Detergent composition

Abstract

The present invention relates to a stable liquid detergent composition comprising - 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, - 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, - 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and - 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactantand optionally water to 100 wt%.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of detergent compositions and uses thereof.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Detergents are an indispensable part of everyday life and are essential in routinely cleaning and washing processes. Examples of commercially available detergent products include laundry and fabric softeners, all-purpose cleaners, and mixtures intended for soaking (pre-washing), rinsing or bleaching. Detergent formulations, in particular for fabric washing, must remove a wide variety of stains and soils from different fabric types under a broad range of wash conditions. Principal components of detergent formulations include surfactants, builders, and enzymes to remove primarily oily, greasy, particulate, and proteinaceous soils and stains.

[0003] Many detergents still cannot remove some stains effectively without the aid of other solutions such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Hydrogen peroxide is well known in the art and used as a bleaching agent, antiseptic, or as a component in detergent formulations. Since hydrogen peroxide breaks down into innocuous products such as oxygen and water, it also represents a safe environmental cleaning component. However, hydrogen peroxide is also known for its challenges in stability, especially in environments containing various other substances. For instance, hydrogen peroxide is highly susceptible to decomposition by the presence of transition metal cations that are typically contained in the additional ingredients of the formulation (i.e. surfactants, builders, etc.). Furthermore, an alkaline environment is usually required to achieve a good cleaning and bleaching efficiency of peroxide containing cleaning agents. However, hydrogen peroxide tends to decompose under alkaline conditions during storage, producing additional hydroxide ions, which increase the pH and, thus, further enhance the decomposition rate and promotes the loss of cleaning efficiency.

[0004] Hence, achieving a stable detergent formulation is imperative to ensure proper efficiency and shelf life of detergents comprising hydrogen peroxide.

[0005] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a stable and efficient detergent formulation.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Thus, the present invention relates to a stable liquid detergent composition comprising 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactant and optionally water to 100 wt%.

[0007] It surprisingly turned out that the composition of the present invention is a highly storage stable liquid detergent, so that the hydrogen peroxide present in the composition remains stable over time under storage conditions. The composition of the present invention addresses also the challenge of efficiently cleaning materials, such as removing stains from textiles or porous materials. The composition of the present invention and in particular the hydrogen peroxide present therein is stable for up to two years of storage and shows exceptional cleaning properties during shelf-life. In addition, it has been found that the composition according to the present invention shows an effective biocidal activity. Hence, the composition of the present invention surprisingly combines both detergent and disinfectant properties while maintaining stability against hydrogen peroxide decomposition over time.

[0008] The composition of the present invention is a stable cleaning agent as well as an effective disinfectant of various materials or surfaces. For instance, the composition of the present invention shows the ability to disinfect different materials (e.g. textiles) and / or washing machines. Although laundering mainly aims to remove visible soil and stains, the removal of microorganisms and viruses is also an important step in the reconditioning of textiles. Furthermore, disinfecting the washing machine regularly is not only crucial for maintaining cleanliness, preventing mold and bacteria growth, and ensuring optimal appliance longevity, but also plays a role in preventing the contamination of textiles. This, in turn, is important for safeguarding human health, as contaminated textiles can serve as a medium for the transmission of infectious agents, further emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to laundry hygiene. It could be also shown that the composition of the present invention reduces and even prevents the formation of biofilms in washing machines. The present invention provides a stable composition with cleaning and biocidal properties, wherein stability of the composition is not only pivotal for maintaining biocidal properties but also crucial for ensuring consistent cleaning performance.

[0009] In addition, the composition of the present invention is particularly effective in the cold washing zone (18 to 40°C) during laundering. The strive for energy efficiency led to a rising need to lower washing temperatures in laundering processes. It has been found that the present composition shows also good cleaning performance at lower washing temperatures, demonstrating their ability to remove stains and maintain biocidal activity while ensuring an energy-efficient washing process.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention relates to the use of the stable liquid detergent composition of the present invention as a washing product and / or biocidal product, in particular as a laundry detergent or as a dishwashing liquid.

[0011] The composition of the present invention is useful for households (B2C) and also for professional (B2B) users, such as shared laundries, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and kindergartens. The composition of the present invention is also useful as a household and commercial disinfectant, bactericide, spor-icide, fungicide and / or virucide, sanitizer, and cleaner. Adding to the versatility and applications of the composition according to the present invention, the composition is not only useful for a wide range of cleaning and biocidal applications but also specifically applicable for Clean-In-Place (CIP) and Clean-Out-of-Place (COP) methods. These methods are particularly valuable in various industries for ensuring thorough sanitation of equipment and surfaces without disassembly, further highlighting the composition's broad utility in maintaining hygiene standards across numerous settings.

[0012] Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a stable liquid detergent composition comprising the step of mixing 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactant and optionally water to 100 wt%. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As used herein, the term "liquid detergent composition" refers to a composition capable to remove soil from a substrate. The substrate can be, for instance, a fabric, a metallic substrate, a plastic substrate or a ceramic substrate. The composition can be used, for instance, as laundry pre-treatment, laundry post-treatment, or can be added during the rinse cycle or wash cycle of a laundry operation. The liquid detergent composition can be in a form selected from the group consisting of pourable liquids, foamable liquids, gels, creams, and combinations thereof. The liquid detergent composition can be aqueous or non-aqueous, and can be anisotropic, isotropic, or a combination thereof.

[0014] The term "stable liquid detergent composition", as used herein, means that the relative decay of the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the liquid detergent composition is less than 15%, preferably less than 12 %, preferably less than 10 %, preferably less than 5 %, during a period of two years. To determine the relative decay of the hydrogen peroxide concentration, an accelerated aging protocol, as outlined by the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012), can be used for simulating long-term stability. This method involves exposing the product to a temperature of 54°C for 14 days, a process designed to mimic the effects of two years of shelf life in a condensed timeframe. A further accelerated aging protocol that can be employed is the Peroxide Industry Standard Method for quick aging, a test that exposes the product to 60°C for up to 144 hours. This approach is designed to simulate the effects of two years of shelf life within a significantly shorter period. The insights gained from these observations are crucial in predicting detergent's long-term stability and ensuring its effectiveness, even under extreme conditions. Surprisingly, the present composition shows limited diminution in hydrogen peroxide concentration under accelerated aging conditions, as specified above. This degree of degradation also aligns with other operational exigencies of the composition, such as biocidal activity as well as washing efficacy.

[0015] The term "biocidal activity", as used herein, refers to the ability of the composition according to the invention to reduce the concentration of a contaminant composition that is harmful to human or animal health or that causes damage to natural or manufactured products. Preferably, the contaminant is a microorganism, such as a bacterium, yeast, virus, fungus, protozoa, or pests, such as insects, algae, or mites. Exemplarily the composition of the present invention is able to destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Hel-icobacter pylori, Clostridium difficile, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Legionella pneumophila, Shigella spp., Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae,. The composition of the present invention can also destroy or inhibit the growth of yeasts or fungi like Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Exophiala dermatitidis, E. phaeomuriformis, Candida parapsilosis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Aureobasidium spp., Exophiala spp., Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Penicillium crustosum, Debaryomyces hansenii, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, C. Parapsilosis or. S. clavate. Also, the activity pf viruses such as Norovirus, Rotavirus, Influenza virus, Adeno viruses, Corona viruses or Human papillomavirus (HPV) can be reduced by the composition of the present invention.

[0016] As used herein, the term "reduction" means that 90%, preferably 95%, more preferably 99%, from the original concentration of viable microorganisms and viruses is killed and inactivated, respectively. The concentration of the contaminant composition can be reduced by at least 4-log, preferably at least 5-log, preferably at least 6-log, preferably at least 7-log after application of the composition according to the present invention. The biocidal activity can be assessed according to the biocidal regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012), which requires testing of biocidal products in accordance with the overarching standard EN 14885 for biocidal efficacy. In particular, the efficacy for non-medical area on bacteria can be carried out according to EN 1276 and efficacy for non-medical area on yeasts according to EN 1650, while efficacy for medical area requires standards carried out according to EN 13727 for bacteria and EN 13624 for yeasts. In addition, a carrier test according to EN 16616 for medical area and EN 17658 for non-medical area can be performed to determine the effectiveness in reducing microorganism levels under practical cleaning conditions. Furthermore, EN 13697 can be utilized for quantitatively assessing bactericidal and fungicidal activity on non-porous surfaces, EN 14476 for determining virucidal activity in the medical area, and EN 16777 to test virucidal activity in the non-medical area, ensuring a broad-spectrum biocidal assessment.

