Compositions comprising glycerol hydroxyalkyl and/or hydroxyalkenyl ethers, which correspond to the general formula: ##STR00001## in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sub.3, independently, represent a hydrogen atom or a saturated or unsaturated, branched or unbranched hydroxyalkyl or hydroxyalkenyl group, or mixtures thereof, each group containing 10 to 22 carbon atoms, and the use of these, particularly, glycerol hydroxyalkyl mono- and di-ethers in detergents and as rinse agents for automatic dish detergents, particularly for multifunctional dish detergents.