A hand dishwashing composition comprising: i) from about 0.01% to about 99.99% by weight of composition of a surfactant mixture, said surfactant mixture comprising: an alkylarylsulfonate surfactant system comprising at least two alkylarylsulfonate surfactants of the formula (I) wherein L is an acyclic aliphatic hydrocarbyl of from 6 to 18 carbon atoms in total; M is a cation or cation mixture and q is the valence thereof; a and b are numbers selected such that said alkylarylsulfonate surfactant is electroneutral; R′ is selected from H and C1 to C3 alkyl; R″ is selected from H and C1 to C3 alkyl; R′″ is selected from H and C1 to C3 alkyl; both of R′ and R″ are nonterminally attached to L and at least one of R′and R″ is C1 to C3 alkyl; and A is aryl; wherein said alkylarylsulfonate surfactant system comprises two or more isomers with respect to positions of attachment of R′, R″ and A to L; in at least about 60% of said alkylarylsulfonate surfactant system, A is attached to L in the position which is selected from positions alpha- and beta- to either of the two terminal carbon atoms of L; and wherein further said alkylarylsulfonate surfactant system has at least one of the following properties: said alkylarylsulfonate surfactant system has a ratio of nonquaternary to quaternary carbon atoms in L of at least about 5:1 by weight, when said quaternary carbon atoms are present; or percentage biodegradation, as measured by the modified SCAS test, that exceeds tetra propylene benzene sulphonate; ii) from about 0.0001% to about 99.99% by weight of composition of a conventional hand dishwashing adjunct; and iii) from about 0.01% to about 7% by weight of composition of a divalent ion selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium and mixtures thereof.