Detergent compositions

A detergent composition comprising a water-soluble organic detergent compound selected from the group consisting of anionic, nonionic, zwitterionic and ampholytic detergent compounds and as a detergent builder a compound represented by the general formula:

• ##STR7## wherein X and X' are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxys having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, hydroxyalkyls having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, carboxy in salt form, and carboxymethyloxy in salt form, provided that X and X' can be of the same substituent group only when they are both chosen from alkyl groups having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and provided that when either X or X' is alkoxy, the other group cannot be carboxy in salt form or hydroxyalkyl and further provided that when either X or X' is hydrogen, the other group can only be alkoxyalkyl or hydroxyalkyl;
• Y and Y' are hydrogen;
• and, M and M' are selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, ammonium, methylammonium, (tetramethyl) ammonium, normal monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine salts, normal monoisopropylamine salts, normal isopropanolamine salts, normal morpholine salts, the weight ratio of detergent builder to detergent compound ranging from about 1:20 to about 50:1.