Improvements in detergent compositions

Detergent compositions contain an organic ionic soapless detergent and a compound of the formula R(Ar)nOR1CONH2, where Ar is a benzene nucleus, n is 0 or 1, R1 is an alkylene or alkylidene radical containing not more than 6 and preferably 1 to 3 carbon atoms, and R is an alkyl radical having 4-12 carbon atoms when n is 1, of which at least 4 are in a straight chain counting from the carbon atom attached to the benzene ring, and 8-16 carbon atoms when n is 0, of which at least 8 are in a straight chain counting from the carbon atom attached to the ether linkage. When n is 1, the group R may be in the ortho-, meta- or para-position to the ether linkage, but the para-isomers are preferred. The benzene nucleus may be further substituted by groups such as methyl or hydroxyl. Specified amides of the formula above are p-tert.-octylphenoxyacetamide, alpha-(p-tert.-octylphenoxy)-propionamide, p-nonyl-phenoxyacetamide and n-octyl-, decyl- or dodecyl-oxyacetamide. The ionic soapless detergent may be anionic, e.g. a sulphated fatty alcohol, a secondary alkyl sulphate, an alkyl sulphonate or an alkaryl sulphonate, such as the sodium salt of sulphonated dodecyl benzene or toluene, or it may be cationic, e.g. cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The compositions may contain builders such as sulphates, silicates, carbonates, condensed phosphates, such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate or tripolyphosphates, e.g. pentasodium tripolyphosphate, or salts of carboxymethylcellulose. A typical composition contains 21.5 parts of sodium secondary alkyl (C8-18) sulphate, 22.5 of tetrasodium pyrophosphate and 56 of sodium sulphate, to which is added 2 parts of alpha(p-tert.-octylphenoxy)-propionamide or of p-tert.-octylphenoxyacetamide. The presence of the amides increases the persistence of the lather formed in washing operations carried out in soft water. Specification 723,212 is referred to.