Mouthwash compositions

An aqueous mouthwash composition comprising from 100-4000 ppm, expressed as zinc ions, of a zinc salt and from 0.01-2% by weight of 2',4,4'-trichloro-2-hydroxy diphenyl ether as antiplaque system, from 5-30% by weight of a humectant system which comprises sorbitol, and a surfactant system, wherein the surfactant system comprises from 0.5-3% by weight of the composition of a nonionic surface-active agent of the ethyleneoxide/propylene oxide block copolymer type H-(O-CH.sub.2 -CH.sub.2).sub.a -(O-CH(CH.sub.3)CH.sub.2)-(O-CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2).sub.a -OH in which a and b are integers, greater than 0, said nonionic agent having an approximate molecular weight of about 4,000 to about 15,000 and having an HLB-value of between 27 and 30.5, and a anionic surface-active agent selected from the group consisting of alkalimetal C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 alkylsulphates, alkalimetal C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 alkylbenzene sulphonates, and mixtures thereof, the weight ratio of the nonionic surface-active agent to the anionic surface-active agent ranging from 4 to 35, the amount of water in the composition being at least 60% by weight of the composition, said mouthwash having both clarity and an effective plaque growth inhibition value.