There are normally two types of detergents used for dirt and oil removal; the first contains primarily natural or synthetic soaps while the second is a synthetic soapless detergent.

Soaps normally consist of sodium or potassium salts of long-chain fatty acids and are manufactured by saponification of triglycerides from fats with sodium or potassium hydroxide.

However, soaps do not function well in acid solutions because of the formation of insoluble fatty acids. In addition, calcium or magnesium ions tend to form a soap scum in the form of an insoluble precipitate. Although additives such as phosphates and sodium carbonate may ameliorate many of these problems, synthetic soapless detergents have been used where soaps are not effective. These synthetic soapless detergents normally have alkyl sulfates, alkyl or aryl sulphonates, or non-ionic polyoxyethylene oxide derivatives as their primary active ingredients.

A good detergent must possess at least three characteristics: (1) good wetting properties in allowing the detergent to contact the surface; (2) the ability to remove dirt from the surface into the bulk of the liquid; and (3) the ability to solubilize or disperse the removed dirt to prevent redeposit on the surface, or formation of a scum.

The best wetting agents are those with the shorter fatty acid chains, e.g., C8 versus C14 or C16. However, the longer chain surface active agents appear to provide better stability for the dirt or oil in the bulk solution once it is removed from the surface. Therefore, one of the

problems in detergent science is forming the proper balance between the wetting and stabilization properties.

In practice, the detergent or surface active agent changes the contact angle of the dirt or oil on the surface at the solid-oil-water interface, reducing the contact angle so that the oil rolls up into a sphere and can be removed. The materials that act as the best detergents are normally those which form micelles. At one time it was thought that micelles were involved in the cleaning action. In recent years, however, it has become clear that it is the free surfactants which do the cleaning, not those in the micelles. It appears that the micelles merely act as reservoirs of the surface active agents. However, although it is not the surfactants in the micelles which provide the cleaning action, the surfactants do not function as satisfactory oil-in-water emulsifiers, e.g., do not act properly in the stabilization step, until the concentration of the surfactant in the aqueous phase exceeds the critical micelle concentration. Accordingly, micelle formation is normally expected in detergents.

In standard detergent action, oil-in-water emulsions are formed to stabilize the oily dirt particles and maintain them in solutions. The surfactants act to lower the surface tension of the water and the interfacial tension between the water and oil. However, there is no true vesicle formation or even micellar entrapment of the dirt using most detergents.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,928 describes paucilamellar lipid vesicles having large amorphous oil-filled centers which could carry substantial quantities of oily material. These vesicles, which have 2-10 lipid bilayers surrounding a large, amorphous central cavity, are stable and can be formed under conditions which are cost-effective for use in industrial applications.

Accordingly, an object of the invention is to provide a surface cleaning solution which encapsulates oil or dirt to remove it from the surface.

A further object of the invention is a method of cleaning hands using a skin cleaner to encapsulate and remove grease or dirt without washing or rinsing with a solvent.

These and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description.

v SUYOFmEINVENIION 7esenmvenereis provided an aqueous skin cleaner composition characterized by: (i) from about 0.1% to about 10% of an anionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant or mixtures thereof, and (ii) from about 0.2% to about 10% of a polar solvent having a solubility in water at 25"C in the range from about 0.2% to about 10%.

Preferred anionic surfactants are especially produced from dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA). Highly preferred materials of this type include the product of DDBSA and triethanolainine. The surfactant is used in combination with a polar solvent (i.e., containing at least one hydrophilic group) having a solubility in water of from about 0.2% to about 10% by weight (g/100 g solution), preferably from about 0.5% to about 6% by weight. The compositions ofthe invention preferably contain from about 0.005% to about 2%, more preferably from about 0.05% to about 0.7% of an alkali metal, ammonium or alkanolammonium soap of a C13-C24, especially C13-C 19 fatty acid. Preferably, the fatty acid is fully saturated, for example, by hydrogenation of naturally occurring fatty acids. Addition of the soap, particularly to compositions containing petroleum products, is found to provide significant synergistic enhancement in the suds-suppression effectiveness of the system.

