A mouse pad is a crucial part of your computer work. Often you may forget to clean it, leading to dirt accumulation and even slowing you down. The mouse pad absorbs dirt or debris from the surroundings, oil from your hands, affecting mouse pointer performance. Read on to find how to clean different types of mousepads.
How to Clean a Mousepad
Cleaning a gaming mousepad depends on the material it contains. The mouse pad can either be plastic, rubber, or cloth material; a plastic mousepad is easier to clean than a fabric one.
Cleaning a Cloth or Fabric Mousepad
Cleaning a cloth or fabric mousepads require a bit more effort to get rid of the oil, grease, and dirty.
What You Need
- Mild dish soap
- Cleaning brush
- Towel
Method
- Soak your mousepad in a bathtub or large basin with warm water if it’s non-wired.
- Pour a small amount of mild dish soap into the basin.
- Clean a cloth mousepad using a brush to scrub it gently to remove all the stains and debris.
- Rinse the mousepad thoroughly and ensure it’s dry before setting it to dry on a towel with a cloth side down.
- The mousepad will be dry after some hours.
Examples of common cloth mousepads include;
Cleaning a Hard Mouse Pad
You can use baby wipes, antibacterial wipes, or damp cloth as a quick method of cleaning the mousepad. If your hard pad has USB ports, unplug them before cleaning.
What You Need
- Sink or basin
- Wipes/ damp cloth
- Warm water
- Dish soap
- Rubbing alcohol or screen cleaner
Procedure
- Damp the cloth with warm water and wipe the front, back, and sides of your mousepad.
- The wiping will remove any dirt and make it smell fresh.
- You can also spray screen cleaner on the hard pad and wipe it until it’s clean.
- Allow your mouse pad to air dry.
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If the mouse pad has tough stains, you need to take extra steps.
- Fill up your sink or basin with warm water and dish soap.
- Scrub the mousepad with a sponge or cloth until you get rid of all the stains
- Rinse it well and then air dry it
Standard hard pads include;
How to Clean a Black Mousepad
The approach you use to clean a black mouse pad depends on the material if it’s a hard material or a cloth mousepad. For rubber, wrist rest, plastic mousepad, use this procedure.
What You Need
- Shampoo
- Soft bristle brush
- Towel
- sponge
Method
- Soak your mousepad in a bowl with cold water and add shampoo. Using a sponge, wipe away the stains gently.
- Use a soft brush to scrub ant tough spots.
- Gently rinse away the soap with cold water to ensure there are no soap residues left.
- Use a towel to wipe your mouse pad. Let it air dry or put it near a fan to get rid of any moisture.
How to Clean a White Mousepad
The cleaning of the white mousemat depends on the type of its surface.
- If the surface contains cloth material, gently rub it with a damp rag, with adding a little shampoo.
- If your mouse pad surface is plastic, you can use any mild household detergent and a rag or sponge.
Can You Put a Mousepad in the Washing Machine?
A washing machine is best to use for severely soiled mousepads that need a deep clean. You can clean the soft mousepads in a machine though it’s best to check with the manufacturer. It’s best to avoid using hot water to avoid damaging your mouse pad. The cleaning procedure is as follows;
- Apply the stain remover to your mousepad, rub gently to loosen the stain, and let it settle for some minutes before you start the wash cycle.
- Use the regular cycle with a moderate amount of detergent. Consider not to use hot water as it can damage your fabric pads.
- Adjust your washing machine’s settings to a lighter cycle and make sure it won’t use hot water. Set the washer to cold water.
- If necessary, use fabric softener for an extra boost of fresh smell. Avoid using any bleach.
- Remove the mousemat out, air dry it overnight or use a hairdryer to dry and speed up the process.
How Often Should I Clean My Mousepad?
There’s no ideal timeline on how often you should clean your mousepad. It will help if you clean it whenever you notice it’s dirty because build-up from spills, food, grease, and more can increase friction on the pad and keep your mouse from gliding over it smoothly. If you still prefer following a schedule
- , it’s even appropriate.
- Dab your pad with a damp cloth once a week to remove surface dirt.
- You can still use wipers or screen cleaner, especially for hard pads.
- Plan for a thorough cleaning once in a few months or when you see it necessary.
How Do You Clean a Mousepad Without Water?
For mousepads with electronics and plastic material, clean them without water using wipes, foams, or sprays. Use the wipes to clean dirt on the pad’s surface. You can still apply spray on the pad and gently wipe with a cloth to clean off the dirt.
How to Dry Mousepads
The best way to dry your mousepad is to let it air dry inside. You can still hang it out in the sun, though it leads to the formation of creases. If you are in haste to use it, you can use a hairdryer. Ensure you use the lowest heat setting and don’t get the hairdryer too close to your mousepad. Using too much heat on your mousepad can destroy its surface.
Check this too: How to Clean a Flat Screen TV
Can You Put a Mousepad in the Dryer?
It’s unwise to put your mousepad in a dryer as the excess heat will destroy the mouse pad’s non-slip backing. The best water is to air dry it, use a hairdryer or directly under the sun.
Bottom Line
The method of cleaning a mouse pad depends on the kind of dirt it has and still the material. For cloth or fabric mousepads, you can submerge them in water or even use a washing machine. But for mousepads with wiring, you need to clean them either through wipes or a damp clean cloth. Whatever method you use, properly clean a mouse pad for better gaming sessions.