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Drink and food spills, wrist grease, and scratches from mouse movements: every gaming mousepad that’s regularly used is bound to get dirty at some point in time. What do you do when your gaming rig essential, your gaming mousepad, gets dirty?
Simple, clean it. Well, maybe it’s not that simple. You may have an expensive gaming mousepad that you don’t want to risk damaging. Your gaming mousepad may have stubborn stains that require extensive cleaning. Or you may be somebody who is very new to cleaning a gaming mousepad and have no idea how to get started. Whatever your story, we have got you covered in this post.
Common ways how gaming mousepads get dirty
Take a look at some of the common ways how gaming mousepads get dirty and how long is it safe before you need to clean them.
1. Drink spills
Accidental drink spills are one of the most common ways how computer peripherals, including mousepads, get dirty. If you accidentally spill a drink on your gaming mousepad, it’s important to clean it right away. By leaving the spilled drink, you not only make the spill stain more deep and stubborn but also risk damaging your gaming mouse.
Beverages such as coffee, chocolate shake, hot chocolate, and colored drinks can leave more stubborn stains on cloth surfaces. And unfortunately, many gaming mousepads have a cloth top.
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2. Keyboard and mouse stains
Resting the keyboard on the mousepad is one of the common ways how mousepads get dirty. In most cases, the area of the mousepad where the legs of the keyboard rest often get dirty with stains.
Although it is not as severe as drinks spills, it is still important to clean them every once in a while in order to prevent them from being stubborn marks. This is also true for stains that form with mouse movements.
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3. Wrist stains
Almost every gamer rests their wrists on the gaming mousepad knowingly or unknowingly. While it’s not wrong to rest your wrist when using the mouse, the mousepad area (where you rest your wrist) does get dirty over time due to skin grease. It’s best to clean skin grease stains when they form in order to prevent color fading of your gaming mousepad.
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Partial cleaning
Cleaning your gaming mousepad doesn’t always mean that you have to perform extensive cleaning. As part of regularly cleaning your gaming rig, you can partially and quickly clean your gaming mousepad to keep it looking new. Here are some simple ways how:
1. Use a soft dusting brush
If you have dry stains on your gaming mousepad, it’s a good option to use a soft dusting brush in order to clean it quickly. Make sure that the dusting brush you use has soft bristles in order to prevent scratches on the gaming mousepad.
If you notice dry stains on just a particular spot, use the top part of the brush to clean just the dirty spot. This way, you will not risk scratching other areas of the mousepad and save time as well.
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2. Use a vacuum cleaner
If you do not want to go through the hassle of rigorously cleaning with a dusting brush, you can simply use a vacuum cleaner to get rid of dry stains. Place your gaming mousepad flat on a tabletop and vacuum clean it.
Instead of directly placing the vacuum cleaner on top of the mousepad, you can simply hover over it to prevent scratches. Depending on the type of stain, you also may need to dust the mousepad after vacuum cleaning it.
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3. Clean it on the washing machine
One of the easiest and quickest ways to clean your gaming mousepad is to wash it on the washing machine. Choose the half load cycle while selecting light wash. Add a cup or two of light action detergent to get rid of all the stains and grime while protecting the mousepad from damage.
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Complete cleaning
When there are stubborn grime and stains on your gaming pad, you are left with no option but to thoroughly clean it. To help you get the best results out of the cleaning effort you put, we have listed structured steps below:
1. Soak the mousepad to make cleaning easier
Many people skip this step. However, it is important to include it in order to make your mousepad cleaning task easier and more result-oriented. Take a bucket of lukewarm water and mix 2 to 4 drops of cloth cleaning solution/detergent on it. After mixing it, dip your gaming mousepad on the bucket and let it soak for 15 to 20 minutes.
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2. Gently scrub the dirty spots
After you’ve soaked the mousepad for 15 to 20 minutes, remove it from the bucket and gently scrub on the dirty spots using a soft cleaning brush.
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If you feel soaking the mousepad didn’t quite help, you can apply extra cloth cleaning solution/detergent. To get the best cleaning results, we recommend choosing a cloth cleaner that includes vinegar.
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3. Give the mousepad several washes
After removing the stains and grime using the cleaning brush, rinse the mousepad several times with water (preferably running water) to remove the soapy lather.
4. Dry it with a towel
Use a dry and soft towel to dry the mousepad. Once done, leave it to air dry, which may take a couple of days. You can also use the dryer of your washing machine to shorten the drying time.
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List of gaming mousepad cleaning tools
Similar to cleaning different computer peripherals, cleaning your gaming mousepad becomes quick and hassle-free if you have the right tools. Take a look at the list of handy cleaning tools that we have compiled which you can buy in order to make your cleaning task easier. Apart from cleaning your gaming mousepad, you can also use these tools to clean other computer peripherals and accessories.
1. Portable mini vacuum cleaner – check it out here
Vacuum cleaning your mousepad and other computer peripherals doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to face the hassle of using your room cleaning vacuum cleaner. By getting your hands on a mini vacuum cleaner, it becomes easier for you to clean the mousepad every time you drop snack crumbs.
2. Cleaning wipes – check it out here
If your gaming mousepad has a smooth and non-porous rubber top, you can clean it the easy way by using cleaning wipes. You can use cleaning wipes for other computer peripherals as well.
3. Extra-soft cleaning brush – check it out here
If you have an expensive gaming mouse, cleaning it every once in a while may not be feasible as you may risk damaging it. To steer clear of such risks, it’s best to use an extra-soft cleaning brush to keep your mousepad looking spick and span without scratching it.
4. Soap dispensing brush – check it out here
If you do not want to go through the hassle of using a separate cleaning solution and a cleaning brush, a good alternative is to use a soap dispensing brush. This type of brush can make your cleaning task easier as well as quicker.
Gaming mousepad maintenance tips
Just like the way you care for your gaming rig, it’s important to properly use and maintain your gaming mousepad to maintain its longevity and keep it looking new. Here are some care and maintenance tips that can come handy to you:
1. Avoid keeping beverages close to the mousepad
Beverages, including coffee, soda, fruit juices, and alcoholic drinks can put stubborn stains on cloth materials. Therefore, it’s best to avoid keeping them close to your mousepad so as to ensure you don’t risk damaging it if you accidentally spill the drink.
2. Use wrist rests
Protecting your gaming mousepad from skin grease caused by resting your wrists is one of the best care and maintenance steps you can take. Wrist rests such as these ones improve the comfort level as well.
3. Avoid setting up your gaming rig near a window
If you set up your gaming rig near a window, your gaming mousepad may get frequently dirty due to the dust that can accumulate from outside. It’s best to set up your gaming rig in an enclosed area of your room. Also, avoid setting up your gaming rig directly under the AC unit as moisture can damage your mousepad over time.
4. Keep jagged objects at bay
Scratches are the last thing you’d want on your gaming mousepad, especially if you have an expensive gaming mousepad. To steer clear from the risk of scratches, keep jagged objects such as scissors, sim ejector pins, can openers, and razor cutters at bay.
5. Avoid using harsh cleaning solutions
It’s best to not use harsh cleaning solutions that have strong chemicals in them. This is because many gaming mousepads are made of two or more layers of cloth or other materials. By using a strong cleaning solution, the glue may wear off and cause the layers to separate.