What is the Best Way To Clean a Cloth Mousepad

If you’re wanting your mouse to glide perfectly, then you need a clean mouse pad. Otherwise your mouse can become stuck or not glide effectively, causing frustration.

It’s good practice for you to spend time on a regular basis cleaning your mouse pad. 

If you have a plastic or rubber mousepad, then these can be easily wiped with some spray and a cloth. However, if you have fabric or cloth mouse pads then this can require a bit more effort from yourself.

Mouse pads can hold many different substances, whether it’s dried food, oil, dirt or grease. 

Whether you’re working in an office, from home or you’re a gamer, your mousepad is going to control your mouse movements as well as be a cushion for your wrist.

It’s important to keep your mousepad clean in order to prevent problems and germs from spreading. 

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Cleaning cloth based mousepads 

You can wash this mousepad directly under the water or put it in the washing machine. However, if you decide to put it in the machine, ensure that it is thick enough, or you’ll most likely end up with no material left. 

Cleaning a neoprene mouse pad (rubber base, fabric top) 

Use warm running water to hold the mouse pad under and wet it and a cloth thoroughly. Use a small amount of dish soap directly on the pad and use the cloth to work through the entire surface.

Rinse away the soap. If you notice that there is still a mark, repeat the process.

Put the mouse pad onto a towel and fold over the ends to remove any excess water. Let the mouse pad completely air dry. 

Avoid using acetone and alcohol as they will completely destroy your mousepad by the rubber glue dissolving. 

Cleaning a hard or RGB mousepad 

Use an anti bacterial spray and cover the whole mousepad. Grab a microfibre cloth and specifically concentrate on any areas that have more grime.

Ensure that you’re getting in any crevices that may hold more dirt and wipe it over with a dry microfibre before continuing to let it air dry. To keep on top with the cleaning of your hard mousepad, keep some disinfectant wipes near so you can wipe it over after every use. 

Cleaning a mousepad with a wrist rest 

There are some mousepads that have a specifically designed wrist rest in order to keep you feel comfortable. In order to clean this, you want to start on the edges to where the wrist rest is located.

You can do this using a brush or a cloth and some shampoo. It can be awkward and difficult to clean so putting it in the washing machine on a low-speed with some detergent can be beneficial. 

Cleaning a razer chroma mousepad 

This is a type of electronic gaming mouse pad and it does have a specific cleaning requirement. It doesn’t need a lot of maintenance in order to deliver high quality performance.

But it’s still important to clean it thoroughly at least once per month. 

Use a cotton swab or a microfiber cloth and dip it in warm water. Ensure that you’ve rinsed it so it’s slightly damp, not soaking wet.

No cleaning agents should be used. 

Can a mousepad be put in the washing machine? 

If you’re not happy with cleaning your mousepad by hand, or you’d rather a more convenient way, then you can put it in the washing machine. However, be mindful that this is only applicable to certain materials, such as: 

• Rubber
• Polyester
• Polyurethane 
• Nylon
• Foam 
• Acrylic
• Microfiber 
• Acetate 

How to machine wash your mousepad 

Use a mild detergent in order to keep your mousepad in good condition and use a cold wash. Ensure that you’ve set the wash to a light cycle and let the washing machine do it’s thing.

Be mindful not to use any bleach as this will discolour and destroy the material. Once the wash has finished, let your mousepad dry naturally by air. 

Ensure that you’re not using any warm water or put your mousepad in the dryer. Any heat will damage your mousepad. 

How often should you be cleaning your mousepad? 

It all depends on how often you’re using your mousepad. However, if you’re using it within an office, then you should at least try to clean it 3-4 times per year.

Although, if you’re using it more frequently, you should ideally be cleaning it at least twice per week. This is why it’s important for you to keep some disinfectant wipes near your desk. 

Cleaning your touchpad 

If you’re using a laptop rather than a monitor then you may have a touchpad. To clean this, it can be time consuming and difficult as you can’t use any water on it directly.

However, you can clean it easily using a cloth, but only if there isn’t much dirt on it. 

You could use a bit of surgical spirit directly onto a cloth and wipe it over the touchpad. However, if you do get liquid onto the touchpad, this can damage it as it will end up corroding the electronics.

Be mindful to clean it gently otherwise excessive force will also damage the touchpad. 

Organising and cleaning your desk 

Now that you’ve cleaned your mousepad, it’s time to ensure that the surrounding areas are clean too. We have listed some tips in order for keeping your space clean: 

Apart from your mousepad, your keyboard is one of the most used accessories when working or gaming. Dust is known to build up in between the keys so using a can of compressed air can clear that dust away.

You could also use a duster to gently go around the keys. 

Your monitors also gather germs and fingerprints embedded. Use a microfibre to gently wipe over your monitor in order to remove these marks and make your screen clearer. 

Add some accents to your desk such as plants or a candle. Plants help to purify the air and make your mood improve as the day goes on.

It’s better to go with something green like a spider plant or peace lily. 

Use desk organisers and files to keep papers off your desk in order to keep it organised. This will ensure that you’re not mixing things up and getting yourself in a fizz. 

You can use a decorated mug or specifically designed pencil holder to keep all of your pens and pencils in an organised space. This is better than letting them roll around your desk with the potential of losing them when you need them. 

Get some sticky labels to keep things labelled so you know exactly where to look for specific papers or important documents. 

Try not to go too overboard with decorations as this can cause clutter. Adding a lamp and a plant is one thing, but you don’t want to add other knick-knacks that can cause an overbearing look. 

Consider purchasing a dustbin to keep underneath your desk so you can throw away unneeded items and papers as soon as they appear rather than keeping a rubbish pile on your desk. 

Can I put my mousepad in the dishwasher?

Common mouse pads can be put into the dishwasher and doing so won’t cause significant damage. You don’t need any special requirements for the wash cycle, just put it on the same one that you would your dishes.

Although, be mindful not to put it on a hot wash or use any powerful detergents as this will cause damage. 

If you have a delicate mouse pad then you might want to wrap it up in a towel before putting it into the dishwasher. If you’d like to do this, then follow the below steps to minimise damage: 

Put your mouse pad into the dishwasher and add some soap, detergent or dishwashing tablet and put it on a cold wash. Once complete, air dry the mouse pad for 24 to 36 hours before using it again.  

Why is it important to keep a clean desk? 

Not only does a clean space improve your work ethic, but it also makes your mood better. It also ensures that you’re practising better hygiene so you’re able to work your best all year around.

If your desk is covered in germs, then it’s more likely that you will become ill. Taking days off due to illness can cause a problem with finances (some companies only pay after a certain amount of days off). 

Ensure that you’re keeping on top of a clean and organised desk. You don’t have to do everything at once, but making the small steps of keeping your mouse and mousepad clean can go a long way. 

Conclusion 

You can find many different styles and types of mouse pads on the market, and they all have different cleaning requirements. Although, if you’d rather play it safe, it’s always best to use an antibacterial spray or cloth with a microfiber cloth.

It’s important that if you’re using your mouse pad often, then you should clean it at least twice per week. 

Be mindful that if you have an electronic mousepad, you shouldn’t be using any water on it, or if you do, then it should be slightly dampened and not soaked as you can with other mouse pads.

We hope we have given you some insight into how to best clean the mouse pad you use and keep an organised and tidy desk. 

Last update on 2023-09-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API