[0017] The term "washing efficacy", as used herein, refers to the cleaning performance of the composition of the present invention in regard to the ability to remove stains and maintain textile integrity of laundry. The washing efficacy can be determined following the guidelines set by the International Association for Soaps, Detergents, and Maintenance Products (AISE). The composition of the present invention shows good washing efficacy while maintaining the stability over time.

[0018] "At least one", as used herein, refers to one or more, preferably to two or more, three or more, four or more, or five or more.

[0019] Next to hydrogen peroxide the composition of the present invention comprises also at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof. Peroxy acids are oxidizing agents.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pH of the composition of the present invention is 6 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1.

[0021] It has been turned out that the composition of the present invention can be stable at pH 6 or less. It has been found that the composition might also be stable at more neutral or acidic conditions to achieve a good cleaning efficiency while maintaining hydrogen peroxide stability over time.

[0022] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 5 to 25 wt%, preferably 5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 6 to 14 wt%, more preferably 8 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 12 wt%, more preferably 10 to 12 wt%, even more preferably 11 to 12 wt%, of hydrogen peroxide.

[0023] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 3 wt%, of the at least one peroxy acid or salt thereof.

[0024] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one peroxy acid is phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid or peracetic acid.

[0025] The presence of phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid and / or peracetic acid in the composition of the present invention may result in a particular stable composition.

[0026] The composition according to the present invention also comprises at least one chelating stabilizer.

[0027] The term "chelating stabilizers", as used herein, refers to a molecule that is capable to bind metal ions to create stable complexes. These complexes can sequester and scavenge trace metal impurities that may accelerate the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one chelating stabilizer is a phosphonic stabilizer, an aromatic stabilizer or a combination thereof. Thus, the composition of the present invention may comprise at least one phosphonic stabilizer and / or at least one aromatic stabilizer.

[0029] A "phosphonic stabilizer", as used herein, relates to compounds comprising or being phosphonates containing R 1< -PO(OM 1 / 2 ) 2 groups. A preferred phosphonate / phosphonic stabilizer according to the invention may have the general formula wherein R 1< is an organic moiety, X 1< is OH or OM 1 and X 2< is OH or OM 2 , wherein M 1 and M 2 represent an alkali metal ion or ammonium ion. The organic moiety R 1< may be a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl moiety, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl moiety or C 6 -C 14 aryl moiety. One or more of the carbon atoms of said moieties may be substituted with a nitrogen atom. The organic moiety may be attached to 1 to 10 further phosphonate groups of the general formula (I).

[0030] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.025 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.01 wt%, of the at least one phosphonic stabilizer. The composition, therefore, meets the limits Regulation (EC) No 648 / 2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on detergents regarding the upper phosphorous content limit of 0.5 g compared to the recommended detergent volume for standard washing machine filling.

[0031] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one phosphonic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), amino tri(methylene phosphonic acid)(ATMP), diethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) (DTPMP), hexamethylene diamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (HMDTMP), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP), 2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), bis(hexamethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid), and mixtures thereof.

[0032] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.17 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one aromatic stabilizer.

[0033] As used herein, the term "aromatic stabilizer" refers to a chelating stabilizer characterized by one or more planar rings of atoms joined by covalent bonds. Preferably, the aromatic stabilizer includes carbocyclic aromatic rings, such as benzene or naphthalene rings, as well as heteroaromatic rings, such as pyridine and quinoline. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one aromatic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid, salicylic acid, and mixtures thereof.

[0034] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises further at least one inorganic stabilizer selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, pyrophosphoric acid salts, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, pyrophosphoric acid salts are potassium pyrophosphate or disodium pyrophosphate.

[0035] The composition of the present invention may also comprise carboxylic acids and / or salts thereof. However, it turned out that carboxylic acids and / or salts thereof may have a negative influence on the stability of hydrogen peroxide at higher concentrations. Hence, if carboxylic acids and / or salts thereof are added to the composition of the present invention it is preferred that the composition comprises 10 wt% or less, preferably 8 wt% or less, more preferably 6 or less, more preferably 3 wt% or less, more preferably 1 wt% or less, more preferably 0.05 wt% or less, even more preferably 0.01 or less, of at least one carboxylic acid, in particular no carboxylic acid.

[0036] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, sulfosalicylic acid, sulfosuccinic acid, glycolic acid, oxalic acid, propionic acid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, neopentanoic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, tartaric acid, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), malonic acid, succinic acid and glutaric acid, preferably citric acid.

[0037] It is preferred to keep the amount of citric acid in the composition according to the present invention as low as possible, preferably the composition is essentially free of citric acid.

[0038] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.05 wt% or less, preferably 0.01 wt% or less, more preferably 0.005 to 0.01 wt%, of at least one stannate stabilizer, preferably sodium stannate.

[0039] Stannates are known to be highly effective stabilizers against the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Surprisingly, it has been found that stannate stabilizers, when used in concentrations exceeding 0.01 wt%, adversely affects the stability of hydrogen peroxide in the composition of the present invention.

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.1 to 50 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 30 wt%, more preferably 1 to 20 wt%, even more preferably 1 to 15 wt%, of the at least one surfactant.

[0041] The composition of the present invention comprises at least one surfactant. Surfactants are known in the art and relate to chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids. Surfactants usually have a chemical structure with two different functional groups with different affinity, namely a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. Surfactants can be classified into ionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants. Ionic surfactants can be subclassified into anionic surfactants, where the hydrophilic group dissociates into anions in aqueous solutions, cationic surfactants that dissociate into cations, and amphoteric surfactants that dissociate into anions and cations. Nonionic surfactants are surfactants that do not dissociate into ions in aqueous solutions. Thus, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one surfactant is an anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric surfactant or a combination thereof.

[0042] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonate acid, alcohol ethoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alkyl carboxylate, alkyl carboxylate salts, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl ether sulfate salts, lauryl ether sulfate, lauryl ether sulfate salts, and mixtures thereof.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alkylbenzene sulfonate acid is dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS).

[0044] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alcohol ethoxylate is lauryl alcohol or an ether thereof.

[0045] As mentioned above, the stability of hydrogen peroxide can be negatively influenced by metal ions present in other components, such as surfactants. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises less than 0.01 wt%, more preferably less than 0.005 wt% of at least one metal ion. The concentration of metal ions in the composition can be determined by known methods in the art, such as ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) Spectroscopy and / or ETAAS (Electro thermal atomic absorption spectroscopy). By keeping the metal ion content low, the stability of the composition according to the present invention can be further enhanced. Preferably, the metal ions are transition or alkaline earth metal ions.

[0046] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition further comprises at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of brightening agents, dyes, fragrances, defoaming agents, builders, buffering agents, skin conditioning agents, rheology modifiers, emulsifiers, softening agents, anti-static agents, color protection agents, odor removal agents, odor capturing agents, ultraviolet light protection agents, water repellency agents and plasticizers. Brightening agents, also called "fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs)," and "fluorescent brightening agents (FBAs)," improve the appearance of whiteness on the fabrics. In particular, brightening agents absorb ultraviolet light. The reflection in the blue region results in an effect of improved whiteness.

[0047] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 1 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, more preferably 0.005 to 0.25 wt%, even more preferably 0.005 wt% to 0.15 wt%, of the at least one brightening agent.

[0048] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.2 wt%, of the at least one dye.

[0049] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.3 wt%, of the at least one fragrance.

[0050] In a number of cleaning operations, foam negatively affects good cleaning practice in that it may clog lines, reduces the pressure of cleaning, and slows down the proper agitation and mechanical operation of the cleaning devices. Hence, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 10 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 5 wt%, more preferably 0.1 to 3 wt%, of the at least one defoaming agent.

[0051] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at the least one defoaming agent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acids, aliphatic acids esters, alcohols, vegetable oils, waxes, mineral oils, mineral oil derivatives, dimethyl silicone, siloxanes, alkyl silanes, and hydrophobic silica defoamers.

[0052] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition of the present invention comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 2 wt%, of the at least one builder.

