Textile materials are washed or cleansed with an aqueous solution containing a normal alkali salt of pyrophosphoric acid and a washing agent stable to the salts that cause the hardness of water, the solution being free from alkali metaphosphate; or the textile material is first treated with an aqueous solution containing such washing agent and then with an aqueous solution of a normal alkali salt of pyrophosphoric acid free from alkali metaphosphate. The normal alkali pyrophosphates include the ammonium salt. The said stable washing agents are not precipitated by hard water because their calcium and magnesium salts are soluble, but they do not prevent the precipitation of inorganic salts, e.g. calcium carbonate, in hard water especially if sodium carbonate is used at the same time. In the presence of the pyrophosphate, however, such inorganic salts become so extremely finely distributed that practically no solid precipitate is produced and metal salt adhering to the textile material can be washed out. The said stable washing agents include those obtainable by the processes described in Specifications 308,824, [Class 2 (iii)], 341,053, 343,524, 343,899, 366,916, and 372,005; fatty acid sarcosides (obtainable, for instance, as in Specification 360,982); and oxyalkylated fatty acid amides (obtainable as described in Specifications 415,718 and 420,545). In example 1, textiles washed in hard water with fatty alcohol sulphonates, with salts of condensation products from fatty acid chlorides with salts of hydroxyethane-sulphonic acids, or with oleic acid taurine compounds, are treated with a 0,3 to 0,5 per cent solution of normal sodium pyrophosphate, or the pyrophosphate may be added to the solution of said washing agents; in examples 2 to 7 the washing solution consists of oleic acid methyl tauride sodium salt, sodium carbonate and pyrophosphate; sodium salt of condensation product of stearic acid chloride and methyl taurine, sodium carbonate and pyrophosphate; hexadecylmethyltaurine sodium salt, sodium carbonate, perborate and pyrophosphate; octadecyl sulphuric ester potassium salt, sodium carbonate and potassium pyrophosphate; sodium salt of a condensation product of methyltaurine with a chlorinated acid chloride of a hardened fish oil fatty acid, sodium carbonate, pyrophosphate, perborate and metasilicate; a condensation product of sodium taurine with a fatty acid chloride from palm nut oil, sodium carbonate, perborate and metasilicate, and potassium pyrophosphate. Specifications 253,554, [Class 15 (ii)], 431,682, 435,861, 443,487, 443,731, and 447,072 also are referred to. ALSO:Textile materials are washed or cleansed with an aqueous solution containing a normal alkali salt of pyrophosphoric acid and a washing agent stable to the salts that cause the hardness of water, the solution being free from alkali metaphosphate; or the textile material is first treated with an aqueous solution containing such washing agent and then with an aqueous solution of a normal alkali salt of pyrophosphoric acid free from alkali metaphosphate. The normal alkali pyrophosphates include the ammonium salt. The said stable washing agents are not precipitated by hard water because their calcium and magnesium salts are soluble, but they do not prevent the precipitation of inorganic salts, e.g. calcium carbonate, in hard water especially if sodium carbonate is used at the same time. In the presence of the pyrophosphate, however, such inorganic salts become so extremely finely distributed that practically no solid precipitate is produced and metal salt adhering to the textile material can be washed out. The said stable washing agents include those obtainable by the processes described in Specifications 308,824, [Class 2 (iii)], 341,053, 343,524, 343,899, 366,916 and 372,005; fatty acid sarcosides (obtainable, for instance, as described in Specification 360,982); and oxyalkylated fatty acid amides (obtainable as described in Specifications 415,718 and 420,545). In example 1, textiles washed in hard water with fatty alcohol sulphonates, with salts of condensation products from fatty acid chlorides with salts of hydroxyethane - sulphonic acids, or with oleic acid taurine compounds, are treated with a 0,3 to 0,5 per cent solution of normal sodium pyrophosphate, or the pyrophosphate may be added to the solution of said washing agents; in examples 2 to 7 the washing solution consists of oleic acid methyl tauride sodium salt, sodium carbonate and pyrophosphate; sodium salt of condensation product of stearic acid chloride and methyl taurine, sodium carbonate and pyrophosphate; hexadecylmethyl taurine sodium salt, sodium carbonate, perborate and pyrophosphate; octadecyl sulphuric ester potassium salt, sodium carbonate and potassium pyrophosphate; sodium salt of a condensation product of methyl taurine with a chlorinated acid chloride of a hardened fish oil fatty acid, sodium carbonate, pyrophosphate, perborate and metasilicate; a condensation product, of sodium taurine with a fatty acid chloride from palm-nut oil, sodium carbonate, perborate and metasilicate, and potassium pyrophosphate. Specifications 253,554, [Class 15 (i)], 431,682, [Group IV], 435,861, 443,487, 443,731; and 447,072, [Group IV], are referred to.