Cleaning compositions and emulsions or microemulsions employing extended chain nonionic surfactants

A surfactant system for forming stable emulsions or microemulsions with oils comprising:

• an extended chain nonionic surfactant having an intermediate polarity linking chain between a lipophilic segment and a hydrophilic segment of said surfactant, wherein said linking chain is selected from the group consisting of (PO)x, (EO)x, (PO)x(EO)x and combinations thereof, wherein x is from 1 to 16, wherein said extended surfactant comprises a compound of formula:
• R-[L]x-[O—CH2—CH2]y
• where R is a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated, substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical having from about 8 to 20 carbon atoms, L is a linking group, x is the chain length of the linking group ranging from 5-15, and y is the average degree of ethoxylation ranging from 1 to 5;
• a linker co-surfactant selected from the group consisting of monoglycerides, diglycerides, fatty acids, fatty diacids and combinations thereof wherein said link co-surfactant has a small hydrophilic head and/or surfactants with twin or bulky hydrophobic tail(s);
• wherein the system is capable of forming a stable emulsion or microemulsion with oils.