Cleaning the mousepad is important for fast movements or navigations of mouse pointers. Dirty mousepads can slow down the pace of your mouse skates thereby straining your work or gaming experiences. Regular cleaning of mousepads will enable smoother movements of mouse pointers and also longer life to the mousepads. The excessive frictions created on the dirty mouse pads can damage the mouse skates by reducing their speed considerably.
There are different types of mousepads and cleaning involves different steps for different mousepads. Most commonly used are the fabric surfaced mousepads which require a wet dab from moist cloth. Shampoo or slight detergents can be used and slight rubbing of the mousepad with the damp cloth could clear the dirt. Other mousepad varieties require a detailed study of their material and the steps involved in cleaning them.
This article will give you details about different varieties of mousepads and effective ways of cleaning them.
Types of Mousepads:
Mousepads have multiple layers and before we decide to clean the mousepad, we need to make sure what the layers of that specific mousepad are. The outer surface of the mousepads is either fabric material or plastic material, but the inner layers could be varying depending on their usage and purpose. If we have to broadly classify the categories of the mousepads, we could do that in three different types. Let us delve into each of them.
Ergonomic Mousepads:
These mousepads are basically designed to lessen the stress on the user’s wrist. When you use Ergonomic mousepads, the user’s hands are placed parallel to the table which de-stresses the efforts on the hands to a larger extent. They are used for multiple operations including gaming.
Gaming Mousepads:
These mousepads are dedicated to gaming experiences and are equipped to handle larger area movements. The sensitivity and pace are also handled better in these mousepads which are most commonly plastic-surfaced in the top layers. Sometimes, there are graphical images and pictures embedded in the mousepads which call for intense cleaning.
Textured Mousepads:
These mousepads have a fabric surfaced top layer and give an effective cushioning for the user’s hands. Their inner layers have rubbers and top layers are embedded with stuffy fabrics. These mousepads give sufficient friction and smoother navigation to the mouse skates. They come in varieties, and materials used could be leather, fabric, rubber, or sometimes wood.
Ways of cleaning mousepads:
Cleaning a mousepad involves different methods depending on how dirty it is. It also differs according to the types of mousepads. Some mousepads can be given a dishwasher wash depending on their delicateness. However, using hot water for washing the mouse may not be advisable as it may disrupt the surface. It is advised to wrap the mousepads with a towel and then shoving it inside the machine so that the texture and surfaces do not get damaged. Even though it is given a machine cleaning, it can only sustain a lower tumbling and subtle rotation. Hence putting for machine wash requires us to set the speed low and less-timed. The mousepads can be used after it has been dried up completely.
Cleaning an electric mousepad:
Electrical mousepads have electrical components embedded in their layers. Giving them a water wash can spoil those components rendering them unusable. It requires a water-less wash which is quite a task. Hence cleaning an electrical mousepad will need multipurpose cleaning wipes and cleaners specially designed for cleaning this. Sometimes when we purchase these mousepads, the cleaners and wipes also come as a package. Use a damp cloth and dip it in the cleaner and dab it across the dirty layers. You can also use the wipes that come along with that cleaner which could also be effective. These mousepads also need longer hours of post-wash drying for 2 to 3 days.
Cleaning a Neoprene Mousepad:
Neoprene mousepads have rubber on their inner layers to support a firm grip and correct friction. These Neoprene mousepads need to be cleaned to wade away the dirt in that Neoprene layer. It is not water absorbing and hence needs lesser time to dry up. However, cleaning them requires some mild cleansers which can effectively wipe of the dirt in the Neoprene layer.
- Fill a tub of water;
- Add some cleanser to the water;
- Dip a sponge in the solution;
- Wipe the layer of the mousepad with the sponge;
- Keep it in the sun or warm places to dry for some time.
Cleaning a Wrist-spaced mousepad
These are slightly bigger mousepads that are spaced for wrist support. They are made of microfiber components. This will also require lukewarm water, a soap conditioner solution, and a towel.
Dipping the towel in the solution and dabbing it across the layers of this mousepad can effectively clear out the dust particles.
Cleaning an RGB mousepad:
Cleaning an RGB mousepad is meticulous to extremes from any other normal type. They have electrical components inside their layers and they are also plugged into cables and switches. To clean them will require unplugging them, removing any connectivity, and carefully cleaning them with sponges leaving the electric parts.
Mild soap solution in water could do for cleaning this as excessive soap could damage its parts. Using a sponge is advisable for sufficiently and carefully dealing with its interiors to avoid getting in contact with its electric components.
Conclusion:
Cleaning a mousepad should be a periodical ritual for it to sustain longer life. Knowing the different types of them and also the methods to clean each of them is important to maintain a mousepad. Hopefully, this document can help you deal with the cleaning of any type of mousepads. However, there are many varieties of them that may involve different steps of cleaning. While buying some complicated designed and textured mousepads, you can learn the techniques of cleaning it from the sellers or product pamphlets.