A calcium sequestrant may also be included in the present compositions, providing not only cleaning advantages on particulate soil, but also advantages in terms of product the present mvertIon there Is provided an aqueous skin cleaner composition characterized by: (i) from about 0.5% to about 5% of an anionic, amphoteric or zwitterionic surfactant or mixtures thereof;

(ii) from about 1% to about 10% of a nonionic or cationic surfactant or mixture thereof, the weight ratio of anionic surfactant to nonionic and/or cationic surfactant in the range of from about 1:20 to about 5:1 and (iii) from about 0.2% to about 10% of a polar solvent having a solubility in water at 25"C in the range from about 0.2% to about 10%.

homogeneity and stability. The sequestrant component is a water-soluble inorganic or organic polyanionic sequestrant having a calcium ion stability constant at 25"C of at least about 2.0, preferably at least about 3.0, the weight ratio of surfactant-sequestrant preferably in the range from about 5:1 to about 1:3, especially about 3:1 to about 1:1. In preferred embodiments the sequestrant has an anion valence of at least 3 and is incorporated at a level of from about 0.5% to about 13% by weight. The composition itself preferably has a pH in 1% aqueous solution of at least about 6.0; Suitably, the sequestrant can be selected from the water-soluble salts of polyphosphates, polycarboxylates, aminopolyzarboxylates, polyphosphonates and amino polyphosphonates and added at a level in the range from 1 to 9%, especially 2 to 8%, more especially 3 to 7% by weight ofthe composition. Adjustment ofthe sequestrant level and surfactant:sequestrant ratio within the above specified ranges is important for providing composition of optimum stability.

The present invention features a method of removing oil from a surface through encapsulation of the oil or dirt. Visicles or micelles may be introduced to the surface to be cleaned where they encapsulate the oil present and remove the dirt. In certain circumstances, the visicles or micelles are formed and encapsulate the oil in situ. This method is particularly good for cleaning hands of oil and other types of greasy dirt.

Normally, visicles or micelles may be introduced to the surface, but using certain materials and under selected conditions, the cleaner material itself can be introduced to the surface and the visicles or micelles form in situ, encapsulating the dirt or oil as they are formed.

While these visicles or micelles normally have an aqueous solution filling the center, an aqueous or oil-based detergent or cleaner could be used as the major component of the visicle or micelle walls, the preferred surfactants are polyoxyethylene fatty acid ethers, polyoxyethylene fatty acid esters, diethanolamides, polyoxyethylene glyceryl monostearates, and betaines, particularly

oleoyl propyl betaine. The cleaners may also include charge-producing agents such as fatty acids or dicetyl phosphate and a steroid such as cholesterol or its derivatives.

Once the cleaner is introduced to the surface, it is normally agitated with sufficient force so as to encapsulate the oily dirt from the surface, thereby cleansing the surface. The cleaner is then removed, e.g., by wiping with a cloth or sponge, thereby removing the dirt along with the cleaner. The preferred surface is mammalian skin, e.g., the hands or face, and the agitation is then provided by rubbing. The removal step is, in that case, wiping with a cloth, sponge or the like after the agitation steps o se -'A 2p.a sz ~~ The method of the invention provides clethout the use of a separate soaporan organic cleaner anotthout the necesslty ot washing or nnsmg with a solvent.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The method of the present invention is particularly well suited to hand cleaning but may be used for cleaning other surfaces where oil or grease build-up is a problem. Hand cleaning is preferred because the agitation step of the invention is most easily carried out by rubbing the hands together.

A wide range of anionic, zwitterionic and amphoteric surfactants can be used in the present compositions. These surfactants are used in combination at levels in the range from about 0.10% to about 100/o, preferably at levels from about 0.5% to about by weight of the compositions. M Suitable anionic non-soap surfactants are water-soluble salts of alkyl benzene sulfonates, alkyl sulfates, alkyl polyethoxy ether sulfates, paraffin sulfonates, alpha-olefin sulfonates, alpha- sulfocarboxylates and their esters, alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates, fatty acid monoglyceride sulfates and sulfonates, alkyl phenol polyethoxy ether sulfates, 2-acyloxy-alkane 1-sulfonate,

and beta-alkyloxyalkane sulfonate. Of the above, the alkyl benzene sulfonates are highly preferred.

