phosphoric acid esters which besides the above described phosphoric acid esters according to the invention of the general formula 1 also comprise those phosphoric acid esters in which at least one of the p u2014 o u2014 p bond has been cleaved the present invention further provides a cleaning and or care formulation comprising phosphoric acid ester of general formula 1a and or its salts where r 1a r 2a r 3a and r 4a are identical or different and are selected from r u2014 o u2014 so aa eo bb u2014 po cc u2014 bo dd u2014 and oh where with the proviso that at least one preferably at least 2 in particular 3 particularly preferably 4 of the radicals r 1a r 2a r 1a and r 4a are not oh r is selected from branched or linear saturated or unsaturated alkyl radicals having 6 to 24 carbon atoms preferably linear saturated with 8 to 20 preferably 9 to 16 in particular 10 to 14 carbon atoms it is preferred according to the invention that at least one compound of the general formula 1a is present in an amount of from 0 00001 by weight to 2 5 by weight particularly preferably from 0 1 by weight to 1 2 by weight where the by weight refers to the total formulation in the.