Review (2/5): Yes the rubber smells bad .....( Don't buy these )
These seem to be a cheaper version of a design that's been around for awhile, and apparently with made with som inferior rubber because a previous brush I purchased didn't have that strong chemical odor that other reviewers have also mentioned.
Update 10/06/16
I've tried everything to get rid of the petroleum odor to no avail. I threw both brushes in the trash without ever using them