A stabilized aqueous enzyme composition comprising water, from about 0.1% to about 75% by weight of a detergent surfactant selected from the group consisting of anionic surfactants or anionic surfactants and one or more non-anionic detergent actives, from about 0.001% to about 10% by weight proteolytic enzyme, and an effective amount of an enzyme stabilizer having the formula:X--O--(C.sub.n H.sub.2n O).sub.a --H [I]wherein "X" is an organic radical having from 14 to 22 carbon atoms, "a" is an integer from 10 to 26, and "n" is an integer from 2 to 4, and provided that "X" has a hydrophobicity similar to a linear alkyl group having from 14 to 22 carbon atoms.