[0053] Builders can be added to the compound according to the invention to increase and protect the cleaning efficiency of the surfactants. Builders can have a number of functions, including softening, buffering, and emulsifying.

[0054] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one builder is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, gluconates and combinations thereof.

[0055] As discussed above, the composition of the present invention is useful as a washing product and / or biocidal product. Preferably, the composition of the present invention can be used as washing product for the cleaning fabrics, dishware, cookware, and / or cutlery. The composition of the present invention can be added to washing machines or dish washing machines. The composition is also useful as cleaning and biocidal product in many different applications, such as in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, dental offices, home care and chronic care facilities. In particular, the composition of the present invention can also be used in food and beverage processing and preparation, animal husbandry, the hospitality industry and for general sanitation, e.g. janitorial services.

[0056] The composition can be used in a concentrated or diluted form. In particular, the composition of the present invention can be used at a dilution ranging from 1 to 400 times. "Dilution ranging from 1 to 400 times", as used herein, means that the liquid composition of the present invention can be diluted in the range from 1:1 to 1:400 with water, wherein no dilution of the composition of the present invention and a dilution of 1:1, for instance, refers to a concentrated composition.

[0057] The effectiveness of the composition at these dilution rates indicates its suitability for industry use, addressing the challenge of removing stains from textiles and porous materials while maintaining disinfectant qualities. The composition according to the present invention may consistently demonstrate high efficacy in stain removal and microbial reduction across dilutions between 1 and 400 times. It has been found that the composition of the present invention keeps its unique properties even after dilution. The composition can maintain or enhance its microbiological effectiveness at more concentrated dilutions. Such efficacy is particularly pertinent in scenarios where more intense cleaning and disinfection might be necessary, such as in heavily soiled textiles or environments with stringent hygiene requirements.

[0058] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparing the stable liquid detergent composition by mixing hydrogen peroxide, the at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, the at least one chelating stabilizer, and the at least one surfactant, as defined herein. The components of the composition can be mixed simultaneously or successively. The mixture can also be heated to a temperature of between 15°C and 50°C, preferably between 25°C and 40°C.

[0059] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pH of the mixture is adjusted to 6 or less, preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1.

[0060] The present invention is further illustrated by the following embodiments and examples, however, without being restricted thereto.

[0061] Preferred embodiments of the present invention: 1. A stable liquid detergent composition comprising 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof, 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactant and optionally water to 100 wt%. 2. The composition of embodiment 1, wherein the pH of said composition is 6 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1. 3. The composition of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the composition comprises 5 to 25 wt%, preferably 5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 6 to 14 wt%, more preferably 8 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 12 wt%, more preferably 10 to 12 wt%, even more preferably 11 to 12 wt%, of hydrogen peroxide. 4. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 3 wt%, of the at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof. 5. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the at least one peroxy acid is phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid or peracetic acid. 6. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the at least one chelating stabilizer is a phosphonic stabilizer, an aromatic stabilizer or a combination thereof. 7. The composition of embodiment 6, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.025 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.01 wt%, of the at least one phosphonic stabilizer. 8. The composition of embodiments 6 or 7, wherein the at least one phosphonic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), amino tri(methylene phosphonic acid)(ATMP), diethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) (DTPMP), hexamethylene diamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (HMDTMP), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP), 2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), bis hexamethylene triamine penta methylene phosphonic acid, and mixtures thereof. 9. The composition of any one of embodiments 6 to 8, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.17 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one aromatic stabilizer. 10. The composition of any one of embodiments 6 to 9, wherein the at least one aromatic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid and salicylic acid. 11. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the composition comprises further at least one inorganic stabilizer preferably selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, pyrophosphoric acid salts, and mixtures thereof. 12. The composition of embodiment 11, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.15 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one inorganic stabilizer. 13. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the composition comprises further 0.05 wt% or less, preferably 0.01 wt% or less, more preferably 0.005 to 0.01 wt%, of at least one stannate stabilizer. 14. The composition of embodiment 13, wherein the at least one stannate stabilizer is sodium stannate. 15. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the composition comprises 0.1 to 50 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 30 wt%, more preferably 1 to 20 wt%, even more preferably 1 to 15 wt%, of the at least one surfactant. 16. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 15, wherein the at least one surfactant is an anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric surfactant or a combination thereof. 17. The composition of embodiment 16, wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonate acid, alcohol ethoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alkyl carboxylate, alkyl carboxylate salts, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl ether sulfate salts, lauryl ether sulfate, lauryl ether sulfate salts, and mixtures thereof. 18. The composition of embodiment 17, wherein the alkylbenzene sulfonate acid is dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS) . 19. The composition of embodiment 17, wherein the alcohol ethoxylate is lauryl alcohol ethoxylate. 20. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein the composition comprises 10 wt% or less, preferably 8 wt% or less, more preferably 6 or less, more preferably 3 wt% or less, more preferably 1 wt% or less, more preferably 0.05 wt% or less, even more preferably 0.01 or less, of at least one carboxylic acid, in particular no carboxylic acid. 21. The composition of embodiment 20, wherein the at least one carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, sulfosalicylic acid, sulfosuccinic acid, glycolic acid, oxalic acid, propionic acid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, neopentanoic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, tartaric acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), malonic acid, succinic acid and glutaric acid, preferably citric acid. 22. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 21, wherein the composition comprises further at least one brightening agent, at least one dye, at least one fragrance, at least one defoaming agent, at least one builder, at least one buffering agent, at least one skin conditioning agent, at least one rheology modifier, at least one emulsifier, at least one softening agent, at least one anti-static agent, at least one color protection agent, at least one odor removal agent, at least one odor capturing agent, at least one ultraviolet light protection agent, at least one water repellency agent and / or at least one plasticizer. 23. The composition of embodiment 22, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 1 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, more preferably 0.005 to 0.25 wt%, even more preferably 0.005 wt% to 0.15 wt%, of the at least one brightening agent. 24. The composition of embodiment 22 or 23, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.2 wt%, of the at least one dye. 25. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 24, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.3 wt%, of the at least one fragrance. 26. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 25, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 10 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 5 wt%, more preferably 0.1 to 3 wt%, of the at least one defoaming agent. 27. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 26, wherein the at the least one defoaming agent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acids, aliphatic acids esters, alcohols, vegetable oils, waxes, mineral oils, mineral oil derivatives, dimethyl silicone, siloxanes, alkyl silanes, and hydrophobic silica defoamers. 28. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 27, wherein the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 2 wt%, of the at least one builder. 29. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 28, wherein the at least one builder is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, gluconates and combinations thereof. 30. Use of the composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 29 as a washing product and / or a biocidal product. 31. A method for preparing a stable liquid detergent composition comprising the step of mixing hydrogen peroxide as defined in embodiment 1 or 3, at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof as defined in any one of embodiment 1, 4 or 5, at least one chelating stabilizer as defined in any one of embodiments 1 or 6 to 10, and at least one surfactant of any one of embodiments 1 or 15 to 19 and optionally water to 100 wt%. 32. The method of embodiment 31, wherein the pH of the mixture is adjusted to 6 or less, preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1. EXAMPLESExample 1:

[0062] Compositions of various formulations were prepared by mixing the components of each composition at defined ratios, as indicated in Tables 1 to 4. The pH of the compositions was properly adjusted by adding NaOH. The relative decay of hydrogen peroxide of each composition was tested as an indicator of stability over time. The stability testing was conducted in accordance with the standard procedures for sample aging, as outlined in the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012). Specifically, the testing included: Exposure of the formulations to 54°C for 14 days, and Exposure of the formulations to 60°C for 144 hours in accordance with the peroxide industry-based standard.

