CLEANING COMPOSITIONS AND METHODS USING THE SAME

FIELD

The present invention relates to a cleaning composition, particularly, to a cleaning composition containing a Citrus essential oil component, and a method of removing stains from the surfaces of a substrate, especially a hard surface, using the composition.

BACKGROUND

Generally, a variety of household devices and office supplies such as tables, inner walls of kitchenwares such as microwave ovens and baking ovens, mirrors, windows, bathtubs, basins, wood furniture, floors and so on, have hard surfaces made of glass, ceramics, polyethylene, marble, wood, porcelain and the like. The main reasons for cleaning these kinds of articles are (1) to remove stains, (2) to keep hard surfaces in good condition, and (3) to remove things harmful to human health and avoid creating environmental pollutants.

Surfactant is the most important component in a detergent. Because the surfactants employed in conventional detergents, such as linear alkyl benzene sulfonate, which is widely-used, need sodium tripolyphosphate to increase its resistance ability to had-water, there is raised a problem of eutrophication of the water system. Consequently, relevant laws have been set up since the 1970s by many countries to prohibit the overuse of phorsphor-containing compositions .

Because of the biodegradability of surfactants and the safety of their degradation products directly relate to the ecological environment, the use of surfactants with low degradability is strictly restricted. Currently, branched alkyl benzene sulfonates have come into disuse. In Western Europe, the use of bisoctadecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride is also restricted. Alkyl phenol is a decomposed component of alkyl phenol polyoxyethylene ether (APEO). It has low degradability in water and has the ability to diminish the reproductive organs of some birds and mammals or feminize mature male adult animals, resulting in the development of overies. Consequently, alkyl phenol is listed as one of 70 kinds of environmental hormones, the use of which are restrained. Moreover, since APEO has very strong irritability to skin and eyes, its application is also strictly restricted.

Another disadvantage of conventional detergents is that they are irritative or toxic to skin, and sometimes may cause allergy to consumers. To achieve strong degrease ability and to lower the cost, some manufactures produced strongly basic detergents with very high corrosivity and irritability, which may even ulcerate human skin. Generally, the human body will not come into direct contact with these detergents, but when it does occur, it can be harmful. Poisoning incidents caused by mis-eating or mis-using detergents by children or pets are frequently reported. Therefore, the toxicity, irritability and safety concerns are becoming more and more important for both detergent users and manufacturers. U. S. Patent No. 6,197,738 (Regutti) discloses a nontoxic detergent containing a surfactant and a chelating agent. In addition to 1% of sodium phosphate, the detergent further comprises 94% of citric acid, 4% of EDTA and 1% of sodium dodecyl sulfate. Although a good cleaning and sanitary effect is achieved, the pH value of the composition is less than 3, which is acidic and not suitable for cleaning of some metal surfaces. Moreover, it is irritable to the skin.

It is predicted that gentle and sustainable detergents will become the trend of this industry. To follow this trend, manufacturers have provided some detergent products with the alleged selling point of rich in herb essences and natural plant extract. Although these products have attracted the attention of consumers, the problem of high cost remains an obstacle for their wide application. For example, Chinese Patent CN1818046A discloses an environmently-friendly natural detergent, which comprises wood bran, sodium alkyl benzenesulfonate, soybean powder, surfactant, brightening agent and the like. This detergent has the advantages of high stain-removing ability, no corrosivity, no irritability, and is cost-effective. However, the disadvantage of high residue makes it easy to cause secondary pollution. To solve the problem, it is necessary to further remove the residue after the washing step, which increases both labor cost and material cost.

Therefore, what is needed is a nontoxic cleaning composition with low irritability, suitable pH value, high degradability, low residue amount and low cost.

The following documents are incorporated in their entirety by reference for the purpose of this disclosure. Chapter 2, Vol. 56 of "Surfactant Science" series, Marcel Dekker Publishing House, New York, 1996, title: "Alkyl benzenesulfonates: History, Manufacture, Analysis and Environmental Properties", pages 39-108, Vol. 73 of "Surfactant Science" series, Marcel Dekker Publishing House, New York, 1998 and Vol.

40 of "Surfactant Science" series, Marcel Dekker Publishing House, New York, 1992. See also WO97/22,683 filed on May 17, 1996, WO98/40,452 filed on February 24, 1998 and Chinese Patent Application No. CN l,702,162A filed on May 31, 2005.