A particularly suitable class of anionic detergents includes water-soluble salts, particularly the alkali metal, ammonium and alkanolammonium salts of organic sulfuric reaction products having in their molecular structure an alkyl or alkaryl group containing from about 8 to about 22, especially from about 10 to about 20 carbon atoms and a sulfonic acid or sulfuric acid ester group. (Included in the term "alkyl" is the alkyl portion of acyl groups). Examples oft his group of synthetic detergents which form part of the detergent compositions of the present invention are the sodium and potassium alkyl sulfates, especially those obtained by sulfating the higher alcohols (Cg-C,8) carbon atoms produced by reducing the glycerides of tallow or coconut oil and sodium and potassium alkyl benzene sulfonates, in which the alkyl group contains about from 9 to about 15, especially about 11 to about 13, carbon atoms, in straight chain or branched chain configuration, e.g., those ofthe type described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,220,099 and 2,477,383 and those prepared from alkylbenzenes obtained by alkylation with straight chain chioroparafins (using aluminum trichloride catalysis) or straight chain olefins (using hydrogen fluoride catalysis).

Other anionic detergent compounds herein include the sodium C10-C18 alkyl glyceryl ether sulfonates, especially those ethers of higher alcohols derived from tallow and coconut oil; sodium coconut oil fatty acid monoglyceride sulfonates and sulfates; and sodium or potassium salts of alkyl phenol ethylene oxide ether sulfate containing about 1 to about 10 units of ethylene oxide per molecule and wherein the alkyl groups contain about 8 to about 12 carbon atoms.

Other useful anionic detergent compounds herein include the water-soluble salts or esters of a-sulfonated fatty acids containing from about 6 to about 20 carbon atoms in the fatty acid group and from about 1 to about 10 carbon atoms in the ester group; water-soluble salts of 2-

acyloxy-alkane-1-sulfonic acids containing from about 2 to about 9 carbon atoms in the acyl group and from about 9 to about 23 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety; alkyl ether sulfates containing from about 10 to about 18, especially about 12 to about 16, carbon atoms in the alkyl group and from about 1 to about 12, especially from about 1 to about 6, more especially from about 1 to about 4 moles of ethylene oxide; water-soluble salts ofolefin sulfonates containing from about 12 to about 24, preferably about 14 to about 16, carbon atoms, especially those made by reaction with sulfur trioxide followed by neutralization under conditions such that any sultones present are hydrolysed to the corresponding hydroxy alkane sulfonates; water-soluble salts of paraffin sulfonates containing from about 8 to about 24, especially from about 14 to about 18 carbon atoms, and P-alkyloxy alkane sulfonates containing from about 1 to about 3 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and from about 8 to about 20 carbon atoms in the alkane moiety.

The alkane chains of the foregoing non-soap anionic surfactants can be derived from natural sources such as coconut oil or tallow, or can be made synthetically as for example using the Ziegler or Oxo processes. Water solubility can be achieved by using alkali metal, ammonium or alkanolammonium cations; sodium is preferred. Magnesium and calcium are preferred cations under certain circumstances. Mixtures of anionic and nonionic and cationic surfactants are contemplated by this invention; a preferred mixture contains alkyl benzene sulfonate having from about 11 to about 13 carbon atoms in the alkyl group or paraffin sulfonate having from about 14 to about 18 carbon atoms or either an alkyl sulfate having from about 8 to about 18, preferably from about 12 to about 18, carbon atoms in the alkyl group, or an alkyl polyethoxy alcohol sulfate having from about 10 to about 16 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and an average degree of ethoxylation of from about 1 to about 6.

Suitable semi-polar surfactants are water-soluble amine oxides containing one alkyl moiety of from about 10 to about 28 carbon atoms and 2 moieties selected from the group

consisting of alkyl groups and hydroxyalkyl groups containing from 1 to about 3 carbon atoms, and especially alkyl dimethyl amine oxides wherein the alkyl group contains from about 11 to about 16 carbon atoms; water-soluble phosphine oxide detergents containing one alkyl moiety of from about 10 to about 28 carbon atoms and 2 moieties selected from the group consisting of alkyl groups and hydroxyalkyl groups containing from about 1 to about 3 carbon atoms; and water-soluble sulfoxide detergents containing one alkyl moiety of from about 10 to about 28 carbon atoms and a moiety selected from the group consisting of alkyl and hydroxyalkyl moieties of from about 1 to about 3 carbon atoms.

Suitable amphoteric surfactants are water-soluble derivatives of aliphatic secondary and tertiary amines in which the aliphatic moiety can be straight chain or branched and wherein one ofthe aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms and one contains an anionic water-solubilizing group, e.g., carboxy, sulfonate, sulfate, phosphate, or phosphonate.

