POWDER DETERGENT COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF MAKING

A powdered laundry detergent is provided with (a) a powder laundry detergent base that includes an inorganic carrier and a surfactant and (b) post-added acidulant and discrete whitening agent particles to provide a detergent havi ng improved cool water solubility with bulk color deterioration caused by whitening agents being minimized. The detergent includes from about 5 % to about 80 % of an inorganic carrier, from about 1 % to about 90 % of a detergent surfactant, from about 0.1 % up to about 15 % of an acidulant and from about 0.1 % up to about 30 % of the discrete whitening agent particles. The acidulant is selected from the group of acids that in an acid form are soluble in water in an amount not greater than about 8 %, preferably not greater than about 0.7 % by weight at 25 ~C and in a salt form are soluble i n water at least in an amount of about 15 % by weight at 25 ~C. The whitening agent particles include a whitening agent and a surfactant. The whitening agent surfactant can consist of those anionics, nonionics, zwitterionics, ampholytics, cationics, and mixtures thereof that are solids in a temperatur e range of from about 32 ~F (0 ~C) to about 180 ~F (82 ~C). In a more preferre d form, the whitening agent particles consist of a whitening agent, a surfactant, preferably an anionic surfactant, and water.