Defoaming compositions

A process for reducing or preventing foam in an aqueous surfactant composition comprising adding to said aqueous surfactant composition a defoaming effective amount of a composition which is the product of the process which consists of the base catalyzed reaction of epichlorohydrin and a compound of the formula II

• R.sub.3 (EO).sub.n (PO).sub.m OH (II)
• wherein R.sub.3 is an alkyl, alkenyl or arenyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms;
• a substituted alkyl or alkenyl group having from 4 to 22 carbon atoms wherein;
• n is a number from 2 to 50 and m is a number from 0 to 10;
• wherein the mole ratio of epichlorohydrin to (II) is from about 0.60/1 to about 2/1 and wherein said surfactant is a compound of the formula I
• R.sub.1 O(R.sub.2 O).sub.b (Z).sub.a I
• wherein R.sub.1 is a monovalent organic radical having from about 6 to about 30 carbon atoms;
• R.sub.2 is a divalent alkylene radical having from 2 to 4 carbon atoms;
• Z is a saccharide residue having 5 or 6 carbon atoms;
• b is a number having a value from 0 to about 12;
• a is a number having a value from 1 to about 6;
• and wherein EO is an ethylene oxide unit and PO is a propylene oxide unit.