Suitable zwimerionic surfactants are water soluble derivatives of aliphatic quaternary ammonium phosphonium and sulfonium cationic compounds in which the aliphatic moieties can be straight chain or branched, and wherein one of the aliphatic substituents contains from about 8 to about 18 carbon atoms and one contains an anionic water-solubilizing group.

Preferred amphoteric and zwitterionic surfactants have the general formula: wherein X is CO2- or SO3-, R1 is alkyl or alkenyl group having from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms, possibly interrupted by amide, ester or ether linkages, R2 is a methylene, ethylene, propylene, isopropylene or isobutylene radical, R3 and R4 are independently selected from

vWltable nomorllc surtactants include allcoxylated nomomc surtactants and also those of a semi-polar character. Alkoxylated nonionic surfactant materials can be broadly defined as compounds produced by the condensation of alkylene oxide groups (hydrophilic in nature) with an organic hydrophobic compound, which may be aliphatic or alkyl aromatic in nature. The length of the polyoxalkylene group which is condensed with any particular hydrophobic group can be readily adjusted to yield a water-soluble compound having the desired degree of balance between hydrophilic and hydrophobic elements.

Examples of suitable nonionic surfactants include: 1. The polyethylene oxide condensates of alkyl phenol, e.g., the condensation products of alkyl phenols having an alkyl group containing from about 6 to about 12 carbon atoms in either a straight chain or branched chain configuration, with ethylene oxide, the said ethylene oxide being present in amounts equal to from about 5 to about 25 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alkyl phenol. The alkyl substituent in such compounds may be derived, for example, from polymerised propylene, diisobutylene, octene and nonene. Other examples include dodecylphenol condensed with about 12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of phenol; dinonylphenol condensed with about 15 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of phenol; nonylphenol and di-iso-isooctyiphenol condensed with about 15 moles of ethylene oxide.

2. The condensation product of primary or secondary aliphatic alcohols having from about 8 to about 24 carbon atoms, in either straight chain or branched chain configuration, with from about 1 to about 30 moles of alkylene oxide per mole of alcohol. Preferably, the aliphatic alcohol comprises between from about 9 and about 15 carbon atoms and is ethoxylated with

hydrogen, C1-3 alkyl or --R2--X, whereby one of the substituents R3 and R4 is hydrogen if the other one is represented by the group --R2X, n is an integer from about 1 to about 6, and A is an equivalent amount of a neutralizing anion, except that amphoteric surfactants include amine salts of the above formula and also the corresponding free amines.

Preferred surfactants according to the above formula, include N-alkyl-2-aminopropionic acid, N-alkyl-2-imino-diacetic acid, N-alkyl-2 iminodipropionic acid, N-alkyl-2-amino-2- methyl-propionic acid, N-alkyl-propylenediaminepropionic acid, N-alkyl-dipropylenetriamine dipropionic acid, N-alkylglycine, N-alkyl-amino-succinic acid, N-amidoalkyl- N'- carobxymethyl-N', N'-dimethyl-ammonio -ethylene diamine, N-alkyl-amino ethane-sulfonic acid, N-alkyl-N, N-dimethyl-ammonio-hydroxypropene-sulfonic acid and salts thereof; wherein alkyl represents a C8 to C18 alkyl group, especially coconut alkyl, lauryl and tallow alkyl.

Of all the above surfactants, preferred compositions comprise as the single or major surfactant component, surfactants selected from the anionic, amphoteric and zwitterionic classes. V lne sequestrant can be selected rram tne-waler=soluDle sattsvot polypfrosphates polycarboxylates, aminopolycarboxylates, polyphosphonates and aminopolyphosphonates having a logarithmic calcium ion stability constant (pica) of about 2 or greater and preferably an anion valence of at least 3. The stability constant is defined as follows: and A is the ionic species of sequestrant which predominates at the in-use pH of the composition (defined as the pH of a 1% aqueous solution of the composition) and n is at least 3.

Preferably, the sequestrant has a pKCat in the range from about 2 to about 11, especially from about 3 to about 8. Literature values of stability constants are taken where possible where

between from about 2 and about 12, desirably between from about 3 and about 9 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of aliphatic alcohol. Such nonionic surfactants are preferred from the point of view of providing good to excellent detergency performance on fatty and greasy soils, and in the presence of hardness sensitive anionic surfactants such as alkyl benzene sulfonates.

