Watching your favorite movie when you spilled soda on the table and soaked your mousepad? Or did your mousepad get dirty because you spent hours on your computer leveling up your Call of Duty account? Unfortunately, mousepads tend to get dirty very quickly because of how much they are used and can often affect the performance of your mouse’s sensor.
There are multiple ways to wash your mousepad, but the safest way is to use a little dish soap or some laundry powder and lightly wash it and dry it in indirect sunlight to protect its surface from getting damaged.
Mousepads usually come in different clothes depending on the sensor they are supposed to work best. Some mousepads are made from generic materials such as rubber and microfiber.
Still, some premium mousepads have materials that require extra care while cleaning because if they get damaged, then the sensor does not respond well to the movement made on it.
Read on to learn more about how to wash your mousepad properly and keep it hygienic and working properly.
Washing Your Mousepad
Whether eating on your desk or gaming all day long, mousepads often get dirty quickly, but you do not seem to realize that. Since mousepads are usually manufactured in darker colors, you tend not to realize how dirty they are.
A quick way to find if your mousepad is dirty is to try and scratch it using your nails. If white lines are forming on the area where you scratch it, it is most likely that your mousepad needs a wash!
Step #1: Choose the Sponge and the Cleaning Agent
Firstly, you need to select a sponge to clean your mousepad. Usually, the best way to go is to find a sponge that is soft or has a soft side on it. You need a soft material because if you use any materials with sharp edges or harsh irregular patterns, you might scratch your mousepad while cleaning and damage its surface.
It is also essential that the sponge you use is new. Using an old sponge will have dirt and other debris in it. The debris and dirt will result in your mousepad’s surface not being cleaned properly and, in some cases, even sticking to the surface.
Now, for the cleaning detergent, there are two ways to go. Firstly, you can use dish soap. It is weaker than detergent and should quickly remove any small stains, sweat marks, and dead skin stuck on the mousepad.
A second choice is for you to use laundry powder. Laundry powder is more potent than soap and will better tackle hard stains such as spilled food or drink. Laundry powder will also be helpful if you haven’t cleaned your mousepad in a while and all the stains have become tough.
Step #2: Soak the Sponge and the Mousepad
Now, you need to soak the sponge in water. Since the sponge is new, it must be first soaked in lukewarm water so it gets soft and doesn’t damage the surface.
After soaking the sponge, you need to soak the mousepad. A good technique would be to use a bathtub or preferably a water container that’s large enough to fit your mousepad so that the entire mousepad gets soaked properly.
Soaking the entire mousepad will allow all the stains to be removed properly. This is because soaking increases the time the fabric and the cleaning detergent or soap are in contact, helping clean the surface better.
Step #3: Wash the Mousepad
After soaking your mousepad, spread it over a flat surface. Now, spread some laundry powder or dish soap over the surface. Use your hands to ensure that all the powder or soap is spread evenly over the mousepad’s surface.
Now using the soft sponge, start scrubbing the surface of the mousepad. The benefit of using the soft side is that you can scrub it as hard as you want, and the surface will not get damaged.
Depending on how dirty your mousepad is, it should take you roughly 2 to 5 minutes to properly scrub the surface and remove all the stains from it. If the mousepad is dirty, consider washing the soap away using lukewarm water and repeating the process.
After cleaning the surface, now turn over your mousepad and start scrubbing the back. This part is usually clean, so it will not take much effort to clean it.
While cleaning your mousepad, do not use hot water. Using hot water will melt the rubber and cause the mousepad to lose its structural integrity.
Step #4: Dry the Mousepad
After cleaning your mousepad, it’s time to dry it properly, as any remaining water inside the mousepad will damage your mouse.
Firstly, you need to take a towel and wrap it around your mousepad, and press on it. This will allow the water to be absorbed into the towel and remove any excess water from the mousepad. Repeating this process multiple times will dry most of your mousepad.
After this, leave your mousepad to dry in someplace where indirect sunlight is present or someplace which is warm and dry. Leaving your mousepad in direct sunlight will cause its rubber to melt, damaging its structural integrity and thus affecting performance.
Your mousepad should be all dried up in a day and be ready for use!
After going through all the steps above, you will notice that your mousepad will start to feel a lot smoother and even. Apart from its feel, it’ll also look much cleaner.
To check if you have cleaned your mousepad properly, you can use your nails to try and scratch the surface to see whether any white lines appear in the area you have scratched.
Conclusion
Using the steps described in this article, you can easily wash your mousepad in the comfort of your home. Cleaning your mousepad will improve your mouse’s sensor performance and help you level up faster at your new favorite video game!
