Liquid composition comprises (a) sorbitan monocaprylate, and (b) antimicrobial agents comprising: (b1) organic acids and their salts, comprising e.g. benzoic acid, formic acid and its salts; (b2) formaldehyde donors comprising e.g. imidazolidinyl urea and diazolidinyl urea; (b3) isothiazolinones comprising a composition of methylisothiazolinone and/or chloromethylisothiazolinone; (b4) paraben esters and their salts comprising e.g. methylparaben and ethyl paraben; and (b5) pyridones and their salts comprising 1-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)-2-pyridone or piroctone olamine. Liquid composition comprises (a) 40-99.9, preferably 55-98 wt.% of sorbitan monocaprylate, and (b) 0.1-60, preferably 2-45 wt.% of one or more antimicrobial agents comprising: (b1) organic acids and their salts, comprising benzoic acid, sorbic acid, 3-acetyl-6-methyl-2 [H]-pyran-2,4 [3H]-dione (dehydroacetic acid), p-methoxybenzoic acid, formic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, lactic acid, undecenoic acid, salicylic acid, or glycolic acid and its salts; (b2) formaldehyde donors comprising dimethyloldimethyl (DMDM) hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea or sodium hydroxymethylglycinate; (b3) isothiazolinones comprising an aqueous composition of 20-80, preferably 40-60 wt.% of methylisothiazolinone, chloromethylisothiazolinone, or a mixture of methylisothiazolinone and chloromethylisothiazolinone in a ratio of 1:3 and/or benzylisothiazolinone; (b4) paraben ester and their salts comprising methylparaben, sodium methylparaben, ethyl paraben, sodium ethylparaben, propylparaben, sodium propylparaben, isobutylparaben, sodium isobutylparaben, butyl paraben or sodium butylparaben; and (b5) pyridones and their salts comprising 1-hydroxy-4-methyl-6-(2,4,4-trimethylpentyl)-2-pyridone or piroctone olamine.