Washing agent, which is liquid and contains up to 85% by weight water, containing a surfactant and optionally additional conventional ingredients of washing and cleaning agents, wherein the agent contains a graying inhibiting compound of the general formula IV where R stands for C 1 -C 12 alkylene; k stands for a number greater than 0; X stands for CO-CH=CH 2, CO-C(CH 3)=CH 2, CO-O-aryl, C 2 -C 6 -alkylene-SO 2 -CH=CH 2 or CO-NH-R 1 and R 1 for C 1 -C 30 alkyl, C 1 -C 30 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 30 hydroxyalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkyloxy-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkylcarbonyloxy-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, amino-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)-amino-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, ammonio-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, polyoxyalkylene-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, polysiloxanyl-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, (meth)acryloyloxy-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, sulfono-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, phosphono-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)phosphono-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl), phosphonato-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)phosphonato-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl or a saccharide radical, where X has this meaning only when k stands for 1 or X stands for (i) the radical of a polyamine, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by NH groups, or (ii) a polymer structure, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by, NH-C 2 -C 5 -alkylene-O or -O-C 2 -C 6 -alkylene-O groups, or (iii) a polymer structure, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by -polysiloxanyl-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl groups, when k stands for a number of more than 1, and/or a polymer, which can be obtained by reacting a polymeric substrate having functional groups, which are selected from hydroxyl groups, primary and secondary amino groups, with a compound of general formula IV. R stands for C 1 -C 12 alkylene; k stands for a number greater than 0; X stands for CO-CH=CH 2, CO-C(CH 3)=CH 2, CO-O-aryl, C 2 -C 6 -alkylene-SO 2 -CH=CH 2 or CO-NH-R 1 and R 1 for C 1 -C 30 alkyl, C 1 -C 30 haloalkyl, C 1 -C 30 hydroxyalkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkyloxy-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, C 1 -C 6 -alkylcarbonyloxy-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, amino-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, mono- or di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)-amino-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, ammonio-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, polyoxyalkylene-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, polysiloxanyl-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, (meth)acryloyloxy-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, sulfono-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, phosphono-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)phosphono-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl), phosphonato-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl, di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)phosphonato-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl or a saccharide radical, where X has this meaning only when k stands for 1 or X stands for (i) the radical of a polyamine, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by NH groups, or (ii) a polymer structure, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by, NH-C 2 -C 5 -alkylene-O or -O-C 2 -C 6 -alkylene-O groups, or (iii) a polymer structure, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by -polysiloxanyl-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl groups, (i) the radical of a polyamine, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by NH groups, or (ii) a polymer structure, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by, NH-C 2 -C 5 -alkylene-O or -O-C 2 -C 6 -alkylene-O groups, or (iii) a polymer structure, to which the part of the formula in parentheses is bound by -polysiloxanyl-C 1 -C 30 -alkyl groups,