How to clean a mouse pad properly

A reliable mouse pad is often an unsung hero of PC gaming, especially in the competitive scene. Whether you eat and drink at your desk or run long gaming sessions, mouse pads can collect oil, dirt, grime, and crumbs over time. That’s why we wanted to take you step by step to show you how you can clean a mouse pad properly.

First of all, outside of obvious stains, one easy way to tell if your mousepad needs to be cleaned is by running your finger or fingernail over it. If you see some white, streaky marks on the pad, it is due to be washed. 

While cleaning a mousepad is a seemingly simple task, a great mouse pad can be expensive, and gamers don’t want to accidentally ruin theirs in the process of washing it. You may hear of others putting their mouse pad in the dishwasher or washing machine to get clean, but this can potentially damage the pad.

How to clean a cloth mouse pad

To get started, you’ll need three items: Dish soap, a soft bristle brush, and a towel.

• Start by bringing your mousepad over to the sink, and apply just a little bit of dish soap on the pad, along with some warm water. 
• Take a soft bristle brush and lightly scrub the soap and water into the mousepad.
  • Be sure to use a soft brush over something like a wire brush, since that can easily damage the mousepad.
• Once you scrub the entire mouse pad and get the dirt, stains, and grease out, be sure to rinse the mouse pad thoroughly in warm water to clear out the remaining dirt and excess soap. 
• After a full rinse, set your mousepad on a towel to dry.

How to clean an RGB mouse pad

For some gamers, RGB is essential to a perfect battle station. With this in mind, some players might even have an RGB mouse pad. For wired mouse pads like these, the cleaning process is slightly different but similar in most ways.

Related: The 6 best RGB mouse pads of 2020

To get started, you’ll need three items: Dish soap, a microfiber cloth, and a towel.

• Before you start cleaning an RGB mousepad, be sure to unplug it and move it away from any other electronics. 
• Next, use a little bit of dish soap on your microfiber cloth, along with some warm water.
• To avoid having water get into any ports, squeeze and wring out the microfiber cloth so it is damp but still soapy.
• Gently run the cloth along your mouse pad, making sure to hit every spot.
• Rinse your microfiber cloth again so all of the soap has been washed away. 
• Then, use the damp cloth on the surface to remove all remaining soap from the mouse pad.
• Once the mouse pad is clean, leave it to dry on a towel.

For even more helpful tips, be sure to read more on Dot Esports.