Why You Should Clean Your RGB Mousepad
You can easily learn how to clean a mousepad with a few simple steps. When done right, this can help to:
Improve the lifespan of your mousepad, making sure that you can avoid a replacement for longer. Get rid of discomfort on the mousepad, making sure that your mouse can scroll with ease again. Reduce the level of damage done to the mousepad, stopping rips or tears from getting even worse. Maximise mouse accuracy and make sure that your mouse can move around without getting stuck.
Step-by-Step Guide to Cleaning Your Mousepad
To get started, you have a pretty simple little plan that you can follow if you want to clean your mousepad today. Already, so how do you get started?
Step 1: Fill Up Your Sink/Basin
Either fill up your kitchen/bathroom sink with warm water and some hand and/or dish soap. If you prefer, you could use a washbasin or anything you can fill with water that is not going to spill or leak. Depending on the size of your mousepad, you might need to fill it up a fair amount to make sure your pad can be properly submerged. Make sure it is filled with enough bubbles etc., and that the water is warm but not boiling.
Step 2: Start Cleaning Your Mousepad
Now, you simply need to place your mousepad within the water mixture. Let it sink into the water, and perhaps give it a few rinses with the water before doing anything else. Now, take a washing-up sponge and start to rub the mousepad with a light, circular motion. You should start to see the various stains lifting from the mousepad as you go.
Step 3: Keep Scrubbing, Then Do a Final Clean
If you feel like you need a bit more elbow grease, then go for it. Try and avoid being too rough, though, as you could damage the mousepad. Keep going until all of the obvious spots of dirt are cleaned off, and then finish with another semi-thorough clean.
Step 4: Rinse
Now, you should rinse the mousepad with clean, warm water, making sure that no soapy residue is left. Be sure to wring your mousepad so that any soap residue that has got into the actual material is rinsed out. Give this a thorough, fair rinse and make sure you have gotten to each part of the mousepad as you go.
Step 5: Pat-Dab the Mousepad Dry
Once you are done, get a dry towel and give the mousepad a pat-dab trying. This will not get it 100% dry, and you will need to leave it for a while to totally dry and air out, but this should be enough to get started and get your mousepad drying out.
Step 6: Let It Dry Overnight
If you want the best results, try and leave your mousepad for 24 hours or above to let it really dry out. This should get you a fresh, comfortable looking gamepad that is clear of stains, stops, and other issues that might limit how well your mouse glides over your mousepad.
What Causes Your Mousepad to Get Dirty?
Think about what you actually do with an RGB mousepad. You roll your mouse up and down it, and you move your hand and wrist all over the pad. Even the most cleanly of individuals is going to have everything from dead skin to dirt build up on their hands from time to time. Even the act of gripping and using a mouse causes your hand and wrist to sweat, which means the mousepad is taking in your sweat over time. Add in the fact that your mouse can get all manner of dirt and debris stuck underneath, and each movement will see that dirt moved around the mousepad. So, if you are looking at a mousepad that has become dirty and grimy after continuous use, you now know why. Even things like eating snacks, or having a soda, near your mousepad can lead to it getting dirtied. You can shock yourself just how easy it is to bring things like stains, dirt, and even things like cigarette ash onto the mousepad. As you use your pad, this gets increasingly baked into the mousepad, and thus, it limits how freely your mouse can move. Naturally, you want to do everything that you can to get around that issue. So, what we recommend is you look to clean your mousepad using the below tricks and techniques.
Is Your Mouse Still Not Moving Freely?
After cleaning your mousepad, if you find that your mouse is still not moving well, then you might want to think about the following:
Give your mouse a clean. They can often be opened up and cleaned around the mouse ball. If you use an optical mouse, then simply make sure you give the tracking source a good clean. If your mouse is wireless, then try changing the batteries to see if the signal will improve doing so. You might even wish to try and take out the receive and clean it or try it in a different USB slot.
If none of the above works and your mousepad is still either dirty after cleaning and/or your mouse is not moving freely, you might want to look into getting a replacement. Buying a new mouse and/or mousepad can get you back to working and/or gaming with more productivity. Keep these things in mind moving forward, and you can find that your gaming experience can be both more consistent and a whole lot cleaner! This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. © 2021 Carlyn Hayes
