| abstract |
A concentrated, dilutable cleaning composition is provided which comprises a microemulsion comprising an oil phase of which the 'oil' is a nonionic surfactant, a predominant aqueous continuous phase, a polar organic solvent coupling agent, and a combination of surfactants different from the surfactant oil phase as the dispersing agent facilitating formation of said microemulsion, the cleaning composition dilutable with water for use as an all purpose cleaner and characterized by exhibiting the feature of blooming upon such dilution even in the absence of a lipophilic oil (or solvent). The blooming phenomenon is associated with the formation of a liquid crystal dispersion, which liquid crystal state is found to greatly enhance the cleaning effectiveness of the composition. In one aspect of the invention, one of the dispersing agent surfactants is a cationic surfactant which may be a quaternary ammonium compound capable of imparting an antimicrobial effect to the composition. |