(57) The present invention relates to aqueous alkaline built detergent compositions containing hydrogen peroxide. Alkaline conditions present particular difficulties for preventing the hydrogen peroxide from decomposing excessively rapidly during storage. Aqueous compositions containing a builder, especially polyphosphate or citrate, anionic sulphate or sulphonate surfactant, nonionic ethoxylate surfactant and or sulphonate surfactant, nonionic ethoxylate surfaciant and hydrogen peroxide of acceptable peroxide stability can obtained by employing an alcohol, preterably ethanol, r a polyhydroxy carboxylate, preferably gluconate, or especially both, in conjunction with a phosphonate, especially an ethylene amine methylene phosphonate. Many of such alkaline compositions are formulated to permit the anionic surfactant to work at or near to its optimum pH in conjunction with the builder. The invention also provides similar, but unbuilt compositions containing instead of the builder, additional surfactant, generally nonionic surfactant, and having a somewhat lower pH.