Recommend your safest way, so to clean or wash a large gaming mouse pad

[kiriakost]

I do consider gaming mouse pads as them be hardware too.

Nowadays I did receive as marketing gift, one meter long of mouse pad.
Within the past 20 years, I was always buy thin pads, high resolution ones, as additional assistance at image editor software's (many), along web design.
Most branded that I owned in the near past was from Steel-series.

Over the years fabrics manufacturing technology this advanced enough, 70% of gaming pads they are all high resolution.
Now we have latest generation, fresh fabric along rubber base, at acceptable thinness.

The ideal wash technique, its the one prolonging life cycle of both fabric plus synthetic rubber.

Just share your experiences and thoughts, and no one will criticize them.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

Ordinary ethyl alcohol ~70% and piece of cotton.

 

[dgianstefani]

I use biodegradable dettol wipes to good effect.

 

[xtreemchaos]

i just use soap and warm water, last time i use hand wash and sponge and it cleaned it a treat, ive had my mat years and it still looks new after a wash ive spilt all sorts on from coffiee to TIM the Tim need a bit of ipa to get it off and warm soapy water to finnish..

 

[Beertintedgoggles]

It sounds like you're asking about pads that have a fabric top to them. For those, I'd soak them in a tub / bin / whatever is large enough of warm, soapy water and have a beer. Then depending on how funky it is, use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the fabric. Thoroughly rinse and let air dry while drinking another beer. Instructions must be strictly followed.

 

[micropage7]

just wet it, add hand soap, leave it a little, brush by using old tooth brush then give it fresh water and done, dry it but not under sun light

 

[Frick]

Depends on the mat. I usually just hand wash them with soap and wring them out.

 

[Ruru]

I'll just take a rag, wet it a little bit and put washing liquid a drop on the mat. Works fine with a fabric mousemat. Then let it dry for a while.

 

[Shrek]

I put the ones stitched around the edges in the washing machine; works for me, but perform at your own risk.

 

[GerKNG]

put it in the shower/bathtub, rinse it with warm water. take some perfume free soap and clean it with a cloth.
rinse again, place on a large towel (under/rubber side up) and put a second one on top it and walk over it to squeeze the water out.
let it dry afterwards.

 

[Lei]

Ordinary ethyl alcohol ~70% and piece of cotton.

Mouse pad, not mouse.

 

[Vario]

I throw it in a bucket with either diluted liquid dish detergent or diluted liquid laundry detergent, agitate it, let it soak, then I do a few rinse buckets (clear water), agitate, soak, then I hang it on a line to dry.

 

[skizzo]

It sounds like you're asking about pads that have a fabric top to them. For those, I'd soak them in a tub / bin / whatever is large enough of warm, soapy water and have a beer. Then depending on how funky it is, use a soft toothbrush to gently scrub the fabric. Thoroughly rinse and let air dry while drinking another beer. Instructions must be strictly followed.

as long as I don't have to drink any Sierra Nevada....a bit too hoppy for me ....I will follow these plans

 

[Lei]

just wet it, add hand soap, leave it a little, brush by using old tooth brush then give it fresh water and done, dry it but not under sun light

this is how I clean my new balance shoes and I think it works with mouse pad. Sorry I never use a mouse nor a pad.
But I think winter sun won't harm.

I use a bucket or fill the bathroom sink though.

as long as I don't have to drink any Sierra Nevada....a bit too hoppy for me ....I will follow these plans

he's not adding beer to the tub. He's waiting while having a beer.
Yesterday I saw a youtube vid about Jim that didn't seem right at all. wrong comparison. He's right.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Ummm, did you check with the manufacturer or user manual?

If no instructions, I would do it in a clean kitchen sink full of lukewarm water with a small amount (a few drops) of dish detergent. Too much soap requires too much rinsing and may break down the adhesives binding the different layers.

Laundry soap, IMO, is too harsh.

And for sure, do not use dishwasher soap as that is extremely harsh.

Then, use some light scrubbing with a clean sponge or soft brush. A toothbrush would work for small spots but to me, a toothbrush on a pad that size would be like this.

