The invention relates to polymers made out of a poly(meth)acrylic acid main chain, in which, in relation to the main chain, 0 to 30 wt. % of the (meth)acrylic acid basic units can be replaced by maleic acid (anhydride) basic units, fumaric acid basic modules or mixtures thereof; and 0 to 10 wt. % of the (meth)acrylic acid basic units can be replaced by other copolymerisable, ethylenic basic units. The polymers are also made of side chains in the form of C1-30-alkylpoly-C2-4-alkylglycols which are bound to the main chain by means of ester groups and which have an average molecular weight of 250 to 10,000. The main chain and side chains make up 1 to 19 wt. % and 81 to 99 wt. % of the polymer respectively. The ratio and the average molecular weight of the side chains are chosen in such a way that the polymer contains free carboxyl groups. Said polymers are used as controllable dispersing agents for detergents or constituents thereof.