SUMMARY

The inventors of the present application have successfully discovered that the above-mentioned problems can be solved by a cleaning composition comprising a specific combination of an anionic surfactant, a nonionic surfactant and a Citrus essential oil. The cleaning composition has a satisfactory overall cleaning ability, with a surprising LD50 of 15000mg/kg or above. The cleaning composition further belongs to nontoxic products, as it does not contain phosphorus, and has low corrosivity, low irritability and a low content of volatile organic compounds (VOC). Moreover, the advantages such as suitable pH value, low irritability, non-corrosive, less odor intensity, low residue amount and slow to degrade render the cleaning composition particularly applicable for removing stains from hard surfaces in areas requiring high cleaning standards such as dining-rooms, kitchens, food processing areas, swimming pools, schools, gymnasiums and the like.

Specifically, according to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cleaning composition, comprising: a) 0.1 % to 20 % by weight of an anionic surfactant based on the total weight of the composition, the anionic surfactant is one selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfates, dodecyl alcohol ether ammonium sulfates, dodecyl ammonium sulfates, secondary alkane sulfonates, and mixtures thereof; b) 0.1 % to 30 % by weight of a nonionic surfactant based on the total weight of the composition; c) 0.01 % to 3 % by weight of Citrus essential oil based on the total weight of the composition; and d) balance amount of water.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a cleaning method for removing stains from a substrate surface, which comprises the step of bringing the substrate into contact with the cleaning composition in liquid phase and/or gas phase (or placing the substrate in the composition). According to the present method, the cleaning

composition may be applied directly, or after being pre-diluted with sufficient mount of water or other carriers.

These and other aspects of the invention will become more readily apparent when reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.

Unless indicated otherwise, all percentages, ratios, proportions used herein are calculated by weight, and all temperatures are represented by Celsius degree ( ⁰ C). All documents cited are, in relevant part, incorporated herein by reference.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The anionic surfactant, nonionic surfactant and Citrus essential oil components (as necessary components), the balance amount of water, other optional substances of the cleaning composition, as well as the form, preparation and application of the composition will be illustrated in detail in the following descriptions (unless indicated otherwise, all concentrations and ratios are calculated by weight).

Anionic surfactants

The preferred anionic surfactant of the invention include fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfates (AES), dodecyl alcohol ether ammonium sulfates (AESA), dodecyl ammonium sulfates (Kl 2A), secondary alkane sulfonates (SAS). Among them, especially preferred are fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfates, e.g., fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfates in which the fatty alcohol is a natural or synthesized Cg-C _2O fatty alcohol, and the polymerization degree of ethylene oxide is 1-5; more preferred are fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfates in which the fatty alcohol is a natural or synthesized C ₁₂ -C ₁₅ fatty alcohol and the polymerization degree of ethylene oxide is 2-3, such as dodecyl alcohol polyoxyethylene ether sulfate (AES). A particularly preferred example is, e.g., C ₁₂ -C ₁₄ fatty alcohol polyoxyethylene ether (2EO) sulfate sodium (AES270N) produced by Sasol.

The content of the anionic surfactant is preferably about 0.1-20%, more preferably 1-10% by weight of the cleaning composition of the present invention.

Nonionic surfactants

The nonionic surfactants useful in the invention include, but not limited to, alkyl glycoside (APG) series, gluconic acid amide (APAO) series, N-alkyl gluconic acid amide (AGA) series. Preferred among them are alkyl glucosides (APG) and mixtures thereof, such as an alkyl glycoside having 4 to 18 carbon atoms, more preferably an alkyl glycoside having 4 to 14 carbon atoms. A particularly preferred example is, e.g., Glucopon 650EC, Glucopon 225DK, Plantacare 2000UP and the like produced by Cognis.

The content of the nonionic surfactant is preferably about 0.1-30%, more preferably 0.5-15% by weight of the cleaning composition of the present invention.

