Mild light duty detergent containing homopolymers of ethylene oxide

A method for substantially reducing skin irritation of the hands by a light duty liquid or powder detergent formulation consisting essentially of 10% to 35% by weight of a water-soluble anionic surfactant having skin irritating characteristics and selected from the group consisting of C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 aklyl benzene sulfonates, C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 alkyl sulfates containing from 0 to 3 ethenoxy groups in the molecule, C.sub.8 -C.sub.25 olefin sulfonates, C.sub.10 -C.sub.20 paraffin sulfonates, C.sub.8 -C.sub.9 alkyl phenol ethoxamer sulfates, and mixtures thereof which comprises contacting the hands with an aqueous washing solution of said detergent formulation containing said skin-irritating detergent and an effective amount of a homopolymer of ethylene oxide having the general formula (CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 0)n wherein n is an integer sufficient to provide a molecular weight between about 1 .times. 105 and 4 .times. 10.sup.6, said polymer being from about 0.01 to about 5% by weight of said formulation, with the balance of said formulation being either sodium sulfate or an aqueous medium containing up to 15% by weight of a solubilizing agent selected from the group consisting of C.sub.2 -C.sub.3 alkanols, polyethylene glycols and sodium xylene sulfonate.