A malodor-counteracting composition comprising(i) a salt of general formula (I)R1R2R3R4N+X− (I)wherein R1, R2, R3, R4 are independently selected from C1-4 alkyl, or R1, R2, R3, R4 may together constitute a nitrogen-containing cyclic system in which the nitrogen is part of a pyridinium or an imidazolinium ring； and X− is a counterion characterized by its protonated form having an acidity constant (pKa) lying between 1 and 6； and(ii) an alpha, beta-unsaturated carbonyl compound of the general formulaR5R6C═CR7C(═O)YR8 (II)wherein R5, R6, R7 and R8 are independently selected from hydrogen and C1-10 hydrocarbyl residues which may be saturated, unsaturated, aromatic, cyclic, branched or unbranched, and are optionally substituted, or R5, R6, R7 and R8 may together constitute a cyclic system and Y is oxygen or a single covalent bond, with the proviso that Y is a covalent bond when R8 is hydrogen. The composition may be incorporated into consumer products and is able to remove malodors from the air or from surfaces.