[0063] Tables 1 and 2 show the formulations of the tested compositions according to the invention. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), potassium citrate (PC), dipicolinic acid (DA), citric acid (CA), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, and / or ROKAnol ®< L10A) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP). Table 1Sample HEDP wt [%] PC wt [%] DA wt [%] CA wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] 1 0.250.50.1650.5862 0.250.50.1650.51243 0.250.50.1650.586 Table 2 Sample AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] pH 60°C Relative decay [%] 54°C 1 10120.253.13-7.00-11.072 10120.253.30-8.27-10.843 10120.250.58-9.13-11.96

[0064] Tables 3 and 4 exhibit the formulations of the tested compositions not according to the invention. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), ami-notris (methylenephosphonic acid; ATMP), citric acid (CA), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, ROKAnol ®< L5A and / or ROKAnol ®< L10A), alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), and alkyl ether sulfates (AES; such as SULFOROKAnol ®< ), nonionic surfactants (such as ROKAnol ®< NL8 or ROKAnol ®< LP600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). The compositions of samples 4 to 7 do not contain dipicolinic acid (DA) and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP) . Table 3Sample HEDP wt [%] ATMP wt [%] CA wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] 4 0.3750.1254.868.65 0.3750.125468.56 0.3750.125468.57 0.3750.125468.5 Table 4 Sample AEPC wt [%] AES wt [%] Nonionic surfactants wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] Relative decay [%] 60°C 4 81212-48.625 101112-44.276 101112-39.717 1011.512-30.07

[0065] The results in Tables 1 and 2 show that samples 1 to 3 according to the invention exhibited a relative decay in hydrogen peroxide concentration of less than 12% under the conditions mentioned above. As shown in Tables 3 and 4, the samples 4 to 7 show a significant increase in hydrogen peroxide decay compared to samples 1 to 3. These results demonstrate the superior storage stability of the composition of the present invention.Example 2:

[0066] To assess the influence of stabilizers on hydrogen peroxide decomposition in more detail, compositions comprising different amounts of dipicolinic acid (DA), 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), and aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid) - ATMP were tested. Tables 5 and 6 show the results of relative decay for six different compositions. The compositions comprise potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, and / or ROKAnol ®< L10A) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP), an antifoamer, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid; ATMP) and dipicolinic acid (DA). Table 5Sample PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] Antifoamer wt [%] A 0.51287.5120.050.5B 0.51287.5120.050.5C 0.51287.5120.050.5D 0.51287.5120.050.5E 0.51287.5120.050.5F 0.51287.5120.050.5 Table 6 Sample HEDP wt [%] ATMP wt [%] DA wt [%] Relative decay [%] 60°C 54°C A 000.08-5.59-6.83B 000.165-6.25-8.63C 00.010-7.53-2.84D 00.0050.165-4.29-9.60E 0.00800.165-5.35-3.70F 0.0100.165-5.01-3.45

[0067] As shown in Tables 5 and 6, it was found that various combinations of phosphonic and aromatic stabilizers ascertain their collective impact on stability.Example 3:

[0068] To comprehensively evaluate the biocidal performance of the composition according to the present invention, different samples were prepared and tested, as shown in Tables 7 and 8. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), dipicolinic acid (DA), potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, and / or ROKAnol ®< L10) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP). The compositions were further diluted 100X to prepare a solution comprising 1% of each composition. This specific concentration is critical as it simulates the dilution occurring in a washing machine during the main wash cycle, making it a realistic and practical test of the compositions' efficacy in typical usage scenarios. The biocidal activity against C. albicans was tested following protocols of EN 13624. Table 7Sample HEDP wt [%] DA wt [%] PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] 1 0.250.1650.51162 0.250.1650.5116 Table 8 Sample AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] pH Disinfection [log] 1 7.5120.050.795.692 10120.050.714.89

[0069] The results in Tables 7 and 8 reveal that samples 1 and 2 according to the invention show a reduction above 4-log. Also, further results demonstrated effective biocidal action in reducing contamination at a degree of 4 log even at a 0.25% concentration. This accomplishment is particularly significant as it indicates the high potency of the compositions of the present invention, even at minimal concentration levels.

Examples

example 1

[0062]Compositions of various formulations were prepared by mixing the components of each composition at defined ratios, as indicated in Tables 1 to 4. The pH of the compositions was properly adjusted by adding NaOH. The relative decay of hydrogen peroxide of each composition was tested as an indicator of stability over time. The stability testing was conducted in accordance with the standard procedures for sample aging, as outlined in the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012). Specifically, the testing included:

Exposure of the formulations to 54°C for 14 days, and Exposure of the formulations to 60°C for 144 hours in accordance with the peroxide industry-based standard.

[0063]Tables 1 and 2 show the formulations of the tested compositions according to the invention. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), potassium citrate (PC), dipicolinic acid (DA), citric acid (CA), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surf...

example 2

[0066]To assess the influence of stabilizers on hydrogen peroxide decomposition in more detail, compositions comprising different amounts of dipicolinic acid (DA), 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), and aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid) - ATMP were tested. Tables 5 and 6 show the results of relative decay for six different compositions. The compositions comprise potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®

Table 5

Sample PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] Antifoamer wt [%]

A 0.51287.5120.050.5

B 0.51287.5120.050.5

C 0.51287.5120.050.5

D 0.51287.5120.050.5

E 0.51287.5120.050.5

F 0.51287.5120.050.5

Table 6 Sample HEDP wt [%] ATMP wt [%] DA wt [%] Relative decay [%] 60°C 54°C A 000.08-5.59-6.83B 000.165-6.25-8.63C 00.010-7.53-2.84D 00.0050.165-4.29-9.60E 0.00800.165-5.35-3.70F 0.0100.165-5.01-3.45

[0067]As shown in Tables 5 an...

example 3

[0068]To comprehensively evaluate the biocidal performance of the composition according to the present invention, different samples were prepared and tested, as shown in Tables 7 and 8. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), dipicolinic acid (DA), potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®albicans was tested following protocols of EN 13624.

Table 7

Sample HEDP wt [%] DA wt [%] PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%]

1 0.250.1650.5116

2 0.250.1650.5116

Table 8 Sample AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] pH Disinfection [log] 1 7.5120.050.795.692 10120.050.714.89

[0069]The results in Tables 7 and 8 reveal that samples 1 and 2 according to the invention show a reduction above 4-log. Also, further results demonstrated effective biocidal action in reducing contamination at a degree of 4 log even at a 0.25% concentration. This accomplishment is particu...

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of detergent compositions and uses thereof.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Detergents are an indispensable part of everyday life and are essential in routinely cleaning and washing processes. Examples of commercially available detergent products include laundry and fabric softeners, all-purpose cleaners, and mixtures intended for soaking (pre-washing), rinsing or bleaching. Detergent formulations, in particular for fabric washing, must remove a wide variety of stains and soils from different fabric types under a broad range of wash conditions. Principal components of detergent formulations include surfactants, builders, and enzymes to remove primarily oily, greasy, particulate, and proteinaceous soils and stains.

[0003] Many detergents still cannot remove some stains effectively without the aid of other solutions such as hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). Hydrogen peroxide is well known in the art and used as a bleaching agent, antiseptic, or as a component in detergent formulations. Since hydrogen peroxide breaks down into innocuous products such as oxygen and water, it also represents a safe environmental cleaning component. However, hydrogen peroxide is also known for its challenges in stability, especially in environments containing various other substances. For instance, hydrogen peroxide is highly susceptible to decomposition by the presence of transition metal cations that are typically contained in the additional ingredients of the formulation (i.e. surfactants, builders, etc.). Furthermore, an alkaline environment is usually required to achieve a good cleaning and bleaching efficiency of peroxide containing cleaning agents. However, hydrogen peroxide tends to decompose under alkaline conditions during storage, producing additional hydroxide ions, which increase the pH and, thus, further enhance the decomposition rate and promotes the loss of cleaning efficiency.

[0004] Hence, achieving a stable detergent formulation is imperative to ensure proper efficiency and shelf life of detergents comprising hydrogen peroxide.

[0005] It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a stable and efficient detergent formulation.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] Thus, the present invention relates to a stable liquid detergent composition comprising 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactant and optionally water to 100 wt%.

[0007] It surprisingly turned out that the composition of the present invention is a highly storage stable liquid detergent, so that the hydrogen peroxide present in the composition remains stable over time under storage conditions. The composition of the present invention addresses also the challenge of efficiently cleaning materials, such as removing stains from textiles or porous materials. The composition of the present invention and in particular the hydrogen peroxide present therein is stable for up to two years of storage and shows exceptional cleaning properties during shelf-life. In addition, it has been found that the composition according to the present invention shows an effective biocidal activity. Hence, the composition of the present invention surprisingly combines both detergent and disinfectant properties while maintaining stability against hydrogen peroxide decomposition over time.

