Lightly-foaming tenside mixtures with hydroxy mixed ethers

1. A low-foaming cleaning composition comprising:

(a) 0.5% to 20% by weight of a hydroxy mixed ether of the formula:

R 1 O[CH 2 CH(CH 3 )O] x (CH 2 CHR 2 O) y [CH 2 CH(OH)R 3 ] z   (I)

wherein R 1 is an alkyl and/or alkylene group containing from 4 to 18 carbon atoms, R 2 is hydrogen, R 3 is an alkyl group having from 2 to 22 carbon atoms, x is 0, y is a number from 1 to 30, and z is a number from 1 to 3; and

(b) 0.5% to 20% by weight of a low-foaming nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of optionally end-capped fatty alcohol polyethylene glycol/polypropylene glycol ethers of the formula:

R 4 O(CH 2 CH 2 O) n [CH 2 (CH 3 )CHO] m R 5   (II)

wherein R 4 is an alkyl and/or alkylene group containing from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, R 5 is hydrogen or an alkyl group containing from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, n is a number from 1 to 15 and m is a number up to 10, an optionally end-capped fatty alcohol polypropylene glycol/polyethylene glycol ethers of the formula:

R 6 O[CH 2 (CH 3 )CHO] p (CH 2 CH 2 O) q R 7   (III)

wherein R 6 is an alkyl and/or alkylene group having from 8 to 22 carbon atoms, R 7 is hydrogen or an alkyl group having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, p is a number from 1 to 5, and q is a number up to 15, and mixtures thereof;

c) up to 40% by weight of a solubilizer;

d) 0.1% to 50% by weight of a carboxylic acid;

e) 1% to 20% by weight of an alkali metal salt of a low molecular weight alkyl benzene sulfonic acid; and

f) remainder, to 100% water, all weights based on the total weight of the cleaning composition.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein in formula (I) R 1 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 14 carbon atoms, R 3 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 12 carbon atoms, y is a number from 10 to 25, and z is 1.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein in formula (II) R 4 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, R 5 is hydrogen, n is a number from 1 to 5, and m is zero.

4. The composition of claim 1 wherein in formula (II) R 4 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, R 5 is hydrogen, n is a number from 2 to 7, and m is a number from 3 to 7.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein in formula (II) R 4 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, R 5 is a methyl group, n is a number from 1 to 5, and m is zero.

6. The composition of claim 1 wherein in formula (II) R 4 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, R 5 is an alkyl group having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms, n is a number from 5 to 15, and m is zero.

7. The composition of claim 1 wherein in formula (III) R 6 is an alkyl group containing from 8 to 16 carbon atoms, R 7 is hydrogen, p is a number from 1 to 5, and q is number from 1 to 6.

8. The composition of claim 1 wherein (a) and (b) are present in the composition in a ratio by weight of from 10:90 to 80:20.