The present invention relates to a solid composition comprising a matrix and one or more actives, said matrix comprising steramide or poly(vinyl alcohol) having a melting point higher than 150° C. It also relates to a cage and to a product comprising said solid composition and said cage, wherein said solid composition is contained in said cage. It further relates to a product comprising said solid composition and a porous solid support, wherein said solid composition is attached to said porous solid support. It further relates to a method for the controlled release of one or more actives in an automatic washing operation by providing said solid composition or any of the products to the machine in which said automatic washing operation is performed.

Aqueous hard surface cleaners and concentrates are disclosed. In one aspect, the cleaners comprise water, a monounsaturated C.sub.8-C.sub.14 fatty N,N-dialkylamide, and at least one anionic, cationic, nonionic, or amphoteric surfactant. The cleaners have a pH within the range of 6.0 to 9.0. Dilutable hard surface cleaner concentrates comprising the monounsaturated N,N-dialkylamide and a surfactant are also disclosed. Also included are aqueous hard surface cleaners which comprise a monounsaturated N,N-dialkylamide, and which by measure of ASTM D4488-95 A5 soil, provide superior percent cleaning at a pH less than 10 than they do at pH 10 and higher. Surprisingly, when a monounsaturated C.sub.8-C.sub.14 fatty N,N-dialkylamide is included in the aqueous hard surface cleaner or concentrate, rapid and thorough cleaning performance can be achieved even at relatively neutral pH. Consequently, the hard surface cleaners are effective on greasy soils, including baked-on soils, despite their low alkalinity.

The invention relates to novel compounds, to aqueous, in particular surfactant-containing formulations containing the novel compounds and to the use of the novel compounds as thickening agents of aqueous, in particular surfactant-containing formulations.

The invention is related to a precursor for making a detergent and a detergent comprising •water; •an alkyl sulfate; •a fatty acid alkanolamide and/or a fatty acid amidoamine; wherein the fatty acid alkanolamide corresponds to the formula (I) and wherein the fatty acid amidoamine corresponds to the formula (II)

##STR00001##

Aqueous hard surface cleaner compositions useful for removing permanent ink are disclosed. The compositions comprise 75 to 99 wt. % of water; 0.1 to 5 wt. % of a monoterpene; 0.1 to 5 wt. % of a C10-C17 fatty acid derivative; and 0.1 to 5 wt. % of one or more surfactants. The fatty acid derivative is selected from N,N-dialkyl amides, N,N-dialkyl esteramines, and N,N-dialkyl amidoamines. Preferably, a base such as sodium carbonate or monoethanolamine is also included. The invention includes concentrates comprising the non-aqueous components recited above, as well as other applications for the cleaners and concentrates such as graffiti removers and permanent ink erasers. The combination of a monoterpene and certain fatty acid derivatives, especially fatty N,N-dialkyl amides, unexpectedly enables even dilute aqueous compositions to rapidly decolorize black permanent marker from hard, non-porous surfaces.

An N-acylglucamide compound of the formula (I)

##STR00001## where R.sub.2 is a linear or branched alkyl group or an aryl group; X is a moiety R.sub.1, which is a linear or branched alkyl group comprising 8 to 18, carbon atoms, which is substituted by one hydroxy group; or X is a moiety R.sub.1, which is a linear or branched, mono- or polyunsaturated alkenyl group comprising 8 to 18 carbon atoms, which is substituted by one hydroxy group, And blends and aqueous surfactant solutions comprising it.

The present invention herein provides a disinfectant composition containing a) an effective amount of a hydrogen peroxide source, b) a blend of at least one aromatic alcohol and at least one glycol or glycol ether, c) at least one nonionic and/or anionic surfactant and d) at least one acid. Furthermore a method of using the disinfectant composition is also provided, whereby the composition can be applied to any surface and effectively kill a majority of tuberculosis and/or M. terrae microbes; resulting in a >5 log reduction at a contact time of 5 minutes or less.

A method of cleaning highway and road construction equipment is disclosed.

A cleaning agent composition for use in removing an adhesive residue, characterized in that the composition contains a quaternary ammonium salt and a composition solvent including a first organic solvent and a second organic solvent; the first organic solvent is an amide derivative represented by formula (Z) (wherein R.sup.0 represents an ethyl group, a propyl group, or an isopropyl group; and each of R.sup.A and R.sup.B represents a C1 to C4 alkyl group); the second organic solvent is a non-amide organic solvent other than the amide derivative; and the composition has a water content less than 4.0 mass %. ##STR00001##

A cleaning agent composition for use in removing an adhesive residue, characterized in that the composition contains a quaternary ammonium salt and a composition solvent including a first organic solvent and a second organic solvent; the first organic solvent is an amide derivative represented by formula (Z) (wherein R.sup.0 represents an ethyl group, a propyl group, or an isopropyl group; and each of R.sup.A and R.sup.B represents a C1 to C4 alkyl group); the second organic solvent is a non-amide organic solvent other than the amide derivative; and the composition has a water content less than 4.0 mass %. ##STR00001##