The preferred surfactants are prepared form primary alcohols which are either linear (such as those derived from natural fats or, prepared by the Ziegler process from ethylene, e.g., myristyl, cetyl, stearyl alcohols), or partly branched which have about 25% 2-methyl branching or which are understood to have about 50% 2-methyl branching or the primary alcohols having more than 50% branched chain structure. Specific examples of nonionic surfactants falling within the scope ofthe invention include the condensation products of coconut alcohol with an average of between from about 5 and about 12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, the coconut alkyl portion having from about 10 to about 14 carbon atoms, and the condensation products of tallow alcohol with an average of between from about 7 and about 12 moles of ethylene oxide per mole of alcohol, the tallow portion comprising essentially between from about 16 and about 22 carbon atoms. Secondary linear alkyl ethoxylates are also suitable in the present compositions, especially those ethoxylates of the Tergitol series having from about 9 to about 15 carbon atoms in the alkyl group and up to about 11, especially from about 3 to about 9, ethoxyl residues per molecule.

3. The compounds formed by condensing ethylene oxide with a hydrophobic base formed by the condensation of propylene oxide with either propylene glycol or ethylene diamine.

Highly suitable nonionic surfactants are ethoxylated primary or secondary C>15 alcohols having an average degree of ethoxylation from about 3 to about 9, more preferably from about 5 to about 8.

doubt arises, the stability constant is defined at 25"C and at zero ionic strength using a glass electrode method of measurement.

Suitable polyphosphates include pyrophosphates such as tetrasodium pyrophosphate decahydrate, and tetrapotassuim pyrophosphate; tripolyphosphates such as pentapotassium tripolyphosphate; and higher polyphosphates and metaphosphates such as sodium pentapolyphosphate and sodium hexametaphosphate.

The carboxylate-type sequestrants can be described as monomeric polycarboxylate materials or oligomers or polymers derived from carboxylate or polycarboxylate monomers. The sequestrants can be acyclic, alicyclic or aromatic in nature.

Suitable polycarboxylates include the salts of citric acid, aconitic acid, citraconic acid, carboxymethyloxysuccinic acid, lactoxysuccinic acid, and 2-oxa-1,1,3-propane tricarboxylic acid; oxydisuccinic acid, 1,1,2,2-ethane tetra carboxylic acid, 1,1,3,3-propane tetracarboxylic acid and 1,1,2,3-propane tetracarboxylic acid; cyclopentane-cis, cis, cis-tetracarboxylic acid, cyclopenta dienide pentacarboxylic acid, 2,3,4,5-tetrahydrofuran-cis, cis, cis-carboxylic acid, 2,5-tetrahydrofuran-cis-dicarboxylic acid, 1,2,3,4,5, 6-hexane-hexacarboxylic acid, mellitic acid, pyromellitic acid and the phthalic acid derivatives disclosed in British Pat. No. 1,425,343.

Suitable polymeric polycarboxylates include homo and copolymers of polycarboxylic monomers such as maleic acid, citraconic, acid, aconitic acid, fumaric acid, mesaconic acid, phenyl maleic acid, benzyl maleic acid, itaconinc acid and methylene malonic acid; homo- and copolymers of acrylic monomers such as acrylic acid, methacrylic acid or a-hydroxy acrylic acid; or copolymers of one or more of the above polycarboxyl and acrylic monomers with another unsaturated polymerizable monomer, such as vinyl ethers, acrylic esters, olefins, vinyl pyrrolidones and styrenes.

Suitable aminopolycarboxylates include especially the amino polyacetates, e.g. sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkanolammonium ethylenediamine tetraacetates, diethylene triamine pentaacetates and nitrilotriacetates.

Polyphosphonate and aminopolyphosphonate materials suitable for use herein can be exemplified by nitrilo tri(methylene phosphonic acid), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid), diethylenetriamine penta(methylenephosphonic acid) and the water-soluble salts thereof.

Optionally an alcohol can be employed in the inventive composition and can be a primary, secondary or tertiary alcohol. Mixtures of alcohols are also suitable. The alcohol is preferably added at a level in the range of from about 1% to about 10%, more preferably from about 2% to about 4% by weight of the compositions in order to provide optimum control of product viscosity characteristics.

The polar solvent component of the present compositions has a solubility in water at 25"C inthe range of from about 0.2% to about 10%, preferably from about 0.5% to about 6%.

