Antimicrobial formulations

Antimicrobial formulations, which may be essentially free of an antimicrobial active, comprising one or more proton donating agents and an alkyl phosphate anionic surfactant comprising a mono alkyl phosphate having the chemical structure:wherein R1 is a saturated or unsaturated straight chain or branched alkyl group having from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms, x is a number from 0 to about 20, and R2 and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen, an alkali metal, or an alkanol amine, are provided and described herein. The formulations may be incorporated into wet wipes or various other personal care items such as facial tissue, bathroom tissue or feminine care products, or may be incorporated into lotions or soaps which may be applied directly to the skin. The antimicrobial formulations of the present invention have been found to have surprisingly high activity against numerous bacteria and other microorganisms.