Detergent composition

A detergent composition comprising the following components (A), (B), (C) and (D):

• (A) from 8 to 25 wt. % of a sulfate ester surfactant represented by the following formula (1):
• R.sup.1 O--(CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 O).sub.n --SO.sub.3 M.sup.1 ( 1)
• wherein R.sup.1 represents a linear or branched C.sub.8-20 alkyl or alkenyl group, n stands for an integer of 0-10 on average, and M.sup.1 represents an alkali metal atom, alkaline earth metal atom, ammonium salt, alkyl ammonium salt or alkanol ammonium salt;
• (B) from 0.5 to 10 wt. % of at least one surfactant selected from the group consisting of amphoteric surfactants, amine oxide surfactants, alkanol amide surfactants and amide amino-acid surfactants;
• (C) from 0.2 to 5 wt. % of at least one cationic bactericide selected from the group consisting of cationic bactericides represented by the below-described formulas (3), (4) and (5), respectively and polyhexamethylene biguanide:
• ##STR16## wherein R.sup.6 represents a C.sub.8-14 hydrocarbon group or a group represented by the following formula:
• ##STR17## Z.sup.1 represents a halogen atom, an amino acid, a fatty acid, an anionic residue of a phosphate ester, phosphonate ester or sulfate ester having a linear or branched C.sub.1-30 alkyl or alkenyl group, or an anionic oligomer or polymer containing a formalin condensate of a sulfonated polycyclic aromatic compound which may contain styrenesulfonic acid having a polymerization degree of at least 3 or may contain as a substituent a hydrocarbon group;
• ##STR18## wherein Z.sup.2 represents a gluconic acid, acetic acid or hydrochloric acid;
• ##STR19## wherein R.sup.7 represents a linear or branched C.sub.6-18 alkyl group, and Z.sup.3 represents a halogen atom, an amino acid, a fatty acid, an anionic residue of a phosphate ester, phosphonate ester, sulfonate ester or sulfate ester having a linear or branched C.sub.1-30 alkyl or alkenyl group, or an anionic oligomer or polymer containing a formalin condensate of a sulfonated polycyclic aromatic compound which may contain styrenesulfonic acid having a polymerization degree of at least 3 or may contain as a substituent a hydrocarbon group;
• and
• (D) a metal chelating agent, the weight ratio of the component (A) to the component (B) falling within a range of from 1 to 50.