[0008] The composition of the present invention is a stable cleaning agent as well as an effective disinfectant of various materials or surfaces. For instance, the composition of the present invention shows the ability to disinfect different materials (e.g. textiles) and / or washing machines. Although laundering mainly aims to remove visible soil and stains, the removal of microorganisms and viruses is also an important step in the reconditioning of textiles. Furthermore, disinfecting the washing machine regularly is not only crucial for maintaining cleanliness, preventing mold and bacteria growth, and ensuring optimal appliance longevity, but also plays a role in preventing the contamination of textiles. This, in turn, is important for safeguarding human health, as contaminated textiles can serve as a medium for the transmission of infectious agents, further emphasizing the importance of a comprehensive approach to laundry hygiene. It could be also shown that the composition of the present invention reduces and even prevents the formation of biofilms in washing machines. The present invention provides a stable composition with cleaning and biocidal properties, wherein stability of the composition is not only pivotal for maintaining biocidal properties but also crucial for ensuring consistent cleaning performance.

[0009] In addition, the composition of the present invention is particularly effective in the cold washing zone (18 to 40°C) during laundering. The strive for energy efficiency led to a rising need to lower washing temperatures in laundering processes. It has been found that the present composition shows also good cleaning performance at lower washing temperatures, demonstrating their ability to remove stains and maintain biocidal activity while ensuring an energy-efficient washing process.

[0010] Another aspect of the present invention relates to the use of the stable liquid detergent composition of the present invention as a washing product and / or biocidal product, in particular as a laundry detergent or as a dishwashing liquid.

[0011] The composition of the present invention is useful for households (B2C) and also for professional (B2B) users, such as shared laundries, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, and kindergartens. The composition of the present invention is also useful as a household and commercial disinfectant, bactericide, spor-icide, fungicide and / or virucide, sanitizer, and cleaner. Adding to the versatility and applications of the composition according to the present invention, the composition is not only useful for a wide range of cleaning and biocidal applications but also specifically applicable for Clean-In-Place (CIP) and Clean-Out-of-Place (COP) methods. These methods are particularly valuable in various industries for ensuring thorough sanitation of equipment and surfaces without disassembly, further highlighting the composition's broad utility in maintaining hygiene standards across numerous settings.

[0012] Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparing a stable liquid detergent composition comprising the step of mixing 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactant and optionally water to 100 wt%. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] As used herein, the term "liquid detergent composition" refers to a composition capable to remove soil from a substrate. The substrate can be, for instance, a fabric, a metallic substrate, a plastic substrate or a ceramic substrate. The composition can be used, for instance, as laundry pre-treatment, laundry post-treatment, or can be added during the rinse cycle or wash cycle of a laundry operation. The liquid detergent composition can be in a form selected from the group consisting of pourable liquids, foamable liquids, gels, creams, and combinations thereof. The liquid detergent composition can be aqueous or non-aqueous, and can be anisotropic, isotropic, or a combination thereof.

[0014] The term "stable liquid detergent composition", as used herein, means that the relative decay of the hydrogen peroxide concentration of the liquid detergent composition is less than 15%, preferably less than 12 %, preferably less than 10 %, preferably less than 5 %, during a period of two years. To determine the relative decay of the hydrogen peroxide concentration, an accelerated aging protocol, as outlined by the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012), can be used for simulating long-term stability. This method involves exposing the product to a temperature of 54°C for 14 days, a process designed to mimic the effects of two years of shelf life in a condensed timeframe. A further accelerated aging protocol that can be employed is the Peroxide Industry Standard Method for quick aging, a test that exposes the product to 60°C for up to 144 hours. This approach is designed to simulate the effects of two years of shelf life within a significantly shorter period. The insights gained from these observations are crucial in predicting detergent's long-term stability and ensuring its effectiveness, even under extreme conditions. Surprisingly, the present composition shows limited diminution in hydrogen peroxide concentration under accelerated aging conditions, as specified above. This degree of degradation also aligns with other operational exigencies of the composition, such as biocidal activity as well as washing efficacy.

[0015] The term "biocidal activity", as used herein, refers to the ability of the composition according to the invention to reduce the concentration of a contaminant composition that is harmful to human or animal health or that causes damage to natural or manufactured products. Preferably, the contaminant is a microorganism, such as a bacterium, yeast, virus, fungus, protozoa, or pests, such as insects, algae, or mites. Exemplarily the composition of the present invention is able to destroy or inhibit the growth of bacteria like Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, Listeria monocytogenes, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Streptococcus pyogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Hel-icobacter pylori, Clostridium difficile, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Legionella pneumophila, Shigella spp., Enterococcus faecium, Klebsiella pneumoniae,. The composition of the present invention can also destroy or inhibit the growth of yeasts or fungi like Candida albicans, Saccharomyces cerevisiae , Aspergillus niger, Fusarium oxysporum, Exophiala dermatitidis, E. phaeomuriformis, Candida parapsilosis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Aureobasidium spp., Exophiala spp., Fusarium oxysporum, F. solani, Penicillium crustosum, Debaryomyces hansenii, Meyerozyma guilliermondii, C. Parapsilosis or. S. clavate. Also, the activity pf viruses such as Norovirus, Rotavirus, Influenza virus, Adeno viruses, Corona viruses or Human papillomavirus (HPV) can be reduced by the composition of the present invention.

[0016] As used herein, the term "reduction" means that 90%, preferably 95%, more preferably 99%, from the original concentration of viable microorganisms and viruses is killed and inactivated, respectively. The concentration of the contaminant composition can be reduced by at least 4-log, preferably at least 5-log, preferably at least 6-log, preferably at least 7-log after application of the composition according to the present invention. The biocidal activity can be assessed according to the biocidal regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012), which requires testing of biocidal products in accordance with the overarching standard EN 14885 for biocidal efficacy. In particular, the efficacy for non-medical area on bacteria can be carried out according to EN 1276 and efficacy for non-medical area on yeasts according to EN 1650, while efficacy for medical area requires standards carried out according to EN 13727 for bacteria and EN 13624 for yeasts. In addition, a carrier test according to EN 16616 for medical area and EN 17658 for non-medical area can be performed to determine the effectiveness in reducing microorganism levels under practical cleaning conditions. Furthermore, EN 13697 can be utilized for quantitatively assessing bactericidal and fungicidal activity on non-porous surfaces, EN 14476 for determining virucidal activity in the medical area, and EN 16777 to test virucidal activity in the non-medical area, ensuring a broad-spectrum biocidal assessment.

[0017] The term "washing efficacy", as used herein, refers to the cleaning performance of the composition of the present invention in regard to the ability to remove stains and maintain textile integrity of laundry. The washing efficacy can be determined following the guidelines set by the International Association for Soaps, Detergents, and Maintenance Products (AISE). The composition of the present invention shows good washing efficacy while maintaining the stability over time.

[0018] "At least one", as used herein, refers to one or more, preferably to two or more, three or more, four or more, or five or more.

[0019] Next to hydrogen peroxide the composition of the present invention comprises also at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof. Peroxy acids are oxidizing agents.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pH of the composition of the present invention is 6 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1.

[0021] It has been turned out that the composition of the present invention can be stable at pH 6 or less. It has been found that the composition might also be stable at more neutral or acidic conditions to achieve a good cleaning efficiency while maintaining hydrogen peroxide stability over time.

[0022] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 5 to 25 wt%, preferably 5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 6 to 14 wt%, more preferably 8 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 12 wt%, more preferably 10 to 12 wt%, even more preferably 11 to 12 wt%, of hydrogen peroxide.

[0023] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 3 wt%, of the at least one peroxy acid or salt thereof.

[0024] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one peroxy acid is phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid or peracetic acid.

[0025] The presence of phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid and / or peracetic acid in the composition of the present invention may result in a particular stable composition.

[0026] The composition according to the present invention also comprises at least one chelating stabilizer.

[0027] The term "chelating stabilizers", as used herein, refers to a molecule that is capable to bind metal ions to create stable complexes. These complexes can sequester and scavenge trace metal impurities that may accelerate the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one chelating stabilizer is a phosphonic stabilizer, an aromatic stabilizer or a combination thereof. Thus, the composition of the present invention may comprise at least one phosphonic stabilizer and / or at least one aromatic stabilizer.

