Detergent composition exhibiting enhanced stain removal

1 . Detergent composition, capable of exhibiting enhanced bleachable stain removal in the substantial absence of oxygen bleaches, containing surface-active agents, builders, conventional additives and optional components, characterized in that the composition comprises

I: of from 0.1% to 5% by weight of a fructan component selected from the group of:

(a) carboxyalkylinulin, wherein the alkyl moiety contains from 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

(b) dicarboxyinulin having a degree of oxydation from 10% to 100%, expressed as a molar percentage of monosaccharide units converted into the corresponding analogues;

(c) 6-carboxyinulin; and

(d) fructan polycarboxylic acid, having a degree of oxidative substitution of from 0.2 to 2.0 and a degree of carboxyalkylation or carboxyacylation of from 0.2 to 3.0; and

II: of from 0.1% to 5% by weight of a phosphonate selected from the group of:

(i) (R 2 ) a —N—(R 1 —PO 3 H 2 ) n-a ;

wherein R 1 is an alkylene group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R 2 is an alkylene group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, a is 0, or 2 and n is 1, 2 or 3;

(ii) phosphonobutane tricarboxylic acid;

(iii) an alkylene polyphosphonate wherein the alkylene chain contains from 2 to 6 carbon atoms and the component contains at least two phosphonate groups;

(iv) an alkylene polyamino polyphosphonate; and

(v) a mixture of such phosphonates.

2 . The composition in accordance with claim 1 wherein the weight ratio of components I to II is in the range of from 20:1 to 1:6, preferably of from 10:1 to 1:4; more preferably of from 8:1 to 1:1

3 . The composition in accordance with claim 1 wherein the alkylene polyamino polyphosphonate is represented by the following formula:

wherein

Z is —CHR 1 PO 3 R 2

R is H, CH 3 , C 2 H 5 , or M;

M is a metal ion or ammonium;

R 1 is H, CH 3 , or CH 2 COOH;

n is 1-6, preferably 2-4;

m is 2-6, preferably 2-4;

x is 0-6, preferably 0-3;

y is 0-6, preferably 0-1.

4 . The composition in accordance with claims 1 and 3 wherein the polyphosphonate is selected from the group of: ethylenediamino tetramethylenephosphonate; diethylene triamino pentamethylenephosphonate; dihexyleneethylene tetraamino hexamethylenephosphonate; bishexamethylene triaminopentamethylene phosphonate; phosphonobutane tricarboxylic acid; and amino(trismethylenephosphonic acid.

5 . The composition in accordance with claim 1 wherein the fructan component is selected from carboxyalkylinulin having 1 or 2 carbon atoms in the alkyl moiety and having a degree of substitution of from 1.5 to 2.8 and dicarboxyinulin having a degree of oxidation (DO) of from 20% to 90%.

6 . The composition in accordance with claims 1 and 5 wherein the fructan component is present in a level of from 0.1 to 2.0% by weight and the polyphosphonate is present in 0.1 to 2;0% by weight.