Rinse thoroughly and pat dry with a clean towel. Lay face down on a clean countertop and allow the bottom to dry. As soon as the bottom is dry, flip it over and allow the top to dry.

This, of course, assumes it can tolerate getting wet. Otherwise, time to shop around for a new pad.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

Mouse pad, not mouse.

Yes

 

[skizzo]

he's not adding beer to the tub. He's waiting while having a beer.
Yesterday I saw a youtube vid about Jim that didn't seem right at all. wrong comparison. He's right.

lol thanks but I did understand the point was to drink it and not try to use beer as a cleaning agent. that is unless someone wants their mouse pad to smell like a frat house the day after a kegger! I was just poking fun that their profile image is a sierra nevada brew, which happens to be one of my least favorite beers I've ever tried



i'll have to check out the video later. I'm using my work laptop and they got us on "restricted mode" so blocks a ton of content including whatever that video is lol

 

[Shrek]

Laundry soap, IMO, is too harsh.

How to Clean Your Mousepad | SteelSeries
"Some mousepads are machine washable depending on the fabric"

But I agree with Bill and would not risk it on an expensive pad.

 

[Bill_Bright]

I didn't think about hand soap but yeah, that might be even gentler than dish soap - a good thing AS LONG AS it didn't include moisturizers that might be hard to thoroughly rinse out.

That was a nice article BUT I would NOT hang it out in the sun as it suggests in step 6. Many pads have rubber or other non-stick backing. Even car tires, which are made to be outdoors and in the sun, break-down and "dry-rot" when exposed to sunlight. Not to mention, the pads (especially black rubber) could "bake" in the hot sun. That may help it dry faster, but not sure that would be good for the materials, or longevity of the pad.

 

[Lei]

@TumbleGeorge you clean fabric with 70% alcohol. Interesting, one is worried the sunlight is bad for drying, one pours alcohol on the same thing.

@skizzo
I drink in summer, for winter I'm now waiting on my hair green dye to make me and my parrot look like comrades while sipping red bull. I like Kronenbourg 1664 or Heineken

 

[kiriakost]

SteelSeries ... 2.5mm thin pad, looked as silky layer attached to thin rubber, with fine touch of adhesive.
24 Euro price tag, within 8 year and gentle soap cleaning, the fabric started to detach at the corners.
I did use pair of scissors, so to remove the damaged surface, eventually the huge pie this started to become a normal pie
10 years later, the rubber started to melt also at the corners.

First stitched replacement arrived at December 2021, price tag 14 EUR (40 x 30cm) 16 inch long.
16 months later the underneath rubber started to melt at the corners, returned it (under two years warranty policy) and the Greek store refunded the money.
Original importer from Poland, pad origin China.

The new gift this is stitched, (80 x 30cm), 31,25 inch long.
This is my first decorated stitched one, and now I have to also worry about to not damage the on-top artwork.

 

[TumbleGeorge]

you clean fabric with 70% alcohol. Interesting, one is worried the sunlight is bad for drying, one pours alcohol on the same thing.

It would be equally interesting to read the chemistry of soaps and how it affects fabrics. The thread also mentioned the glue between the fabric and the base and also between the layers of the base. At least I wouldn't wash a mouse pad with soap and warm water.

 

[Bill_Bright]

Interesting, one is worried the sunlight is bad for drying, one pours alcohol on the same thing.

Huh? Interesting how "one" links the one who is worried about sunlight with the one who pours alcohol on the same thing.

FTR, as "the one" concerned about sunlight exposure to rubber, I never said or even implied anything about using alcohol.

If you look real close at the image below, you might be able to tell I don't use a mouse pad.

 

[kiriakost]

At least I wouldn't wash a mouse pad with soap and warm water.

We are diving in to a sector called: Your mom knows best (more experienced).
There is regular soap for hands wash (white bar of soap), in a liquid form (this looks like bottle with milk).
It is the most gentle soap for sensitive fabrics.

I always do the drying in-door, they are plenty metal frames with rope for this purpose.

Regular temperature of water, but a longer wait before last wash stage and drying.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yeah you might use baby shampoo about as docile as there is.