Cold cleaning and stripping compositions having reduced vapor emission

This invention relates to compositions of matter useful for stripping paint and varnish and/or cleaning oil and grease from surfaces and substrates comprising the conventional industrial chlorinated solvents or the fluorochlorohydrocarbon (Freon) solvents, e.g. methylene chloride (dichloromethane), perchloroethylene, methylchloroform and mixtures thereof and a wax, such as paraffin wax, which composition is improved by the addition thereto of a novel class of evaporation retarding chemical compositions resulting in a far more effective stripping action and much improved environmentally desirable compositions. These compositions comprise a halogenated hydrocarbon, a natural or synthetic wax and at least one of ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate, an organic silicon copolymer surface active compound, surface active compounds having an HLB of from 8 to 16 and/or a plasticizer.