| abstract |
A detergent preparation for use in a fabric wash liquor comprising separately an alkaline constituent and an acidic constituent, the alkaline constituent comprising an alkali metal carbonate and being present in excess of the acidic constituent, and the acidic constituent comprising an acid which is capable of forming water-soluble calcium and magnesium salts and/or complexes, having a higher rate of solubility in a wash liquor than the alkaline constituent, and containing from 5 to 30 per cent by weight, based on the total weight of the detergent preparation, of one or more acids having a pK, value in the range of from 2.8 to 4.8. It is preferred that the detergent preparation is in the form of a sachet comprising a material which is permeable to, or disintegrates in, water. Particularly preferred are sachets having two compartments, the acidic constituent being contained in one of the compartments and the alkaline constituent in the other. |