10 Tips for Keeping a Gaming Mousepad Clean

Gaming mouse pads can get covered in sweat, crumbs, and debris that can not only make it hard to touch but it can also affect the movement of the mouse and how you play your games. However, there are several ways to keep your gaming mousepad clean, and they’re easy too!

Here are 10 tips for keeping a gaming mousepad clean:

1. Wipe the mousepad down with wet wipes.
2. Clean localized stains with a toothbrush or scrubber.
3. Toss the mousepad in a warm sink.
4. Throw the mousepad in the washing machine.
5. Keep your gaming desk clean.
6. Clean a hard mousepad with rubbing alcohol.
7. Use shampoo on more intricate mousepads.
8. Brush the mousepad clean.
9. Clean your mouse and hands before playing.
10. Protect your mousepad from your food and drinks.

We’ll break down each of the tips above and help you ensure that your gaming mousepad stays clean even after hours of gaming!

1. Wipe the Mousepad Down With Wet Wipes

One of the first things that you can do is determine how dirty the mousepad is. IIf there are a lot of stains or it hasn’t been cleaned in a while, you should move down to the other options. However, if your gaming mousepad is only host to a few crumbs or stains, then you might be able to clean it with a few good wet wipes or a smooth wet cloth.

Lift the mousepad and shake off any loose crumbs, and then gently rub the mousepad with your wet wipes. If there are any light stains or marks, you can remove them by this method. Make sure to get both the front and the back of the mousepad. Wiping it down every few days with some wipes is the best way to perform maintenance on your gaming mousepad. 

With enough maintenance, you can ensure that you don’t need to go further down the list for in-depth cleaning on your gaming mousepad. However, if you have more problems with your mousepad’s cleanliness, you’ll need to look at the rest of these options.

2. Clean Localized Stains With a Toothbrush or Scrubber

If you’ve spilled a bit of your drink on the corner of your mousepad and want to clean it up without wiping down the entire mousepad, you can use a toothbrush or other scrubber to rub the stain right out. You should soak the stained area with water and then use dish soap to cover the stain. Scrub with the toothbrush until the stain is out.

You don’t need to be gentle with your scrubbing for most mousepads, and you can apply more soap and water as needed. After a few repetitions and some elbow grease, you should notice that the stain is out, and you won’t need to worry about it.

Soap and water can clean smaller stains this way, and any type of scrub brush will do just fine if you don’t have an extra toothbrush lying around. Using a sponge can work just as well if you want something gentler for your gaming mousepad, so if you’re worried about its durability, you’ll get the same result with the gentle scrubbing of a sponge.

3. Put the Mousepad in a Warm Sink

If you’re worried about the durability of your mousepad whenever you get it stained and don’t want to scrub the stain out, consider simply placing it in a sink full of warm water. Nothing removes stains better than a good soak, after all!

Follow these simple steps:

1. Fill up your kitchen sink with warm water, and then submerge your mousepad into it.
2. After it soaks for a bit, you can add in a bit of dish soap and allow the water and soap to mix.
3. Wipe the mousepad down with a brush or a towel, scrubbing the entire pad thoroughly but gently.

There’s no need to be rough with your pad, especially if it isn’t very durable, but you should be scrubbing with as much pressure as it can take. This allows you to have the highest chance of removing the stains. Different types of mouse pads can take different amounts of scrubbing pressure, so make sure to take that into account when rubbing out all the stains.

Once the mousepad has been scrubbed, make sure to rinse it and shake off any excess water before gently placing it on a towel and letting it dry. After it dries completely, you can get back to gaming with your now clean mousepad! Don’t be surprised if you do better than before, because a clean mousepad has its benefits!

4. Throw the Mousepad in the Washing Machine

Now, if you have a mousepad that hasn’t been cleaned in a while, and you’re looking to get it done without having to scrub away at a couple of years’ worth of stains, you might be able to get away with placing it in the washing machine. However, this is only applicable to certain types of washing machine-safe mousepads. 

If your mousepad isn’t designated as safe for the washing machine, then you should exercise caution and stay away from placing it in the machine. Even on the lowest tumbler cycle, the washer’s heat and movement can damage the rubber inside of the mousepad. Plus, it can also damage the pad’s surface by making it rough, which is certainly not good for gaming!

If you have a mousepad that’s certified as washing machine safe, then make sure to follow the included directions to the letter to keep it working as intended while also keeping it clean. If it isn’t washing machine safe, then don’t risk throwing it in. After all, those labels are there for a reason!

5. Keep Your Gaming Desk Clean

The best way to make sure that your gaming mousepad remains clean as you use your desk is to keep your entire gaming desk as clean as it can be. While gamers often eat or drink while gaming or just before a several-hour gaming session, it’s important not to let any spills or stains linger on your desk. 

