Bleaching compounds comprising N-acyl caprolactam for use in hand-wash or other low-water cleaning systems

A method for cleaning fabrics in water comprising contacting said fabrics in an aqueous liquor comprising a detergent composition which comprises from about 900 ppm to about 20,000 ppm of conventional detergent ingredients and a bleaching system which comprises:

• a) at least about 0.1%, weight, of a peroxygen bleaching compound capable of yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqueous solution;
• and
• b) at least about 0.1% by weight, of a bleach activator selected from the group consisting of octanoyl caprolactam, nonanoyl caprolactam decanoyl caprolactam, undecanoyl caprolactam, 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoyl caprolactam, and mixtures thereof;
• wherein the fabric:water ratio is in the range of from about 1 kg:10 liters to about 1 kg:0.5 liters and the weight ratio of bleach activator to peroxygen bleaching compound is in the range of from about 2:1 to about 1:5.