Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

My rug looks almost exactly like the photo, colors are blue and turquoise shades, with snippets of reds, browns, and blacks thrown in for variety. It's very pretty and matches the decor just I expected it to. However, IT SMELLS SO BAD, so very very bad, it's currently outside, hanging over a fence to air out for a few days. (See update, below.) When I unwrapped the rug, I was met with a nasty chemical smell, so I put it right in the washing machine. Ran it with my usual Arm & Hammer detergent, and a handful of washing soda, which normally removes odors. But after one cycle, the smell was dramatically stronger! It reeks like someone tried to extinguish a tire fire by hosing it down with motor-oil, and then while that was smoldering, they dumped some old electronics into the mess, then somehow wove it all into a rug. I'm not usually at a loss for words, but the above is really inadequate to describe the staggering stench that comes off this thing. I washed it three times before giving up and throwing it outside to get some air, and the *next* thing I ran through the washing machine is now unusably stinky. I'm sure it'll recover after running a few more loads of stuff I don't care about, but in the meantime I'm wasting tons of energy and water trying to clean up from this wretched rug. I want to like this rug. It's just the right size, just the right color, and seems really well made. Except for the cursed spirits of chemical damnation apparently woven into its fibers. If I can get those exorcised, I'll come back and update the review and let you know what it took! UPDATE TWO MONTHS LATER: I can't get rid of the smell. I've washed this thing a dozen times in everything from washing soda, to vinegar, to special deodorizing stuff I found at the store. I left it outside for a whole MONTH to air out, and no matter what I do, the moment I bring it inside, the room stinks of plastics. Had a friend over and the first words inside the door were "damn dude, did you short out some electronics?" I can't keep this thing in the house, and it's too late to return it, so I think I'm gonna relegate it to being a workbench mat in the garage. Oh well. UPDATE A YEAR AND A HALF LATER: It's fine as a workbench mat. It was down to only stinking a little, but then I spilled my drink on it while I was working, so I laundered it again, and it somehow rejuvenated the smell again.