Alkali-stable foam inhibitors

The process of preparing a foam-inhibiting concentrate composition useful in formulating stable, aqueous alkali solutions for low-foaming cleaning products, comprising adding to said composition

• (a) about 5 to about 30% by weight of alkyl glucoside based on C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 fatty alcohols having a degree of glucosidation of about 1 to about 2,
• (b) about 5 to about 70% by weight of end-capped polyethylene glycol ether compound corresponding to formula I
• R.sub.1 O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --R.sub.2 (I)
• wherein the radical R.sub.1 O is derived from 2-branched, even-numbered alkanols containing from 16 to 20 carbon atoms, R.sub.2 is an alkyl radical containing 4 to 8 carbon atoms, and n is a number of about 5 to about 9,
• (c) about 5 to about 70% by weight of non-end-capped polyethylene glycol ether compound corresponding to formula II
• R.sub.5 O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.z --H (II)
• wherein the radical R.sub.5 O is derived from 2-branched even-numbered alkanols containing from 12 to 20 carbon atoms, and z is a number of about 2 to about 5, and optionally,
• (d) 0 to about 70% by weight of end-capped polyethylene glycol ether compound corresponding to formula III
• R.sub.3 O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.m --R.sub.4 (III)
• wherein R.sub.3 is a linear alkyl radical containing 8 to 18 carbon atoms or a branched alkyl radical containing 8 to 14 carbon atoms, R.sub.4 is an alkyl radical containing 4 to 10 carbon atoms, and m is a number of about 5 to about 15,
• (e) 0 to about 5% by weight of alkali metal cumenesulfonate or alkali metal xylenesulfonate, and
• (f) 0 to about 70% by weight of deionized water, all weights being based on the weight of said concentrate composition.