37  US 6,503,413 B2  38  and which, after modification, have their hydrogen atoms  preferably substituted by alkyleneoxy units as described  herein below, and tertiary amine units having the formula:  May 8, 1962; U.S. Pat. No. 2,208,095, Esselmann et al.,  issued Jul. 16, 1940; U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,839, Crowther,  issued Sep. 17, 1957; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,553,696, Wilson,  issued May 21, 1951; all herein incorporated by reference.  II. Methods of Use  The methods of the present invention relate to treating  surfaces, preferably fabrics, with the stable, aqueous com› positions of the present invention comprising the step of  contacting the surface with the stable, aqueous composition.  As  used herein, the term "fabrics" is meant to encompass a  variety of fabrics and articles composed of fabric and/or  fibers, including but not limited to clothes, curtains, drapes,  upholstered furniture, carpeting, bed linens, bath linens,  tablecloths, sleeping bags, tents, car interior ( e.g., car carpet,  fabric car seats), and the like. The methods more specifically  relate to reducing malodor impression on surfaces, espe› cially fabrics, and/or reducing the appearance of wrinkles on  fabrics. The surfaces are preferably treated by either spray› ing dilute aqueous compositions of the present invention  onto the surfaces via a spray dispenser, or by adding the  concentrated compositions of the present invention to, for  example, a wash and/or rinse cycle in a typical laundry  process.  A  preferred method herein includes a method of reducing  malodor impression on a surface (preferably fabrics) having  malodor impression, the method comprising the step of  contacting the surface with a stable, aqueous composition as  described hereinbefore.  The composition for reducing malodor impression herein  can be used by distributing, e.g., by placing the aqueous  solution into a dispensing means, preferably a spray dis› penser and spraying an effective amount onto the desired  surface or article.  An effective amount as defined herein  means an amount sufficient to absorb odor to the point that  it is not discernible by the human sense of smell yet not so  much as to saturate or create a pool of liquid on said article  or surface and so that when dry there is no visual deposit  readily discernible. Distribution can be achieved by using a  spray device, a roller, a pad, etc. For odor control, an  effective amount, as defined herein, means an amount suf› ficient to absorb odor to effect a noticeable reduction in the  perceived odor, preferably to the point that it is not  discernible, by the human sense of smell.  Preferably, the present invention does not encompass  distributing the solution on to shiny surfaces including, e.g.,  chrome, glass, smooth vinyl, leather, shiny plastic, shiny  wood, etc.  It is preferable not to distribute the solution onto  shiny surfaces because spotting and filming can more readily  occur on the surfaces. Furthermore, the solution is not for  use on human skin, especially when an antimicrobial pre- servative is present in the composition because skin irrita› tion can occur.  The present invention encompasses the method of spray› ing an effective amount of the composition for reducing  malodor onto household surfaces. Preferably said household  surfaces are selected from the group consisting of  countertops, cabinets, walls, floors, bathroom surfaces and  kitchen surfaces.  A MALODOR CONTROL  The present invention encompasses the method of spray› ing a mist of an effective amount of the composition for  reducing malodor onto fabric and/or fabric articles.  Preferably, said fabric and/or fabric articles include, but are  not limited to, clothes, curtains, drapes, upholstered  furniture, carpeting, bed linens, bath linens, tablecloths,  sleeping bags, tents, car interior, e.g., car carpet, fabric car  seats, etc.  The polyamines herein can be prepared, for example, by  polymerizing ethyleneimine in the presence of a catalyst  such as carbon dioxide, sodium bisulfite, sulfuric acid,  hydrogen peroxide, hydrochloric acid, acetic acid, etc. Spe› cific methods for preparing these polyamine backbones are  disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,182,306, Ulrich et al., issued  Dec. 5, 1939; U.S. Pat. No. 3,033,746, Mayle et al., issued  A further description of poly amine soil suspending agents  suitable for use in the present invention is found in; U.S.  patent application Ser. No. 09/103,135; U.S. Pat. No. 6,004,  922 Watson et al., issued Dec. 21, 1999; and U.S. Pat. No.  4,664,848 Oh et al., issued May 12, 1987 all of which are  included herein by reference.  U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,160 Vander Meer, issued Jan. 2, 1990;  U.S. Pat. No. 4,597,898, Vander Meer, issued Jul. 1, 1986  describe a polyamine having a backbone  Mw  of 189 daltons  and an average of from about 15 to 18 ethyleneoxy units per  nitrogen as a suitable soil suspending agent for hydrophilic,  inter alia, clay soils.  The molecular weight of the backbone prior to modifica› tion as well as the value of the index n is largely dependent  upon the benefits and properties which the formulator  wishes to provide. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,565,145  Watson et al., issued Oct. 15, 1996, discloses a preferred  polyamine having a backbone  Mw  of 1800 daltons and about  7 ethyleneoxy units per nitrogen as a modified polyalkyle› neimine suitable for use as hydrophobic, inter alia, soot,  grime, soil suspending agent. The substantivity of alkyle- neoxy substituted polyamines toward fabric surface can be  adjusted by the formulator to meet the needs of the specific  embodiment.  wherein  R 1  is C$_{2}$-C$_{12 }$ alkylene, preferably ethylene, 1,2- propylene, 1,3-propylene, 1,2-butylene, 1,4-butylene, and  mixtures thereof, more preferably ethylene and 1,2- propylene, most preferably ethylene.  R$^{2 }$is hydrogen, CcC$_{4 }$ alkyl, and mixtures thereof, preferably hydrogen or methyl,  more preferably hydrogen.  The polyalkyleneimines of the present invention are  modified by substitution of each  N-H  unit hydrogen with  an alkyleneoxy unit having the formula:  R  is C$_{2}$-C$_{12 }$ alkylene, C$_{3}$-C$_{6 }$ branched alkylene, and  mixtures thereof, preferred branched alkylene is 1,2- propylene; most preferred  R  is ethylene. The preferred  polyalkyleneimines of the present invention have backbones  which comprise the same  R  unit, for example, all units are  ethylene. Most preferred backbone comprises  R  groups  which are all ethylene units.  which are the branching points of the main and secondary  backbone chains, B representing a continuation of the chain  structure by branching. The tertiary units have no replace› able hydrogen atom and are therefore not modified by  substitution with an alkyleneoxy unit.  H  I  -[N-R]- B  I  -[N-RJ- -(R $^{1}$0)nR2 