How to clean your mouse pad without destroying it
With more and more of us spending heaps of time at our desks, the likelihood of funking up your mouse pad(opens in new tab) increased exponentially. Assailants such as pizza grease, soda, or other mystery stains are sure to make their way onto your mouse pad at some point, and as someone who's scarfed down an entire grilled cheese seconds before a video conference, I get it—sometimes food at the desk happens. Ultimately it means food on the desk will happen.
Nothing is certain except death, taxes, and mouse pad stains.
First off there, there are certain places to avoid placing your mouse pad, in case you were thinking of taking it off your desk to clean it. Don't hang it out to dry in the sun as the colours are likely to fade. It should not go in the dishwasher, washing machine or dryer—extreme suds and extreme heat are bad for rubber and plastic.
There's been some debate on the appropriate way to clean a soft surface or cloth mouse pad. The reason I'm advising you to stay away from washing machines and dishwashers is that these kinds of mouse pads are easy to damage. Not all spin cycles are created equal, so even a low tumble setting on certain washers or dryers could warp and damage the rubber bits in a mouse pad (many cloth mouse pads have some sort of textured rubber base to keep the pad in place when in use). And the surface needs to be pristine and smooth for your mouse to properly glide over it without issues.
Just a note about hydrophobic mouse pads, such as the one that comes with the Arozzi Arena gaming desk(opens in new tab). I managed to completely ruin mine by using chemical cleaner (the kind you hoover off after it dries). Don't be me. Be smart like Jorge.
Even if you own a machine-washable mouse pad,
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