Liquid detergent composition containing polymeric surfactant

A high sudsing liquid dishwashing detergent composition containing by weight:

• (a) from about 5% to about 50% anionic surfactant;
• (b) from about 0.1% to about 10% of polymeric surfactant selected from the group consisting of:
• [R.sup.1 --R.sup.2 O--.sub.n --R.sup.3 O--.sub.m ].sub.y [R.sup.4 ][1]
• wherein each R.sup.1 is hydrogen, wherein each R.sup.2 or R.sup.3 is an alkylene group containing from two to about six carbon atoms with no more than about 90% of said molecule comprising R.sup.2 or R.sup.3 groups containing two carbon atoms;
• wherein R.sup.4 is selected from the group consisting of alkylene groups containing from one to about 18 carbon atoms and having from two to about six valences, ##STR12## (.dbd.NR.sup.2 N.dbd.), and .dbd.N--R.sup.2 NH--.sub.x, wherein n is from 0 to about 500, m is from 0 to about 500, n+m is from about 5 to about 1000, x is from about 2 to about 50, and y is from two to about 50 and equal to the valences of R.sup.4, and z is from 1 to about 6, and the product of z and x is from 2 to about 50;
• R.sup.1 --OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --.sub.x R.sup.2 --OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --.sub.y OR.sup.1 [2]
• where:
• R.sup.1 is H, or CH.sub.3, or CH.sub.3 (CH.sub.2).sub.n, or unsaturated analogues
• where:
• n=1-17
• each of x and y=2-500
• R.sup.2 --O(CH.sub.2).sub.z or unsaturated analogue of these where z=1-18;
• ##STR13## where:
• R.sup.3 is sulfate or sulfonate
• R.sup.4 is nothing or --OCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 --B
• A is 5-500
• B<A/2;
• ##STR14## wherein X is from 7.5-16, and Y is about 2.75;
• (c) from 0% to about 10% of a suds stabilizing nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of fatty acid amides, trialkyl amine oxides, and mixtures thereof;
• (d) from 0% to about 10% of a detergency builder selected from inorganic phosphates, inorganic silicates, and inorganic carbonates, organic carboxylates, organic phosphonates, and mixtures thereof;
• (e) from 0% to about 15% alkanol containing from one to about six carbon atoms;
• and
• (f) from about 20% to about 90% water, said composition containing sufficient magnesium ions to neutralize at least about 10% of said anionic surfactant when there is less than about 10% alkylpolyethoxylate sulfate surfactant containing from about 1/4 to about ten ethoxy groups per molecule in the composition on the average;
• said composition having a pH of greater than about six when the composition contains said alkylpolyethoxylate sulfate surfactant;
• and said composition having a viscosity of greater than about 100 cps or being substantially free of alkylpolyethoxylate detergent surfactants when the amount of anionic surfactant is less than about 20%.