Someone told me that the smell is from the glue they used on the cases...either rabbit or horse glue. The smell is the glue decomposing. I'm thinking about just disguising the smell with another smell. Those "odor bubbles" sold by Yankee Candle is what I'm going to try next. They come in a jar and are supposed to be used for small areas. Right now, I'm sticking with the coffee beans, but maybe I'll try these other gel/bubble thingies later.