The present invention relates to a process for preparing a particulate, free flowing detergent particle by a slurry making and spray drying technique. It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a process for preparing a detergent solution for a spray-dried detergent particle which provides for incorporating a carbonate builder and silicate salt at optimum levels whilst provides good cleaning performance and good powder properties. The present inventors have surprisingly found that a spray-dried detergent particle exhibits extended shelf life and demonstrates excellent powder properties without getting caked during use, when the spray dried detergent particle is prepared by a process where an in-situ silicate and/or a disilicate a salt of an alkaline earth metal is formed by reacting an alkali metal silicate with an alkaline earth metal salt, and the spray dried detergent particle also includes an alkali metal silicate salt along with optimum detersive surfactant content, filler and carbonate builder, wherein the composition preferably has no phosphate builder and zeolite builder.