Alkyl glycoside mentioned in the invention is a surfactant derived from plant source. It is gentle and non- irritative to human skin. The raw materials for producing alkyl glycoside (APG) are mainly from natural regenerative plant resources, such as starch, fatty alcohol and the like. Alkyl glycoside is a compound generated by the dehydration reaction of the hydroxyl of a semi- acetal of a saccharide with the hydroxyl of an alcohol in the presence of an acid catalyst. An industrial product of APG is formed by mono-, di-, and tri-glycoside. APGs belong to nonionic surfactants in term of its molecular structure, but APGs have the advantages of both nonionic and anionic surfactants, e.g., having low surface tension, strong foam-forming ability, good foam stability, good wettability, high stain-removing ability, excellent compatibility, superior synergistic effect, high solubility even in solutions with high electrolyte concentrations, hard-water resistance, a strong lime soap dispersing ability, non-toxic, non-irritative, complete and rapid bio-degradability, and so on. Alkyl glycoside (APG) obtained by the reaction of a glucose from natural starch with a fatty alcohol or a fatty acid is typically a gentle "green" surfactant. The mass production of AGP has been well-established in China. The bio-degradation of APG is rapid and complete, with a bio-degradation rate of up to 80% in 5 days, and a final bio- degradation rate of more than 90% (in 20-30 days). APG is less irritative to skin. It also has a minimal toxicity and a LD50 of 10,000-15,000 mg/kg. The HLB value of APG is close to that of a commonly used anionic surfactant or nonionic surfactant. Therefore, it can be widely used as a raw material for producing cleansing, refining, emulsifying and dispersing agents, and is considered to be an ideal substituent for APEO.

Citrus essential oils

Citrus belongs to Citrus genus of rue family, mainly including mandarin oranges, tangerine oranges {Citrus reticulata Blanco), oranges, lemons, pomelos {Citrus grandis Osbeck), high oranges or other Hybrid Citrus Varieties, wherein the oranges further include limes {Citrus aurantium Linn), sweet oranges {Citrus sinensis Osbeck), bitter oranges (Neroli) and so on.

The Citrus essential oils mentioned in the present invention are colorless transparent liquids with orange fragrance. The main components of the Citrus essential oils are terpene compounds. The Citrus essential oils are actually a kind of special vegetable oil insoluble or slightly soluble in water and have an aromatic odor. The main components of the Citrus essential oils are terpenes, aromatic hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, ketones, ethers, esters, phenols and so on. The main component of the sweet Citrus oils, bitter Citrus oils and lemon oils is limonene.

Unless specially indicated, the term "Citrus essential oils" as used herein, means the extracts obtained by subjecting the parts of natural Citrus vegetables such as the roots, stems, leafs, flowers, fruits, seeds or barks to steam distillation or compression, extraction or adsorption, as well as other processes, e.g., FMC process, Brown process or processes disclosed in Chinese patent application publication No. CN1,7O2,162A, all of which are hereby incorporated herein as a part of the disclosure of the invention. The highly strong fruit acid-type essences in the extracts will generally be used as perfumes in foods and cosmetic products, and the remaining byproducts such as limonene CAS 5989-27-5, terpene CAS 68647-72-3 and the like can be used as solvents or diluents in food and chemical industries in place of harmful solvents/diluents such as chlorides, ethylene glycol, ethyl ether, methyl ethyl ketone, dimethylbenzene, Freon, chlorine-fluoride -oxides and so on, due to their superior oil cleaning and dissolving capability. It should be noted that, in addition to the Citrus essential oils extracted from the Citrus plants, any other materials comprising or essentially consisting of limonene CAS 5989-27-5, terpene CAS 68647-72-3, and mixtures thereof are also within the definition of the term "Citrus essential oils."

The content of Citrus essential oil is 0.01-3 %, preferably 0.1-1 % by weight of the cleaning composition of the present invention.

Water

Water is used as a carrier to constitute the balance of the cleaning composition of the present invention. Generally, water is used as the filler solvent of a composition or to constitute concentration balance in a composition.

