The use of cyclic sugar ketones of the formula
##STR1##
in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.22 -alkyl,
C.sub.2 -C.sub.22 -alkenyl or phenyl, R.sup.3 is C.sub.1 -C.sub.4 -alkoxy,
phenyl-CH.sub.2 --O-- or a group of the formula
##STR2##
R.sup.4 is hydrogen or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 together are a group of the
formula
##STR3##
and n is zero or 1, as catalysts for peroxygen compounds.
