New Kyser Lifeguard...WTS?? (what the smell)

[mmcs1202]

I just bought 2 Kyser Lifeguard soundhole humidifiers on Ebay. They were "new old stock", still in the packaging.
I'd seen reviews mentioning a terrible rubber/plastic smell coming from these, but with so many people recommending them (here and elsewhere), I thought, "How bad can it be?" Well heavens to murgatroid... It's BAD. Very bad. Horrible even(!).

I set them in a large bowl of water, dumped that out and filled it again...then stuck my hand in there (to push them down so they'd be fully submerged), and the rubbery smell permeated my hand! I've washed my hands twice, and it's still not completely gone.

So how to get rid of that "new lifeguard smell"? It's detectable from several feet away(!). I'm soaking them in a bucket of water overnight- that should help, at least. But I'm NOT using them in my guitars, unless I can figure something out.

Any suggestions?? Thanks in advance!