Textiles, leather, paper, wood and other fibrous materials are treated with compounds having the formul RSOR1Y or RSO2R1Y in which R is an aliphatic radicle with at least 6 carbon atoms or an isocyclic or heterocyclic radicle, R1 is an aliphatic radicle containing at the most 7 carbon atoms and Y is a carboxylic acid group, a polybasic mineral acid group, a polyether group, an amino group or a quaternary ammonium group. The polybasic mineral acid group may be attached to R1 by means of carbon, oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen atoms, but in the case of sulphones containing a sulphonic group, the latter must always be attached directly to carbon. The sulphoxides and sulphones have wetting, cleansing, foaming, dispersing, penetrating, levelling and softening properties. They cause a deepening of the shades when used in printing, especially with acid dyestuffs and they have a high levelling action with viscose. Dispersions of oils, fats, waxes, e.g. tallow, carnauba or paraffin wax containing the said compounds are useful in the textile industry. Dispersions of rubber and dyestuffs are mentioned. The compounds may be used in association with sodium carbonate, Glauber's salt, perborates, ortho, pyro and meta phosphates, sodium acetate, sodium formate, aluminium formate, acids, mucilages, gums, glue, cyclohexanone, trichlorethylene, benzylalcohol, and glycol mono alkyl and arylethers. In examples: (1) cross spools are treated in a bath containing sodium carbonate and the sodium salt of octodecyl-18-thionyl-2-ethanesulphonic acid; (2) the salt of the corresponding oleyl thionyl sulphonic acid is used in dyeing wool with Anthraquinone blue SR, wool fast yellow 3G or Supramine red B; (3) sodium octodecyl- and oleyl-18-thionyl-2-ethanesulphonate, octodecyl - 18 - sulphuryl - 2 - ethanesulphonate, octodecyl - 18 - sulphuryl - 2 - ethylamino - 2<1> - ethanesulphonate, octodecyl-18-thionyl-2-ethylamino-2<1>-ethanesulphonate and octodecyl - 18 - thionyl - 2 - ethylamino - N - methyl-2<1>-ethanesulphonate are used for softening viscose piece goods; (4) sodium octadecyl-18-thionyl (or sulphuryl)-2-ethanesulphonate, oleyl - 18 - thionyl - 2 - ethylamino - 2<1> - ethane - N - methyl-1<1>-sulphonate and oleyl-18-thionyl-2-ethyl-1-mercapto propionate are used for washing white goods. Sulphones and sulphoxides containing the phenyl, naphthyl, benzyl, ethylphenyl, cyclohexyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, methylnaphthyl, benzthiazole, benzimidazole, pyridine, quinoline and piperidine radicles are specified and halogen atoms and hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, nitrile and sulphamide groups may be present. The group Y may be a residue obtained by treating a reactive hydrogen atom of R1, e.g. a hydroxy, carboxylic, amino or mercapto hydrogen, with ethylene oxide. When the sulphoxides or sulphones contain halogen, the group Y may be introduced by treating with alkali sulphites, mono or diamines, aminocarboxylic acids, hydroxy or mercaptocarboxylic acids or amino, hydroxy or mercaptosulphonic acids. Specifications 380,431, 380,851, 404,931, 422,937, 444,501, 446,992; 450,559, [Group III], 453,443, and 454,675 are referred to. According to the Provisional Specification, the radicle R1 may contain eight carbon atoms. Specifications 442,525, 453,780, and 454,728 also are referred to.ALSO:Sulphoxides and sulphones having the following formulae are stated to have dispersing properties: RSOR1Y or RSO2R1Y in which R is an aliphatic radicle with at least 6 carbon atoms or an isocyclic or heterocyclic radicle, R1 is an aliphatic radicle containing at the most 7 carbon atoms and Y is carboxylic acid group, a polybasic mineral acid group, a polyether group, an amino group or a quaternary ammonium group. The polybasic mineral acid group may be attached to R1 by means of carbon, oxygen, sulphur or nitrogen atoms, but in the case of sulphones containing a sulphonic group, the latter must be attached to carbon. Dispersions of oils, fats, waxes, e.g. tallow, carnauba or paraffin wax containing the said compounds are useful in the textile industry. Dispersions of rubber and dyestuffs are mentioned. The compounds may be used in association with sodium carbonate, Glauber's salt, perborates, ortho pyro and meta phosphates, sodium acetate, sodium formate, aluminium formate, acids, mucilages, gums, glue, cyclohexanone, trichlorethylene, benzyl alcohol, and glycolmonoalkyl and aryl ethers. In examples, sodium octodecyl-18-thionyl-2-ethane sulphonate, the corresponding oleyl thionyl-sulphonate, sodium octodecyl and oleyl-18-thionyl-2-ethanesulphonate, octodecyl-18-sul-phuryl-2-ethanesulphonate, octodecyl-18-sul-phuryl - 2 - ethylamino - 2<1> - ethanesulphonate, octodecyl - 18 - thionyl - 2 - ethylamino - 2<1>-ethanesulphonate, octodecyl - 18 - thionyl-2 - ethylamino-N - methyl - 2<1> - ethanesul-phonate, sodium octadecyl-18-thionyl (or sulphuryl) - 2 - ethanesulphonate, oleyl - 18 - thionyl-2-ethylamino-2<1>-ethane-N-methyl-1<1> -sulphonate and oleyl-18-thionyl-2-ethyl-1-mercaptopropionate are used. Sulphones and sulphoxides containing the phenyl, naphthyl, benzyl, ethylphenyl, cyclohexyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, methylnaphthyl, benzthiazole, benzimidazole, pyridine, quinoline and piperidine radicles are specified, and halogen atoms and hydroxyl, hydroxyalkyl, nitro, amino, nitrile and sulphamide groups may be present. The group Y may be a residue obtained by treating a reactive hydrogen atom of R1, e.g. a hydroxy, carboxylic, amino or mercapto hydrogen, with ethylene oxide. When the sulphoxides or sulphones contain halogen, the group Y may be introduced by treating with alkali sulphites, mono or diamines, aminocarboxylic acids, hydroxy or mercaptocarboxylic acids or amino, hydroxy or mercaptosulphonic acids. Specifications 380,431, 380,851, 404,931, 422,937, 442,525, 444,501, 446,992, [all in Group IV], 450,559; 453,443 and 454,675, [both in Group IV], are referred to.