While there are plenty of wonderful fragrances, bad smells such as stale cooking, wet animals, cigarette smoke, freshly painted rooms can't be entirely avoided. The good news is, however, there are simple, natural ways to help prevent and get rid of bad household smells. When it comes to 'air fresheners', be they sprays, candles, plug-ins or incense, most are harmless but usually they don't eliminate smells - they just mask them. To stop odours at their source, sometimes just doing a few small things or cleaning what you don't normally clean can make a big difference without costing you much time or money.