| abstract |
The present invention relates to a solid particulate or liquid rinse-added fabric softening composition containing specific chlorine scavengers. The solid particulate composition, comprises from about 50% to about 95%, by weight of the composition, of biodegradable, cationic quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound and an effective amount of chlorine scavenger selected from the group consisting of: amines; ammonium salts; amino acids, but not lysine; polyamino acids; polyethyleneimines; polyamines, but not di(higher alkyl)cyclic amines nor their condensation products; polyamineamides; polyacrylamides; and mixtures thereof. The solid particulate composition further comprises from about 0% to about 30%, by weight of the composition, of a modifier, for viscosity, dispersibility, or both; and from about 0% to about 20%, by weight of the composition, of a pH modifier. The liquid composition comprises from about 0.5% to about 50%, by weight of the composition, of biodegradable, cationic quaternary ammonium fabric softening compound, an effective amount of chlorine scavenger selected from the same group as for the solid particulate composition, from about 0% to about 30%, by weight of the composition of a modifier for viscosity, dispersibility, or both, and the balance comprising a liquid carrier selected from the group consisting of water, C1-C 4 monohydric alcohols, C2-C8 polyhydric alcohols, liquid polyalkylene glycols, propylene carbonate, and mixtures thereof. The liquid compositions have a pH of from about 2 to about 5. |