Preservative System

Abstract

Provided herein is a cost-effective and potent preservative system for a composition comprising a salicylate salt and a benzoate salt in an amount of from 0.2 weight % to 0.5 weight % by total weight of the composition and in a molar ratio of salicylate to benzoate of 1:6 to 1:1.2, wherein the composition has a pH of 5 or less. Further provided herein is a method of using a combination of a salicylate salt and a benzoate salt in a preservative system in a composition, and a method of preserving a composition.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising a preservative system,
 wherein the preservative system comprises a salicylate salt and a benzoate salt,   wherein a total amount of the salicylate salt and the benzoate salt is from 0.2 to 0.5 weight % by total weight of the composition,   wherein a molar ratio of the salicylate to the benzoate is 1:6 to 1:1.2, and   wherein the pH of the composition is 5 or less.   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the salicylate salt to the benzoate salt is 1:4.5 to 1:1.2. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the salicylate salt to the benzoate salt is 1:3.4 to 1:1.2. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the salicylate salt to the benzoate salt is 1:6 to 1:2.3 or 1:6 to 1:3.4. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the molar ratio of the salicylate salt to the benzoate salt is 1:3.33. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the salicylate salt comprises sodium salicylate. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the benzoate salt comprises sodium benzoate. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the preservative system consists of the salicylate salt and the benzoate salt. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is free of preservatives other than those of the preservative system. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of the salicylate salt and the benzoate salt is 0.3 to 0.5 weight %, by total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of the salicylate salt and the benzoate salt is 0.4 to 0.5 weight %, by total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the total amount of the salicylate salt and the benzoate salt is 0.4 weight % by total weight of the composition. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the composition is 4 to 5. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the pH of the composition is 4 to 4.5. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the salicylate salt is sodium salicylate and the benzoate salt is sodium benzoate, and a weight ratio of sodium salicylate to sodium benzoate is 1:5 to 1:1. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the weight ratio of sodium salicylate to sodium benzoate is 1:4.7 to 1:3. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 15 , wherein the weight ratio of sodium salicylate to sodium benzoate is one of 1:5, 1:4.7, 1:4.5, 1:4, 1:3, 1:3.5, 1:2.5, 1:2, or 1:1.5. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the composition is a liquid cleaning composition. 
     
     
         19 . A method of preserving a composition comprising adding the preservative system of  claim 1  to the composition. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled)