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 C.sub.10-C.sub.17 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.

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 C.sub.10-C.sub.17 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.

The need for an antimicrobial hard surface cleaning composition providing good antimicrobial efficacy, even at low levels of the antimicrobial agent, while also providing improved surface shine, is met by formulating the composition with an antimicrobial active and an amine

A cleaning and disinfecting composition comprises a long-chain alkyl polyamine, such as dodecyl dipropylene triamine; a long-chain quaternary ammonium salt, such as N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride; and a metal carbonate salt, such as potassium carbonate, all in aqueous solution. A sequestering agent, a long-chain alkyl polyethoxylate, an alkanolamine and an anti-corrosive agent may also be present. The composition has a pH of at least 11 when diluted to an in-use concentration, and may be used to clean and disinfect hard surfaces, such as medical, dental and surgical implements, walls, floors, sinks and hard furnishing surfaces, or soft surfaces such as bedding, upholstery or clothing. The composition is effective as a virucide, a sporicide, a bacteriocide, a fungicide, and against yeasts and moulds, without harming the substrate cleansed.

A fabric softener composition including (i) 2 to 50 wt % quaternary ammonium ester fabric softener compound; and (ii) an amide of formula I:

R1-CONR2R3(I)

wherein R1 is selected from the group consisting of linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted C6-C12, each of R2 and R3 is independently selected from H, OH, a halogen, or C1-C6 linear or branched, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, and methods of treating a fabric including contacting the fabric with the composition.

The present invention relates to fabric softener active compositions comprising a combination of a mixture of quarternary ester ammonium compounds and fatty solvents ( a fatty acid ester, a fatty acid, a fatty alcohol and mixtures thereof) and methods of making and using the same. The fabric softener active compositions preferably comprise component (a), said component being a mixture of quarternary ester ammonium compounds obtained by esterification of a mixture of alkanolamines comprises at least a trialkanolamine and a monoalkyldialkanolamine; component (b), said component being a fatty acid ester or a mixture of fatty acid esters, wherein the component (b) content is in the range from 5 to 60% wt. based on the total weight of the fabric softener active composition; and a component (c), said component being a fatty acid or a mixture of fatty acids, wherein the component (c) content is in the range from 0 to 15% wt. based on the total weight of the fabric softener active composition. The invention also proposes fabric softener compositions, comprising the previously described active compositions, and methods of making and using the same.

Anti-microbial compositions are described which contain: (i) an active agent component containing: (A) a compound of formula (A)

##STR00001## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently a C.sub.8-12 alkyl group and X.sup.? is a halide anion such as chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide or sulphonate, saccharinate, carbonate or bicarbonate; (B) a compound of formula (B)

##STR00002## wherein m is from 8 to 18, and X.sup.? is a halide anion such as chloride, bromide, fluoride, iodide or sulphonate, saccharinate, carbonate or bicarbonate; and (C) a compound of formula (C)

##STR00003## where R is an unsubstituted C.sub.8 to C.sub.18 alkyl group; wherein: (a) (C) is present in an amount of from 5 to 95 wt % of the active agent component; and (b) the ratio by weight of A:B is 1:9 to 9:1; and (ii) a polar solvent.

A fabric softener active composition, comprising as component A at least 50% by weight of a bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having a molar ratio of fatty acid moieties to amine moieties of from 1.5 to 1.99, an average chain length of the fatty acid moieties of from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and an iodine value of the fatty acid moieties, calculated for the free fatty acid, of from 0.5 to 50, and as component B a (2-hydroxypropyl)-(1-methyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having the same fatty acid moieties as component A, and wherein the molar ratio of component B to component A is from 0.05 to 0.20.

A fabric softener active composition, comprising as component A at least 50% by weight of a bis-(2-hydroxypropyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having a molar ratio of fatty acid moieties to amine moieties of from 1.5 to 1.99, an average chain length of the fatty acid moieties of from 16 to 18 carbon atoms and an iodine value of the fatty acid moieties, calculated for the free fatty acid, of from 0.5 to 50, and as component B a (2-hydroxypropyl)-(1-methyl-2-hydroxyethyl)-dimethylammonium methylsulphate fatty acid ester having the same fatty acid moieties as component A, and wherein the molar ratio of component B to component A is from 0.05 to 0.20.

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 C.sub.10-C.sub.17 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.