[0029] A "phosphonic stabilizer", as used herein, relates to compounds comprising or being phosphonates containing R 1< -PO(OM 1 / 2 ) 2 groups. A preferred phosphonate / phosphonic stabilizer according to the invention may have the general formula wherein R 1< is an organic moiety, X 1< is OH or OM 1 and X 2< is OH or OM 2 , wherein M 1 and M 2 represent an alkali metal ion or ammonium ion. The organic moiety R 1< may be a substituted or unsubstituted C 1 -C 12 alkyl moiety, C 3 -C 10 cycloalkyl moiety or C 6 -C 14 aryl moiety. One or more of the carbon atoms of said moieties may be substituted with a nitrogen atom. The organic moiety may be attached to 1 to 10 further phosphonate groups of the general formula (I).

[0030] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.025 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.01 wt%, of the at least one phosphonic stabilizer. The composition, therefore, meets the limits Regulation (EC) No 648 / 2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on detergents regarding the upper phosphorous content limit of 0.5 g compared to the recommended detergent volume for standard washing machine filling.

[0031] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one phosphonic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), amino tri(methylene phosphonic acid)(ATMP), diethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) (DTPMP), hexamethylene diamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (HMDTMP), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP), 2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), bis(hexamethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid), and mixtures thereof.

[0032] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.17 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one aromatic stabilizer.

[0033] As used herein, the term "aromatic stabilizer" refers to a chelating stabilizer characterized by one or more planar rings of atoms joined by covalent bonds. Preferably, the aromatic stabilizer includes carbocyclic aromatic rings, such as benzene or naphthalene rings, as well as heteroaromatic rings, such as pyridine and quinoline. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one aromatic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid, salicylic acid, and mixtures thereof.

[0034] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises further at least one inorganic stabilizer selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, pyrophosphoric acid salts, and mixtures thereof. Preferably, pyrophosphoric acid salts are potassium pyrophosphate or disodium pyrophosphate.

[0035] The composition of the present invention may also comprise carboxylic acids and / or salts thereof. However, it turned out that carboxylic acids and / or salts thereof may have a negative influence on the stability of hydrogen peroxide at higher concentrations. Hence, if carboxylic acids and / or salts thereof are added to the composition of the present invention it is preferred that the composition comprises 10 wt% or less, preferably 8 wt% or less, more preferably 6 or less, more preferably 3 wt% or less, more preferably 1 wt% or less, more preferably 0.05 wt% or less, even more preferably 0.01 or less, of at least one carboxylic acid, in particular no carboxylic acid.

[0036] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, sulfosalicylic acid, sulfosuccinic acid, glycolic acid, oxalic acid, propionic acid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, neopentanoic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, tartaric acid, Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), malonic acid, succinic acid and glutaric acid, preferably citric acid.

[0037] It is preferred to keep the amount of citric acid in the composition according to the present invention as low as possible, preferably the composition is essentially free of citric acid.

[0038] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.05 wt% or less, preferably 0.01 wt% or less, more preferably 0.005 to 0.01 wt%, of at least one stannate stabilizer, preferably sodium stannate.

[0039] Stannates are known to be highly effective stabilizers against the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide. Surprisingly, it has been found that stannate stabilizers, when used in concentrations exceeding 0.01 wt%, adversely affects the stability of hydrogen peroxide in the composition of the present invention.

[0040] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.1 to 50 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 30 wt%, more preferably 1 to 20 wt%, even more preferably 1 to 15 wt%, of the at least one surfactant.

[0041] The composition of the present invention comprises at least one surfactant. Surfactants are known in the art and relate to chemical compounds that decrease the surface tension or interfacial tension between two liquids. Surfactants usually have a chemical structure with two different functional groups with different affinity, namely a hydrophobic tail and a hydrophilic head. Surfactants can be classified into ionic surfactants and nonionic surfactants. Ionic surfactants can be subclassified into anionic surfactants, where the hydrophilic group dissociates into anions in aqueous solutions, cationic surfactants that dissociate into cations, and amphoteric surfactants that dissociate into anions and cations. Nonionic surfactants are surfactants that do not dissociate into ions in aqueous solutions. Thus, according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one surfactant is an anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric surfactant or a combination thereof.

[0042] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonate acid, alcohol ethoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alkyl carboxylate, alkyl carboxylate salts, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl ether sulfate salts, lauryl ether sulfate, lauryl ether sulfate salts, and mixtures thereof.

[0043] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alkylbenzene sulfonate acid is dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS).

[0044] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the alcohol ethoxylate is lauryl alcohol or an ether thereof.

[0045] As mentioned above, the stability of hydrogen peroxide can be negatively influenced by metal ions present in other components, such as surfactants. According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises less than 0.01 wt%, more preferably less than 0.005 wt% of at least one metal ion. The concentration of metal ions in the composition can be determined by known methods in the art, such as ICP (Inductively Coupled Plasma) Spectroscopy and / or ETAAS (Electro thermal atomic absorption spectroscopy). By keeping the metal ion content low, the stability of the composition according to the present invention can be further enhanced. Preferably, the metal ions are transition or alkaline earth metal ions.

[0046] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition further comprises at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of brightening agents, dyes, fragrances, defoaming agents, builders, buffering agents, skin conditioning agents, rheology modifiers, emulsifiers, softening agents, anti-static agents, color protection agents, odor removal agents, odor capturing agents, ultraviolet light protection agents, water repellency agents and plasticizers. Brightening agents, also called "fluorescent whitening agents (FWAs)," and "fluorescent brightening agents (FBAs)," improve the appearance of whiteness on the fabrics. In particular, brightening agents absorb ultraviolet light. The reflection in the blue region results in an effect of improved whiteness.

[0047] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 1 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, more preferably 0.005 to 0.25 wt%, even more preferably 0.005 wt% to 0.15 wt%, of the at least one brightening agent.

[0048] According to a further preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.2 wt%, of the at least one dye.

[0049] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.3 wt%, of the at least one fragrance.

[0050] In a number of cleaning operations, foam negatively affects good cleaning practice in that it may clog lines, reduces the pressure of cleaning, and slows down the proper agitation and mechanical operation of the cleaning devices. Hence, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition comprises 0.005 to 10 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 5 wt%, more preferably 0.1 to 3 wt%, of the at least one defoaming agent.

[0051] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at the least one defoaming agent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acids, aliphatic acids esters, alcohols, vegetable oils, waxes, mineral oils, mineral oil derivatives, dimethyl silicone, siloxanes, alkyl silanes, and hydrophobic silica defoamers.

[0052] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the composition of the present invention comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 2 wt%, of the at least one builder.

[0053] Builders can be added to the compound according to the invention to increase and protect the cleaning efficiency of the surfactants. Builders can have a number of functions, including softening, buffering, and emulsifying.

[0054] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the at least one builder is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, gluconates and combinations thereof.

[0055] As discussed above, the composition of the present invention is useful as a washing product and / or biocidal product. Preferably, the composition of the present invention can be used as washing product for the cleaning fabrics, dishware, cookware, and / or cutlery. The composition of the present invention can be added to washing machines or dish washing machines. The composition is also useful as cleaning and biocidal product in many different applications, such as in hospitals, clinics, laboratories, dental offices, home care and chronic care facilities. In particular, the composition of the present invention can also be used in food and beverage processing and preparation, animal husbandry, the hospitality industry and for general sanitation, e.g. janitorial services.

[0056] The composition can be used in a concentrated or diluted form. In particular, the composition of the present invention can be used at a dilution ranging from 1 to 400 times. "Dilution ranging from 1 to 400 times", as used herein, means that the liquid composition of the present invention can be diluted in the range from 1:1 to 1:400 with water, wherein no dilution of the composition of the present invention and a dilution of 1:1, for instance, refers to a concentrated composition.

[0057] The effectiveness of the composition at these dilution rates indicates its suitability for industry use, addressing the challenge of removing stains from textiles and porous materials while maintaining disinfectant qualities. The composition according to the present invention may consistently demonstrate high efficacy in stain removal and microbial reduction across dilutions between 1 and 400 times. It has been found that the composition of the present invention keeps its unique properties even after dilution. The composition can maintain or enhance its microbiological effectiveness at more concentrated dilutions. Such efficacy is particularly pertinent in scenarios where more intense cleaning and disinfection might be necessary, such as in heavily soiled textiles or environments with stringent hygiene requirements.

