Polycationic condensates obtainable by condensing (a) piperazine, 1-alkylpiperazines having 1 to 25 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, 1,4-dialkylpiperazines having 1 to 25 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, l,4-bis(3-aminopropyl)piperazine, 1-(2-aminoethyl)piperazine, 1-(2-hydroxyalkyl)piperazines having 2 to 25 carbon atoms in the alkyl group, imidazole, C1-C25-alkylimidazoles or mixtures of said compounds with (b) alkylene dihalides, epihalohydrins and/or bisepoxides in the molar ratio from 1:0.8 to 1:1.1 and, where appropriate, quaternization of the condensates with C4-C25-alkylating agents or by heating triethanolamine or triisopropanolamine in the presence of acidic catalysts and quaternizing the condensates with C4-C25-alkylating agents as color-fixing additive to detergents and fabric conditioners, and detergents which comprise (i) 1-50% by weight of at least one nonionic surfactant, (ii) 0-4.0% by weight of an anionic surfactant and (iii) 0.05-2.5% by weight of the polycationic condensate are used as color transfer inhibiting and color release reducing additive, and fabric conditioners which comprise a fabric softener, a nonionic surfactant and 0.1-2.5% by weight of said polycationic condensates.