Everything You Need To Know On How To Clean A Mouse Pad

 

Have you really looked at your mouse pad recently? Whether or not you’ve recently spilled something sticky, mouse pads can get pretty filthy with use. They are constantly in contact with our hands (not to mention the sweat and dead skin!), and that can make them not-so-nice to look at over time.

That being said, who wants to risk losing a mouse pad by washing it? Mouse pads are an odd, foamy material. Whether yours is covered in a knitted fabric cover or hard plastic, the foam portion underneath might scare you off when you consider giving it a good scrub down.

Never fear! Cleaning your mouse pad is actually very easy, and I’ll show you how to do it.

Materials You Need:

Steps to Cleaning Your Mouse Pad!

If Fabric Covered:

Step 1: Fill your sink or bathtub with warm water

You only need a couple of inches of water to clean your mouse pad. Make sure the water is not too hot, especially if your mouse pad has a logo—we don’t want that to peel off!

Scrub your mouse pad a little bit without soap first. You’ll see some air bubbles rise, which is normal. Avoid the edges of the surface so that you don’t accidentally peel off the cover.

Step 2: Scrub with some soap!

 

Use shampoo or body wash; both are gentle soaps that run the least risk of destroying logos or breaking down the glue that holds the fabric onto the foam. Scrub the surface gently with your soft cloth or sponge—again, avoid the edges. Additionally, you might want to avoid logos if they look as though they could peel off.

Step 3: Rinse off your mouse pad

Rinse under warm or room temperature water until the water runs clear. Pat your mouse pad dry with a towel.

Step 4: Hang the mouse pad to dry

If you have a clothesline, that works great. If not, simply hang your mouse pad anywhere you would hang clothing to dry. Before you use the mouse pad again, make sure that it is absolutely dried through.

If Plastic Covered:

Fill up your sink or bathtub with some warm water, just like we did with the fabric-covered mouse pad. There are only some minor differences with plastic mouse pads.

Step 1: Wash surface with dish soap

The hard plastic cover of some mouse pads can withstand harsher soaps, so if yours is particularly dirty, feel free to use dish soap! Scrub clean with warm water. Don’t bend the mouse pad too much, or the hard plastic could crack.

Step 2: Rinse off your mouse pad

• Just like with the fabric mouse pad, rinse until the water runs clear and is no longer soapy. Dry the plastic part, and pat down the foam with a towel!

Step 3: Hang to dry

• Exactly like with the fabric one. Again, make sure the mouse pad is entirely dry before using again. Have fun with your new, clean mouse pad!

 

 

There you have it—everything you need to know to undo that ugly spill, or simply refresh your mouse pad for more hours of work and gaming. Did you find this tutorial useful? How clean is your mouse pad now? Feel free to leave a comment below, and share this article to help your friends!