In addition to the liquid and solid constituents aforementioned, the cleaning compositions can, and preferably should, contain various other optional components. Such optional components may be in either liquid or solid form. The optional components may either be dissolved in a liquid phase or may be dispersed within a liquid phase in the form of fine particles or droplets. Examples of these optional components include, but not limited to, colorants, pH regulators, buffering agents, chelating agents, preservatives, bactericides, antifoam agents, foaming agents, foam stabilizing agents, film-forming agents, solubilizers, antiprecipitants, thickening agents, dispersants, enzymes, enzyme boosters, perfumes, clays, and mixtures thereof. The above list is for illustrative purposes only, and not meant to be inclusive or exclusive. There may be other components in the composition. The suitable amounts of these optional components can be determined according to practical needs. Preferably, the optional components used in the cleaning composition of the invention comprise one or more conventional additives which are environmental and human being friendly, such as chelating agents (preferably sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate), preservatives, colorants, perfumes, perfumes stabilizing agents, viscosity adjusters, pH adjusters, buffering agents and mixtures thereof.

According to a particular embodiment of the invention, the cleaning composition comprises, in addition to the necessary components as aforedescribed, builders. Builders suitable for the purposes of the present invention include, but are not limited to, organic bases such as mono-, di- or Methanol amine, cocinic acid diethanol amine; ethers and alcohols such as diethylene glycol (mono) butyl ether, propylene glycol methyl ether, propylene glycol butyl ether, propylene glycol propyl ether, propylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethylene glycol butyl ether and the like. Preferred among them are diethylene glycol butyl ether and ethylene glycol butyl ether. The content of the builders is 0.01-10 %, preferably 0.1-5 % by weight of the cleaning composition.

Form of the composition and method of preparation

The composition can be formulated in concentrations sufficient to be utilized. When

applied, the composition can be sprayed onto a surface to be cleaned and then wiped off by a suitable material such as cloth, paper towel or the like. Moreover, the composition can be formulated into a concentrated form, which will be diluted prior to use. The composition can also be packed in a container, which further includes a spray-generating device, such as a pump, an aerosol propellant, an injection valve and the like.

The heavy duty cleaning compositions of the present invention can be produced by mixing and blending the desired ingredients with the desired solvent.

As will be shown in the following Examples, through the synergistic effect of the anionic surfactant, nonionic surfactant, builder and Citrus essential oil, the cleaning composition of the present invention achieved an excellent stain-removing result. Moreover, it further possesses other advantages such as low irritability, non-corrosive, less odor intensity, low residue amount, easy to degrade, LD50 being 15,000mg/kg or above, and the like. Accordingly, the composition is particularly applicable for removing stains from hard surfaces in areas requiring high cleaning standards such as dining-rooms, kitchens, food processing areas, swimming pools, schools, gymnasiums and the like.

The pH of the formulated liquid of the cleaning composition under 20 ⁰ C is in the range of 7-11.5, preferably 8.5-10.5 (See, for example, GB7919-1987, "Evaluation procedures and methods for cosmetics safety"). As can be seen, the cleaning composition of the present invention is very gentle.

The cleaning compositions and the cleaning methods of the present invention will be illustrated by the following examples and experiments. Such examples, however, are not necessarily meant to limit or otherwise define the scope of the invention herein. Unless otherwise specified, all parts, percentages and ratios used in the disclosure are expressed as weight percent, and all chemical agents used in the Examples are purchased from ordinary chemical suppliers.

Examples:

Acute toxicity assay via oral administration

LD50 (median lethal dose) refers to a dosage causing 50% death of individuals in a subject group. The precise definition of LD50 refers to a single dosage obtained statistically, which is estimated to lead to the death of half of the animals tested. The unit of LD50 is mg/kg body-weight. A smaller LD50 value corresponds to a stronger toxicity

and vice versa. The test method and evaluation criteria in the invention is based on "Toxicological evaluation procedures and methods for food safety" (GB 15193-2003), published by National Ministry of Health, 2003. As an example, the LD50 of example 1 in the acute toxicity assay via oral administration, as evaluated by Shanghai Inspect Station for Products Toxicity and Quality, is more than 15,000mg/kg, which is determined as non-toxic.

Decontamination ability test

A black oily stain was artificially formulated by adding 5% of glyceryl monostearate (based on the total mass of the oily stains) and 1-2 spoons of carbon black, into a mixture of lard oil (refined) and vegetable oil (Jinlongyu, Kerry Oils and Grains Co., Ltd.) at a mass ratio of 1 :1. The oily stain was placed into a beaker, heated up to 180 ^° C on an electric furnace, maintained at the temperature while stirring for 10 minutes, and naturally cooled down to a desired 80 ^° C(the ambient temperature is 25 ^° C at this time) for use as needed.

