Methods for manufacturing and using a cleaning composition for handling water hardness

1. A method for providing a ready to use cleaning composition, the method comprising:

(a) diluting a concentrate with water of dilution, the concentrate comprising:

(i) an anionic surfactant;

(ii) an alkanolamine; and

(iii) a water hardness anti-precipitant mixture comprising between about 0.5 wt % and about 1.5 wt % maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and between about 0.001 wt % and about 10 wt % EO-PO co-polymer, the EO-PO co-polymer having the formula:

(EO) x (PO) y (EO) x

(PO) y (EO) x (PO) y

(PO) y (EO) x (PO) y (EO) x (PO) y

wherein EO is an ethylene oxide group, PO is a propylene oxide group, x is between about 10 to about 130 and y is between about 15 to about 70.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the anionic surfactant and alkanolamine constitute between about 0.1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the concentrate.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and the EO-PO co-polymer are present at a weight ratio of between about 1:75 and about 75:1.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein diluting the concentrate comprises mixing the concentrate and the water of dilution at a weight ratio of at least about 1:1.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the water hardness anti-precipitant mixture to an amount of the anionic surfactant is sufficient to prevent visible precipitation when the concentrate is diluted with dilution water having about one grain hardness at a weight ratio of about 1:1.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein an amount of the of the water hardness anti-precipitant mixture to an amount of the anionic surfactant is sufficient to prevent visible precipitation when the concentrate is diluted with dilution water having about 20 grain hardness at a weight ratio of about 1:16.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the anionic surfactant comprises at least one of: alkyl aryl sulfonate, secondary alkane sulfonate, alkyl methyl ester sulfonate, alpha olefin sulfonate, alkyl ether sulfate, alkyl sulfate, alcohol sulfate, and mixtures thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the concentrate further comprises an organic solvent.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the organic solvent comprises at least one of glycol ether and derivatives of glycol ether.

10. The method according to claim 8 , wherein the concentrate comprises between about 0.1 wt. % and about 99 wt. % of the organic solvent.

11. A method for cleaning a surface, the method comprising:

(a) diluting a concentrate with water of dilution to provide a ready to use composition, the concentrate comprising:

(i) an anionic surfactant;

(ii) an alkanolamine; and

(iii) a water hardness anti-precipitant mixture comprising between about 0.5 wt % and about 1.5 wt % maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and between about 0.001 wt % and about 10 wt % EO-PO co-polymer, the EO-PO co-polymer having the formula:

(EO) x (PO) y (EO) x

(PO) y (EO) x (PO) y

(PO) y (EO) x (PO) y (EO) x (PO) y

wherein EO is an ethylene oxide group, PO is a propylene oxide group, x is between about 10 to about 130 and y is between about 15 to about 70; and

(b) applying the ready to use composition to a surface for cleaning the surface.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the anionic surfactant and alkanolamine constitute between about 0.1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the concentrate.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and the EO-PO co-polymer are present at a weight ratio of between about 1:75 and about 75:1.

14. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising mechanically foaming the ready to use composition.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein mechanically foaming the ready to use composition takes place without a propellant or a blowing agent.

16. A method for cleaning a surface, the method comprising:

(a) diluting a concentrate with water of dilution to provide a ready to use composition, the concentrate comprising:

(i) an anionic surfactant;

(ii) an alkanoloamine; and

(iii) a water hardness anti-precipitant mixture comprising maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and at least EO-PO co-polymer at a weight ratio of the maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer to the total amount of the EO-PO co-polymer sufficient to prevent visible precipitation of the anionic surfactant and amine on a glass surface when the concentrate is diluted with water of dilution at a weight ratio of the concentrate to water of dilution of between about 1:1 and about 1:1000 and wherein the water of dilution contains at least about 5 grains hardness, the EO-PO co-polymer having the formula:

(EO) x (PO) y (EO) x

(PO) y (EO) x (PO) y

(PO) y (EO) x (PO) y (EO) x (PO) y

wherein EO is an ethylene oxide group, PO is a propylene oxide group, x is between about 10 to about 130 and y is between about 15 to about 70; and

(b) applying the ready to use composition to a surface for cleaning the surface.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the anionic surfactant and alkanolamine constitute between about 0.1 wt % and about 10 wt % of the concentrate.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and the EO-PO co-polymer are present at a weight ratio of between about 1:75 and about 75:1.

19. The method according to claim 16 , further comprising mechanically foaming the ready to use cleaning composition.

20. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the water hardness anti-precipitant mixture comprising between about 0.5 wt % and about 1.5 wt % maleic anhydride/olefin co-polymer and between about 0.001 wt % and about 10 wt % EO-PO co-polymer.