[0058] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a method for preparing the stable liquid detergent composition by mixing hydrogen peroxide, the at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof, the at least one chelating stabilizer, and the at least one surfactant, as defined herein. The components of the composition can be mixed simultaneously or successively. The mixture can also be heated to a temperature of between 15°C and 50°C, preferably between 25°C and 40°C.

[0059] According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pH of the mixture is adjusted to 6 or less, preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1.

[0060] The present invention is further illustrated by the following embodiments and examples, however, without being restricted thereto.

[0061] Preferred embodiments of the present invention: 1. A stable liquid detergent composition comprising 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof, 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactant and optionally water to 100 wt%. 2. The composition of embodiment 1, wherein the pH of said composition is 6 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1. 3. The composition of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the composition comprises 5 to 25 wt%, preferably 5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 6 to 14 wt%, more preferably 8 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 12 wt%, more preferably 10 to 12 wt%, even more preferably 11 to 12 wt%, of hydrogen peroxide. 4. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 3, wherein the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 3 wt%, of the at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof. 5. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4, wherein the at least one peroxy acid is phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid or peracetic acid. 6. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 5, wherein the at least one chelating stabilizer is a phosphonic stabilizer, an aromatic stabilizer or a combination thereof. 7. The composition of embodiment 6, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.025 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.01 wt%, of the at least one phosphonic stabilizer. 8. The composition of embodiments 6 or 7, wherein the at least one phosphonic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), amino tri(methylene phosphonic acid)(ATMP), diethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) (DTPMP), hexamethylene diamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (HMDTMP), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP), 2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), bis hexamethylene triamine penta methylene phosphonic acid, and mixtures thereof. 9. The composition of any one of embodiments 6 to 8, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.17 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one aromatic stabilizer. 10. The composition of any one of embodiments 6 to 9, wherein the at least one aromatic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid and salicylic acid. 11. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 10, wherein the composition comprises further at least one inorganic stabilizer preferably selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, pyrophosphoric acid salts, and mixtures thereof. 12. The composition of embodiment 11, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.15 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one inorganic stabilizer. 13. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 12, wherein the composition comprises further 0.05 wt% or less, preferably 0.01 wt% or less, more preferably 0.005 to 0.01 wt%, of at least one stannate stabilizer. 14. The composition of embodiment 13, wherein the at least one stannate stabilizer is sodium stannate. 15. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 14, wherein the composition comprises 0.1 to 50 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 30 wt%, more preferably 1 to 20 wt%, even more preferably 1 to 15 wt%, of the at least one surfactant. 16. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 15, wherein the at least one surfactant is an anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric surfactant or a combination thereof. 17. The composition of embodiment 16, wherein the anionic surfactant is selected from the group consisting of alkylbenzene sulfonate, alkylbenzene sulfonate acid, alcohol ethoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate or a copolymer thereof, alkyl carboxylate, alkyl carboxylate salts, alkyl ether sulfates, alkyl ether sulfate salts, lauryl ether sulfate, lauryl ether sulfate salts, and mixtures thereof. 18. The composition of embodiment 17, wherein the alkylbenzene sulfonate acid is dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS) . 19. The composition of embodiment 17, wherein the alcohol ethoxylate is lauryl alcohol ethoxylate. 20. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 19, wherein the composition comprises 10 wt% or less, preferably 8 wt% or less, more preferably 6 or less, more preferably 3 wt% or less, more preferably 1 wt% or less, more preferably 0.05 wt% or less, even more preferably 0.01 or less, of at least one carboxylic acid, in particular no carboxylic acid. 21. The composition of embodiment 20, wherein the at least one carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of citric acid, sulfosalicylic acid, sulfosuccinic acid, glycolic acid, oxalic acid, propionic acid, maleic acid, ascorbic acid, neopentanoic acid, nitrilotriacetic acid, tartaric acid, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), malonic acid, succinic acid and glutaric acid, preferably citric acid. 22. The composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 21, wherein the composition comprises further at least one brightening agent, at least one dye, at least one fragrance, at least one defoaming agent, at least one builder, at least one buffering agent, at least one skin conditioning agent, at least one rheology modifier, at least one emulsifier, at least one softening agent, at least one anti-static agent, at least one color protection agent, at least one odor removal agent, at least one odor capturing agent, at least one ultraviolet light protection agent, at least one water repellency agent and / or at least one plasticizer. 23. The composition of embodiment 22, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 1 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, more preferably 0.005 to 0.25 wt%, even more preferably 0.005 wt% to 0.15 wt%, of the at least one brightening agent. 24. The composition of embodiment 22 or 23, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.2 wt%, of the at least one dye. 25. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 24, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 0.3 wt%, of the at least one fragrance. 26. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 25, wherein the composition comprises 0.005 to 10 wt%, preferably 0.005 to 5 wt%, more preferably 0.1 to 3 wt%, of the at least one defoaming agent. 27. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 26, wherein the at the least one defoaming agent is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic acids, aliphatic acids esters, alcohols, vegetable oils, waxes, mineral oils, mineral oil derivatives, dimethyl silicone, siloxanes, alkyl silanes, and hydrophobic silica defoamers. 28. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 27, wherein the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 2 wt%, of the at least one builder. 29. The composition of any one of embodiments 22 to 28, wherein the at least one builder is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acid salts, gluconates and combinations thereof. 30. Use of the composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 29 as a washing product and / or a biocidal product. 31. A method for preparing a stable liquid detergent composition comprising the step of mixing hydrogen peroxide as defined in embodiment 1 or 3, at least one peroxy acid or salts thereof as defined in any one of embodiment 1, 4 or 5, at least one chelating stabilizer as defined in any one of embodiments 1 or 6 to 10, and at least one surfactant of any one of embodiments 1 or 15 to 19 and optionally water to 100 wt%. 32. The method of embodiment 31, wherein the pH of the mixture is adjusted to 6 or less, preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1. EXAMPLESExample 1:

[0062] Compositions of various formulations were prepared by mixing the components of each composition at defined ratios, as indicated in Tables 1 to 4. The pH of the compositions was properly adjusted by adding NaOH. The relative decay of hydrogen peroxide of each composition was tested as an indicator of stability over time. The stability testing was conducted in accordance with the standard procedures for sample aging, as outlined in the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012). Specifically, the testing included: Exposure of the formulations to 54°C for 14 days, and Exposure of the formulations to 60°C for 144 hours in accordance with the peroxide industry-based standard.

[0063] Tables 1 and 2 show the formulations of the tested compositions according to the invention. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), potassium citrate (PC), dipicolinic acid (DA), citric acid (CA), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, and / or ROKAnol ®< L10A) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP). Table 1Sample HEDP wt [%] PC wt [%] DA wt [%] CA wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] 1 0.250.50.1650.5862 0.250.50.1650.51243 0.250.50.1650.586 Table 2 Sample AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] pH 60°C Relative decay [%] 54°C 1 10120.253.13-7.00-11.072 10120.253.30-8.27-10.843 10120.250.58-9.13-11.96

[0064] Tables 3 and 4 exhibit the formulations of the tested compositions not according to the invention. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), ami-notris (methylenephosphonic acid; ATMP), citric acid (CA), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, ROKAnol ®< L5A and / or ROKAnol ®< L10A), alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), and alkyl ether sulfates (AES; such as SULFOROKAnol ®< ), nonionic surfactants (such as ROKAnol ®< NL8 or ROKAnol ®< LP600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ). The compositions of samples 4 to 7 do not contain dipicolinic acid (DA) and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP) . Table 3Sample HEDP wt [%] ATMP wt [%] CA wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] 4 0.3750.1254.868.65 0.3750.125468.56 0.3750.125468.57 0.3750.125468.5 Table 4 Sample AEPC wt [%] AES wt [%] Nonionic surfactants wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] Relative decay [%] 60°C 4 81212-48.625 101112-44.276 101112-39.717 1011.512-30.07

[0065] The results in Tables 1 and 2 show that samples 1 to 3 according to the invention exhibited a relative decay in hydrogen peroxide concentration of less than 12% under the conditions mentioned above. As shown in Tables 3 and 4, the samples 4 to 7 show a significant increase in hydrogen peroxide decay compared to samples 1 to 3. These results demonstrate the superior storage stability of the composition of the present invention.Example 2:

