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and rubber industries as wetting, washing, dispersing, levelling and softening agents are obtained by treating aliphatic compounds containing at least five carbon atoms and at least one hydroxy group with (a) dihydric alcohols free from ether linkages and containing at least three carbon atoms or their corresponding alkylene oxides, and (b) polyhydric alcohols containing from 2--4 carbon atoms and having one hydroxy group attached to each carbon atom or their corresponding alkylene oxides, in either sequence. The solubility of the products may be increased, if necessary by treatment with oxygen containing polybasic mineral acids. In a modification, the same starting materials are treated with at least three molecular proportions of the said dihydric alcohols or alkylene oxides and the condensation products then treated with polybasic mineral acids, e.g. sulphuric acid, sulphur trioxide or chlorsulphonic acid. In examples : (1) cetyl alcohol is treated first with propylene oxide and then with large excess of ethylene oxide ; (2) a product similar to that obtained according to example 1 is sulphonated ; (3) dodecyl alcohol is treated first with propylene oxide and then with ethylene oxide ; the product may be used for the preparation of pastes and creams containing petroleum jelly, soft paraffin wax, paraffin oil and wool fat ; (4) a condensation product obtained from coconut oil and monoethanolamine is treated with propylene oxide and ethylene oxide. The use of epichlorhydrin and 1 : 2-propylene-oxide is mentioned and the following starting materials : amyl, octyl and oleyl alcohols, montanol and 7 : 18-octodecanediol. Halogen atoms and nitro groups may be present in the starting materials. The products may be used in association with soap, turkey red oil, alkylated aromatic sulphonic acids, organic solvents, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, benzylalcohol, carbon tetrachloride, Glauber's salt, alkali phosphates, water glass, borates, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydrosulphite, mucilage, glue, starch and ethyleneoxide polymerization products. According to the Provisional Specification, low molecular alcohols, cyclohexanol, benzylalcohol and aromatic hydroxy compounds may be used as starting materials, e.g. propyl alcohol, cresols, naphthols and hydroxyanthracenes. Instead of the dihydric alcohols, alkylene oxides containing at least three carbon atoms and compounds acting in the same manner, e.g. glycide may be used. Specification 443,632 is referred to.ALSO:Products stated to be useful in the textile, leather, paper, lacquer, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and rubber industries as dispersing agents are obtained by treating aliphatic compounds containing at least five carbon atoms and at least one hydroxy group with (a) dihydric alcohols free from ether linkages and containing at least three carbon atoms or their corresponding alkylene oxides and (b) polyhydric alcohols containing from 2--4 carbon atoms and having one hydroxy group attached to each carbon atom or their corresponding alkylene oxides, in either sequence. The solubility of the products may be increased, if necessary by treatment with oxygen containing polybasic mineral acids. In a modification, the same starting materials are treated with three molecular proportions of the said dihydric alcohols or alkylene oxides and the condensation products then treated with polybasic mineral acids, e.g. sulphuric acid, sulphur trioxide or chlorsulphonic acid. In examples: (1) cetyl alcohol is treated first with propylene oxide and then with large excess of ethylene oxide; (2) a product similar to that obtained according to example 1 is sulphonated; (3) dodecyl alcohol is treated first with propylene oxide and then with ethylene oxide; the product may be used for the preparation of pastes and creams containing petroleum jelly, soft paraffin wax, paraffin oil and woolfat; (4) a condensation product obtained from coconut oil and monoethanolamine is treated with propylene oxide and ethylene oxide. The use of epichlorhydrin and 1 : 2-propylene-oxide is mentioned and the following starting materials: amyl, octyl and oleyl alcohols, montanol and 7 : 18-octodecanediol. Halogen atoms and nitro groups may be present in the starting materials. The products may be used in association with soap, turkey red oil, alkylated aromatic sulphonic acids, organic solvents, cyclohexanol, cyclohexanone, benzylalcohol, carbon tetrachloride, Glauber's salt, alkali phosphates, water glass, borates, sodium hypochlorite, sodium hydrosulphite, mucilage, glue, starch and ethylene oxide polymerization products. According to the Provisional Specification, low molecular alcohols, cyclohexanol, benzylalcohol and aromatic hydroxy compounds may be used as starting materials, e.g. propyl alcohol, cresols, naphthols and hydroxyanthracenes. Instead of the dihydric alcohols, alkylene oxides containing at least three carbon atoms and compounds acting in the same manner, e.g. glycide may be used. Specification 443,632 is referred to.