What is provided herein is a water-based, stain-remover composition for effectively removing a wide variety of stains from fabrics consisting essentially of:

(a) 5-20% by weight NMP,

(b) 5-20% by weight BLO,

(c) 40-88% by weight water, and

(d) 1-10% by weight surfactant, and, optionally, including a base-bu fer to provide a pH of about

7-11.

The water-based, pre-wash, stain-remover composition of the invention which will remove objectionable stains from fabrics consists essentially of:

Bleaching agent (e.g. hypochlorite, bisulfite, thiosulfate) Enzyme

Thickener (a water soluble polymer, e.g. Klucel, Carbopol, polypropylene glycol)

Typical surfactants include ethoxylated alkyl phenols, linear aliphatic polyesters, linear aromatic polyesters, polyethoxylated alcohols, linear aliphatic ethoxylates, polyethoxylated castor oil, polyethoxylated carboxylates, and polyethoxylated alkyla ines; fluorinated surfactants such as perfluoroalkylethoxylates and silicone surfactants such as alkenyloxy siloxanes. Anionic surfactants may be used as the emulsi iers and include phosphate esters and their salts, alkyl sulfates and sulfonates, salts of sulfated nonylphenoxypoly(ethyleneoxy) ethanol, salts of alkylbenzene sulfonates, salts of alkylnaphthalene sulfonate, and sulfonated aliphatic polyesters and their salts. Also suitable are complex phosphate esters of nonionic surfactants of the ethylene oxide type which are mixtures of diesters of phosphoric acid and fluorinated surfactants such as mono and bis perfluoroalkyl phosphates and salts, fluoroalkyl sulfates, sulfonates and cationic surfactants such as guaternized perfluoroalkylamines and the like. (See, for example, McCutcheon*s, Emulsifiers and Detergents (1989), published by McCutcheon's Division of M.C. Publishing Co., Glen Rock, New Jersey) .

The pre-wash, stain-remover composition of the invention may be used in the form of a solution or gel, and applied directly to the spot on the fabric, or added to a clothes washer, or included in a cleaning detergent formulation.

The composition herein is prepared by mixing the individual components in water solution. Most preferred formulations are given below.

TABLE II

PREFERRED COMPOSITIONS OF INVENTION

B

Solvent propylene glycol 10 0 pH 7.5 10.2

The formulations of Table II were evaluated as compared with the commercial product "Improved Shout". The results are summarized below.

TABLE III

Stain Remover of Invention ((AA aamndi feb)) v.s_ 'Improved Shout" Product % Ssttaaiinn Rκ«emoved

Commercial Product Commercial Product

EX. A "Improved Shout" EX. B "Improved Shout"

Duration between 15 m 15 m 1 m 1 m application and washing - no detergent

Fabric Stain

CPPP wine 95 65

CPPP grass 95 70

CPPP coffee 100 85

CPPP spaghetti 75-80 85

Cotton chocolate 30 15-20 •

CPPP cosmetic I makeup 85 40-50

CPPP motor oil 10 5-10

Cotton/ grass polyester humus milk 40 25

Cotton dust sebum 20 0

CPPP blood 10 5

Cotton lipstick 30 40

Average of 3 5.4+0.5 5.0+0.4 independent valuators

CPPP - cotton polyester

Tensile Strength

To ascertain the effect of prolonged exposure, blank cotton, polyester and cotton-polyester unstained fabrics (swatches) were immersed in formulation A and B of invention. The soaked fabrics were left overnight to dry in air for 24 hours. The thus air dried-unwashed fabrics after standing in air for a week were analyzed by Instron for their tensile strength by the modified ASTM-1682 test method. The results of these tests showed practically no difference between treated and control samples with respect to tensile strength of the fabric.