Patent ID: 7094747

Claim:
A process for enhancing the cleaning properties of an aqueous cleaning composition which comprises at least one surfactant, said process comprising adding to said cleaning composition particles of at least one polymer (P) comprising: (a) hydrophobic monomer units (N) that are uncharged or nonionizable at the working pH of said composition: (b) at least one hydrophilic monomer unit (F) that is a (F3) monomer that is anionic or potentially anionic at the working pH of said composition; (c) at least one further hydrophilic monomer unit (F) that is a cationic or cationizable hydrophilic unit (F1) derived from N,N-(dialkylamino-ω-alkyl)amides of α-β monoethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, from α-β monoethylenically unsaturated amino esters or from monomers that are precursors of primary amine functions by hydrolysis; (d) optionally, at least a second further hydrophilic monomer unit (F) selected from the group consisting of the following monomer units; (i) (F1) monomers that are cationic or potentially cationic at the working pH of said composition; (ii) (F2) monomers that are amphoteric at the working pH of said composition; and (iii) (F4) monomers that are uncharged or nonionizable, of hydrophilic nature, at the working pH of said composition; (e) optionally, at least one crosslinking unit (R); said cleaning composition being a hard surface cleaning detergent formulation, the particles of said polymer (P) having an average size of from 5 to 300 nm.