I had to wipe it a few times and spray febreze on it and let it air out. It is soft enough and does the job but the chemical odor is too much and the odor transfers to your wrist and hand. Must wipe and set out for about a week.
I use trackballs with my laptops. But always felt uncomfortable where my wrist hung against the edge of the desk. This was the perfect solution. I lined up the pad with the edge and placed the trackball comfortably in front of that. Best purchase I ever made.