If you drop some crumbs or spill some soda, then make sure to stop what you’re doing and clean up your desk. Often a quick brush or a wipe down with a wet wipe can ensure that your desk remains clean and you aren’t going to damage your mousepad, and the rest of your devices stay free of stains.

Or, if you don’t want to clean every single stain right away, you can at least have a ‘deep clean’ day where you tend to your desk and your devices. The more you focus on cleaning your gaming area, the less risk your mousepad has of getting dirty. Plus, a clean gaming desk is a much better place to play at. 

6. Clean a Hard Mousepad With Rubbing Alcohol

If you have a hard mousepad that you can’t move to a sink or bathtub, you’ll need to find a new way to clean it. You can wipe away any physical debris like crumbs and gently rub the surface down with a warm water-soaked cloth. Then, put a little rubbing alcohol onto the material and rub the surface again.

The rubbing alcohol breaks down the oils from your hands and the grease from your food or other stains. These stains are often harder to remove with plain water, so make sure to use alcohol on the more prominent ones. With a bit of effort, they’ll melt away, and all you have to do is leave the mousepad to air dry.

Once that’s done, you’ll have a smooth surface to play on again!

7. Use Shampoo on More Intricate Mousepads

Some gamers have mouse pads covered in designs, pads with electronics embedded in them, or other cosmetic qualities. Cleaning them with only waterwon’t get all the stains out and might even damage the mousepad itself. For these, you’ll need to take a gentler approach while trying to keep your mousepad clean. Instead of using laundry detergent or another form of dish soap, which often takes lots of water to wash out, you need to use shampoo. 

Follow these steps:

1. Just place a small dot of shampoo onto a cloth and gently scrub at the stains. They’ll go away without the risk of damaging your mousepad.
2. Use water to wash it away. Repeat for as often as you can to get the stains out.
3. After the mousepad is clean, take another cloth, soak it in warm water, and start dabbing away to rinse the mousepad. Make sure to be gentle while you’re doing this.
4. Wipe the excess water out with another towel.
5. Let the mousepad sit for a while and air dry, and then you’ll be able to play! 

The best thing you can do with these types of mousepads is to be as gentle as possible while getting the stains out. Then you can have a clean mousepad without damaging it!

8. Brush the Mousepad Clean

Sometimes your mousepad doesn’t need a full soak in the sink, but if you want to keep it clean regardless, you can do some essential maintenance every couple of gaming sessions. Even if you aren’t the type of person who eats or drinks at their gaming computer, your mouse and mousepad will still get dirty with hair, sweat, dead skin, dust, and more. 

To prevent any build up causing problems with your gaming, you need to focus on preventative cleaning. One of the best ways to do this is to brush your mousepad clean of any physical debris every few days.

Use a brush or a soft cloth, and gently wipe down both the mouse and mousepad. You should be able to catch most of the physical debris without too much effort and toss it in the trash can. Just make sure you don’t leave those crumbs or dust to fester and sit around, as that can cause problems for you and the cleanliness of your mousepad.

Regularly cleaning your mousepad will prevent you from working as hard whenever you have to deep clean it. Less time cleaning can also mean more time spent gaming, which is always fun!

9. Clean Your Mouse and Hands Before Playing

Most people don’t consider the cleanliness of their mouse and hands when keeping a gaming mousepad clean, but they’re essential. If you have dirty hands and a dirty mouse, a lot of that dirt and grime falls onto your mousepad. So make sure to clean both before playing.

Wash your hands with soap and water and dry them off before playing, and if you get sweaty hands while gaming, wipe them down every so often. Also, make sure to give your mouse a quick wipe down before every gaming session.

Even just a quick wipe is enough to get some of the surface-level stains, and then you can get back to gaming. This won’t be enough to stop all the stains and blemishes from getting to your mousepad, but it’ll be enough to act as an excellent preventative measure. 

Plus, cleaning your hands is an excellent habit to get into before you start gaming, especially if you’re playing with friends and passing the mouse around!

10. Protect Your Mousepad From Your Food and Drinks

If you’re the type of person who eats and drinks at your gaming desk, then don’t rely on your mousepad to be a barrier for your gaming desk. Instead, lay some coasters, napkins, or other items down to act as another barrier. That way, water or soda rings will be on the coasters, food stains will fall onto the napkins, and your devices will be kept safe from accidents.

You might even consider changing what you eat and drink around your computer desk as well. All foods and drinks will leave some crumbs and stains, but some certainly make less of a mess than others. Then you won’t need to worry as much about your mousepad getting dirty whenever you fuel up for your next gaming session.