Washing method and clothes detergent composition

A phosphorous-free clothes detergent composition comprising components (a) to (c):

• (a) one or more surfactants;
• (b) one or more alkali metal silicates having an SiO2/M2O ratio of from 0.5 to 2.6 wherein M stands for an alkali metal;
• and
• (c) one or more metal ion capturing agents selected from the group consisting of carboxylate polymers;
• aluminosilicates;
• aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid);
• 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid;
• ethylenediaminetetra (methylenephosphonic acid);
• diethylenetriaminepenta (methylenephosphonic acid);
• and salts thereof;
• salts of phosphonocarboxylic acids;
• amino acid salts;
• and aminopolyacetates;
• and polycarboxylates,
• wherein the total amount of (a), (b), and (c) components occupies 70 to 100% by weight of the entire composition, and wherein the weight ratio of component (b) to component (a) is 9/1 to 1/2 9/11, and the weight ratio of component (b) to component (c) is 5/1 to 1/15.

A clothes washing method which comprises:

• (i) adding a phosphorus-free clothes detergent composition comprising (a) one or more surfactants, (b) one or more alkali metal silicates having an SiO2/M2O ratio of from 0.5 to 2.6 wherein M stands for an alkali metal, and (c) one or more metal ion capturing agents selected from the group consisting of carboxylate polymers;
• aluminosilicates;
• aminotri(methylenephosphonic acid);
• 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid;
• ethylenediaminetetra(methylenephosphonic acid);
• diethylenetriaminepenta(methylenephosphonic acid);
• and salts thereof;
• salts of phosphonocarboxylic acid;
• amino acid_ salts and ;
• aminopolyacetates;
• and polycarboxylates, wherein the total amount of (a), (b), and (c) components occupies 70 to 100% by weight of the entire composition, and wherein the weight ratio of component (b) to component (a) is 9/1 to 1/2, and the weight ratio of component (b) to component (c) is 5/1 to 1/15, to washing water in an amount sufficient to produce a washing liquid having the following washing conditions:
• (1) a pH of not less than 10.60;
• (2) containing a material having an ion capturing capacity in an amount sufficient for theoretically changing the water hardness of said washing water to be not more than 0.5° DH;
• and
• (3) having a surfactant concentration of from 0.07 to 0.17 g/L;
• and
• (ii) washing clothes in said washing liquid.