(57) The present invention provides for concentrated, structured liquid detergent compositions in the form of lamellar surfactant droplets dispersed in an aqueous electrolytic continuous phase comprising a mixture of:

a) from about 10 to about 45% by weight of a surfactant;

b) at least one detergent builder;

c) from about 0.01 to about 5% by weight of a deflocculating polymer composition having a weight average molecular weight in the range of from about 1500 to about 50,000 and containing polymer chains of the structure P-SR, wherein P represents a polymer chain segment of a hydrophilic polymer and SR represents a mercapto end-cap group, R being an organic hydrophobic radical containing from about 4 to 28 carbon atoms; and

d) water.

The presence of the deflocculating polymer in the composition both stabilizes the detergent composition and retards the propensity of the lamellar droplets dispersed in the aqueous phase to flocculate, particularly where the droplets occupy a higher volume ratio as the result of high concentrations of surfactant present in the detergent.
The invention also provides both phosphate built and non-phosphate built detergent compositions having a viscosity in the range of from about 500 to 20,000 cps, more preferably from about 2,000 to 10,000 cps, having improved flowability and stability.