Three slide glasses were cleaned by ethanol, dried with hot air, and placed into a desiccator for ready use. The slide glass was weighted with an analytical scale (with a precision of O.lmg). The slide glass was coated in its middle portion with a melt oily stain, naturally cooled down to room temperature, and weighed again at room temperature 48hrs later.

The test solution was prepared, and 150ml of which were transferred into a 250ml Erlenmeyer flask. Then, the slide glass with oily stain was carefully placed into the Erlenmeyer flask with forceps (the oily stain was exactly submerged by the solution). The Erlenmeyer flask was sealed with a plastic film, marked, and placed into a THZ-312 type of desk thermostic oscillator. The oscillation was carried out at a temperature of 3O ⁰ C with a rotating rate of 120 rpm for 30 min. The slide glass was taken out of the Erlenmeyer flask with forceps, and carefully washed for 5 times in 200 ml of distilled water at room temperature. Immediately after being taken out, the slide glass was dried with a hair drier, followed by the steps of placing into a desiccator and weighting 30 min later.

Stain removal ratio is calculated according to the following equation:

Stain removal ratio = (ml-m2)/(ml-mθ)x 100%

In the equation, ml is the mass (g) of the slide glass with oily stain; m2 is the mass (g)

of the slide glass after being washed, and mO is the mass (g) of the slide glassier se. The decontamination ability was evaluated according to the following standards:

Table 1

The sources of materials used in the examples:

AES270N, available from Sasol (China) Chemicals Ltd.

Hostapar SAS60, available from Clariant Chemical Industry (China) Ltd.

MES (fatty alcohol ether ester sulfonate), available from Shanghai Goodway Chemicals Ltd.

GLUCOPON 650EC, GLUCOPON 225DK, available from Shanghai Cognis Grease Chemicals Ltd.

Dehypon LS45, purchased from Shanghai Henkel Surface Technique Ltd.

D-limonene and Orange Terpenes (OTP2000), purchased from Shanghai Meishuang Trade Inc. and produced by Florida Chemical Company

Dowanol EB\ Dowanol DB, available from Dow Chemicals (China) Ltd.

Preparation Examples (1000 gram composition):

Example 1: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 12O g of AES 270N and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 2: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 200 g of AES 270N and 1 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 3 : Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 1 g of AES 270N and 300 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 4: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 80 g of AES 270N and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 40 g Dowanol DB and 30 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was heated to about 4O ⁰ C to accelerate dissolution and homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes. Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 5: Into a reaction kettle, 120 g of AES 270N and 30 g of Glucopon 225DK were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 6: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 120 g of Hostapar SAS60 and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 40 g Dowanol DB and 1O g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 7: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 12O g of AES 270N and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g Orange Terpenes (OTP2000) were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 4O ⁰ C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Example 8: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 12O g of AES 270N and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol EB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Comparative Example 1: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 12O g of MES and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Comparative Example 2: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 120 g of AES 270N and 30 g of Dehypon LS45 were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Comparative Example 3: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water and 30 g of Glucopon 650EC were added at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Comparative Example 4: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water and 80 g of AES 270N were added at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred until it became homogeneous. Then, 15 g Dowanol DB and 5 g D-limonene were added, and the mixture was homogenized by stirring for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 40° C to accelerate dissolution). Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

Comparative Example 5: Into a reaction kettle, 600 g of water were charged, and 80 g of AES270N and 60 g of Glucopon 650EC were added sequentially at room temperature under atmospheric pressure. The mixture was stirred for 30 minutes (may be heated to about 4O ⁰ C to accelerate dissolution) until it became homogeneous. Finally, after supplemented with water, the materials were stirred until a homogeneous mixture was obtained.

The formulations and decontamination abilities of each of the cleaning compositions in Examples 1-8 and Comparative Examples 1-5 are shown in Table 2 below (all values in the table are expressed as weight percent):

Table 2

Table 2 (Continued)

Glucopon 650EC was replaced by Glucopon 225DK;

**. D-limonene was replaced by Orange Terpene(OTP2000); Dowanol DB was replaced by Dowanol EB.

While particular embodiments of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it would be obvious to those skilled in the art that various other changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore intended to cover in the appended claims all such changes and modifications that are within the scope of this invention.