The solvent contains at least one hydrophilic group and is liquid at room temperature. The solvent can be at a level of from about 0.5% to about 10%, especially from about 1% to about 5%, by weight of the composition and at a weight ratio of surfactant:solvent in the range of from about 1:0.2 to 0.1:1, especially from about 1.5:0.5 to about 1.5:5. Preferred materials include aromatic alcohols such as benzyl alcohol, polyethoxylated phenols containing from about 2 to about 6 ethoxyl groups and phenylethyl alcohol; esters of C1-C6 fatty acids with Cl-C6 alcohols containing a total of from about 5 to about 9 carbon atoms, e.g., n-butyl butyrate, n-butyl propionate and n-propyl acetate; and mono C6-Cg and di-C4-Cg alkyl or aryl ethers of ethylene glycol such as hexyl, benzyl and phenyl CellosolvesQ) and ethyleneglycol dibutyl ether.

The compositions of the invention can be supplemented by other, known components compatible with a fluent, liquid system.

A non-aqueous solvent is an optional, suitable additional ingredient, especially water miscible or highly soluble (at least 20% w/w) aliphatic mono-, di- and trialcohois. Specific examples are ethanol, propanol, isopropanol, and propane-1,3-diol. Other suitable solvents are ethylene-, propylene-, diethylene- and dipropyleneglycol and the mono-Cl4 alkyl ether and Cl ester derivatives thereof such as the ethylene glycol monomethyl-, monoethyl- and monobutyl ethers, propylene glycol propyl ether, dipropylene glycol methyl ether, ethylene glycol mono acetate and ethylene glycol monoethyl ether acetate. The non-aqueous solvent can be added in amounts up to about 10%, preferably up to about 6% by weight of the composition.

Hydrotropes such as urea, monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine and the sodium, potassium, ammonium and alkanol ammonium salts of xylene-, toluene, ethylbenzene, isopropyl-benzene sulfonates, can also be added to the compositions of the present invention in amounts up to about 10% by weight. Stable homogenous formulations can be prepared without the need for hydrotropic materials of this kind, or with only very minor levels (i.e. less than about 4% by weight).

Other suitable additional ingredients of the present compositions include pH buffering materials such as alkali metal and ammonium carbonates, bicarbonates, metasilicates and ortho phosphates. These can be added, if appropriate, at levels up to about 10% by weight to provide a compositional pH equal to or greater than about 6.0, preferably from about 6.6 to about 7.2.

Dyes, perfumes enzymes, chlorine-releasing agents, polypeptides and protein hydrolysates, soil suspending agents such as carboxymethylcellulose, hydroxymethyl cellulose and polyethylene glycols having a molecular weight of about 400 to about 10,000, fluorescers such as disodium 4,4'-bis(2-morpholino-4-anilinos-triazin-6-yl amino) stillbene-2, 2'-disulfonate, preservatives,

thixotropic agents, thickeners such as xanthan gum, and additional suds regulants such as stributyiphosphate and silicone oil can all be included in the instant compositions.

A germicide, such as o-phenyl phenate, can also be added to the present compositions, providing excellent hard surface germicidal activity.

EXAMPLE 1 In this Example, used crankcase oil was spread on the palms of hands until filthy but not dripping. This required about 1 ml of the crank case oil per hand. Approximately 1 ml of a solution of cleaner comprising 1.25% of the reaction product of dodecylbenzene sulfonic acid (DDBSA) and triethanol amine (TEA) and 1.50% benzyl alcohol and prepared in accordance with the method described herein, was placed on each palm. The cleaner was made using the previously described procedures. The palms were rubbed together to distribute the cleaner over the dirty area and rubbing was continued for approximately one minute. After rubbing, the palms were wiped clean without the need to rinse with water.

This procedure removed substantially all of the crankcase oil from the hand without the need for additional cleaning with soap. Old axle grease was then cleaned from the hands satisfactorily using this procedure.

EXALEX" In this Example, used crankcase oil was spread on the palms of hands until filthy but not dripping. This required about 1 ml of the crank case oil per hand. Approximately 1 ml of a solution of cleaner comprising 1.5% of the reaction product of DDBSA and TEA, 2.25% of a polyethylene oxide condensate of alkyl phenol, 1.5% benzyl alcohol, the remainder water and prepared in accordance with the method described herein, was placed on each palm. The palms were rubbed together to distribute the cleaner over the dirty area and rubbing was continued for approximately one minute. After rubbing, the palms were rinsed with warm water and wiped clean.

This procedure removed substantially all of the crankcase oil from the hand without the need for rinsing with soap. Old axle grease was then cleaned from the hands satisfactorily using this procedure.