[0066] To assess the influence of stabilizers on hydrogen peroxide decomposition in more detail, compositions comprising different amounts of dipicolinic acid (DA), 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), and aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid) - ATMP were tested. Tables 5 and 6 show the results of relative decay for six different compositions. The compositions comprise potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, and / or ROKAnol ®< L10A) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP), an antifoamer, 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid; ATMP) and dipicolinic acid (DA). Table 5Sample PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] Antifoamer wt [%] A 0.51287.5120.050.5B 0.51287.5120.050.5C 0.51287.5120.050.5D 0.51287.5120.050.5E 0.51287.5120.050.5F 0.51287.5120.050.5 Table 6 Sample HEDP wt [%] ATMP wt [%] DA wt [%] Relative decay [%] 60°C 54°C A 000.08-5.59-6.83B 000.165-6.25-8.63C 00.010-7.53-2.84D 00.0050.165-4.29-9.60E 0.00800.165-5.35-3.70F 0.0100.165-5.01-3.45

[0067] As shown in Tables 5 and 6, it was found that various combinations of phosphonic and aromatic stabilizers ascertain their collective impact on stability.Example 3:

[0068] To comprehensively evaluate the biocidal performance of the composition according to the present invention, different samples were prepared and tested, as shown in Tables 7 and 8. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), dipicolinic acid (DA), potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®< L7A, ROKAnol ®< L3A, and / or ROKAnol ®< L10) and alcohol ethoxylate propoxylate copolymers (AEPC; such as Rokamer ®< 2000 and / or Rokamer ®< 2600), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), and phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid (PAP). The compositions were further diluted 100X to prepare a solution comprising 1% of each composition. This specific concentration is critical as it simulates the dilution occurring in a washing machine during the main wash cycle, making it a realistic and practical test of the compositions' efficacy in typical usage scenarios. The biocidal activity against C. albicans was tested following protocols of EN 13624. Table 7Sample HEDP wt [%] DA wt [%] PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] 1 0.250.1650.51162 0.250.1650.5116 Table 8 Sample AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] pH Disinfection [log] 1 7.5120.050.795.692 10120.050.714.89

[0069] The results in Tables 7 and 8 reveal that samples 1 and 2 according to the invention show a reduction above 4-log. Also, further results demonstrated effective biocidal action in reducing contamination at a degree of 4 log even at a 0.25% concentration. This accomplishment is particularly significant as it indicates the high potency of the compositions of the present invention, even at minimal concentration levels.

Examples

example 1

[0062]Compositions of various formulations were prepared by mixing the components of each composition at defined ratios, as indicated in Tables 1 to 4. The pH of the compositions was properly adjusted by adding NaOH. The relative decay of hydrogen peroxide of each composition was tested as an indicator of stability over time. The stability testing was conducted in accordance with the standard procedures for sample aging, as outlined in the Biocidal Products Regulation (BPR, Regulation (EU) 528 / 2012). Specifically, the testing included:

Exposure of the formulations to 54°C for 14 days, and Exposure of the formulations to 60°C for 144 hours in accordance with the peroxide industry-based standard.

[0063]Tables 1 and 2 show the formulations of the tested compositions according to the invention. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), potassium citrate (PC), dipicolinic acid (DA), citric acid (CA), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surf...

example 2

[0066]To assess the influence of stabilizers on hydrogen peroxide decomposition in more detail, compositions comprising different amounts of dipicolinic acid (DA), 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), and aminotris(methylenephosphonic acid) - ATMP were tested. Tables 5 and 6 show the results of relative decay for six different compositions. The compositions comprise potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®

Table 5

Sample PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%] AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] Antifoamer wt [%]

A 0.51287.5120.050.5

B 0.51287.5120.050.5

C 0.51287.5120.050.5

D 0.51287.5120.050.5

E 0.51287.5120.050.5

F 0.51287.5120.050.5

Table 6 Sample HEDP wt [%] ATMP wt [%] DA wt [%] Relative decay [%] 60°C 54°C A 000.08-5.59-6.83B 000.165-6.25-8.63C 00.010-7.53-2.84D 00.0050.165-4.29-9.60E 0.00800.165-5.35-3.70F 0.0100.165-5.01-3.45

[0067]As shown in Tables 5 an...

example 3

[0068]To comprehensively evaluate the biocidal performance of the composition according to the present invention, different samples were prepared and tested, as shown in Tables 7 and 8. The compositions comprise 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), dipicolinic acid (DA), potassium citrate (PC), dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid (ABS), and anionic surfactants including lauryl alcohol (LA; such as ROKAnol ®albicans was tested following protocols of EN 13624.

Table 7

Sample HEDP wt [%] DA wt [%] PC wt [%] ABS wt [%] LA wt [%]

1 0.250.1650.5116

2 0.250.1650.5116

Table 8 Sample AEPC wt [%] H 2 O 2 wt [%] PAP wt [%] pH Disinfection [log] 1 7.5120.050.795.692 10120.050.714.89

[0069]The results in Tables 7 and 8 reveal that samples 1 and 2 according to the invention show a reduction above 4-log. Also, further results demonstrated effective biocidal action in reducing contamination at a degree of 4 log even at a 0.25% concentration. This accomplishment is particu...

Claims

1. A stable liquid detergent composition comprising - 3 to 35 wt% of hydrogen peroxide, - 0.0005 to 5 wt% of at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof, - 0.0005 to 1 wt% of at least one chelating stabilizer, and - 0.1 to 60 wt% of at least one surfactantand optionally water to 100 wt%.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the pH of said composition is 6 or less, preferably 5 or less, more preferably 4 or less, more preferably 3 or less, more preferably 2.5 or less, more preferably 1 or less, even more preferably between 0.2 and 1.

3. The composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the composition comprises 5 to 25 wt%, preferably 5 to 15 wt%, more preferably 6 to 14 wt%, more preferably 8 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 14 wt%, more preferably 9 to 12 wt%, more preferably 10 to 12 wt%, even more preferably 11 to 12 wt%, of hydrogen peroxide.

4. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the composition comprises 0.001 to 5 wt%, preferably 0.001 to 3 wt%, of the at least one peroxy acid or a salt thereof.

5. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one peroxy acid is phthalimidoperoxycaproic acid or peracetic acid.

6. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the at least one chelating stabilizer is a phosphonic stabilizer, an aromatic stabilizer or a combination thereof.

7. The composition of claim 6, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.025 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.01 wt%, of the at least one phosphonic stabilizer.

8. The composition of claim 6 or 7, wherein the at least one phosphonic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of 1-hydroxyethylidene-1,1-diphosphonic acid (HEDP), amino tri(methylene phosphonic acid)(ATMP), diethylene triamine penta(methylene phosphonic acid) (DTPMP), hexamethylene diamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (HMDTMP), ethylenediamine tetra(methylene phosphonic acid) (EDTMP), 2-Phosphonobutane-1,2,4-tricarboxylic acid (PBTC), bis hexamethylene triamine penta methylene phosphonic acid, and mixtures thereof.

9. The composition of any one of claims 6 to 8, wherein the composition comprises 0.0005 to 0.5 wt%, preferably 0.0005 to 0.25 wt%, more preferably 0.0005 to 0.17 wt%, even more preferably 0.0005 to 0.1 wt%, of the at least one aromatic stabilizer.

10. The composition of any one of claims 6 to 9, wherein the at least one aromatic stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of dipicolinic acid, picolinic acid and salicylic acid.

11. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the composition comprises further at least one inorganic stabilizer preferably selected from the group consisting of phosphoric acid, nitric acid, pyrophosphoric acid salts , and mixtures thereof.

12. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the composition comprises further 0.05 wt% or less, preferably 0.01 wt% or less, more preferably 0.005 to 0.01 wt%, of at least one stannate stabilizer, preferably of sodium stannate.

13. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the composition comprises 0.1 to 50 wt%, preferably 0.1 to 30 wt%, more preferably 1 to 20 wt%, even more preferably 1 to 15 wt%, of the at least one surfactant.

14. The composition of any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the at least one surfactant is an anionic, cationic, nonionic, amphoteric surfactant or a combination thereof.

15. Use of the composition of any one of claims 1 to 14 as a washing product and / or a biocidal product.

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