How to clean your mouse pad: Spruce up your gaming setup

❘ Published: 2024-02-27T16:15:03

Dexerto

Wondering how to clean your mouse pad? Maintaining a clean and hygienic space for gaming is good for your health and state of mind. Here are some tips on how to keep things fresh and spotless.

You might not tend to pay much attention to your mouse mat, but it is a pretty important accessory for your desk. Not only does it make your workspace look good it also helps your mouse function at its best.

As time passes, your mouse mat can attract dust and dirt, or fall victim to drink or food spills. It makes sense then, to take some time to clean it before the build-up of dirt can cause a problem with the functioning of your keyboard or mouse.

What you will need

The tools and products you need depend on what type of mouse mat you have. The following will probably all come in handy: warm water, isopropyl alcohol, a microfibre cloth, a sponge, a soft dry cloth, and fabric detergent.

How to clean a plastic mouse pad

A plastic mouse pad is simple to clean, compared to its cloth-based counterparts. All you need to do is get a soft, microfiber cloth to first give the surface a dusting, ensuring that there are no particles. Then, you’ll want to get a separate soft cloth, and lightly dab it with isopropyl alcohol. Then, rub any of the affected areas, and you’ll find that the stains and dirt will lift up with ease. This method can even remove sticky stains, and you should only use moderate force while you clean.

Isopropyl Alcohol will not affect any fancy RGB that you might have on your mouse pad, however, you should ensure that it’s disconnected from your system before cleaning it.

How to clean a cloth mouse pad

Cleaning a cloth mouse pad is a little bit tougher than the plastic one because you don’t want to disturb the fibers too much, or affect the surface negatively. Firstly, go over the surface with a microfiber cloth to pick up any wayward particles.

Once you’ve cleaned up any of the surface mess, we’d recommend that you fill up a bowl of warm, but not boiling water. From there, pick up a sponge, or another soft surface. Then, submerge the mousepad, and use a small amount of detergent. This can be just a few drops. Then, lightly scrub the surface.

Be quite delicate with your scrubbing, and ensure that your mouse pad isn’t stretching, or getting warped in any way during the process. Once you’re satisfied with your job, take the mousepad out, and leave it to air dry.

Then, you will be able to place it back on your desk, all squeaky clean.

Why is my mouse pad not working?

Functionally, a mouse pad is just a surface that allows your mouse to glide along the surface with little trouble. However, if your mouse pad is not working as intended, it may be dirty, or the surface may be compromised through excessive dirt, an uneven surface, or frayed fabric. In some of those cases, you might just have to get yourself a brand-new one, so we’ve listed some of our picks below.