A cloth mouse pad is one of the hardest-working things on a desk. Your wrist rests on it for hours, your mouse drags across it thousands of times a day, and it quietly collects skin oil, dust, pet hair and crumbs. The first sign is usually a darker patch exactly where your hand sits, and then the mouse starts to feel slightly sticky or uneven. The good news is that cleaning a mouse pad takes about ten minutes, and if you do it the right way it won't harm the printed artwork.
This guide covers cloth mouse pads and gaming desk mats with a fabric top and a rubber base, which is how every Kiyo Arts pad is made: a smooth polyester surface over a natural rubber base. There is a short section near the end for hard plastic and glass pads.
How often should you clean a mouse pad?
- Every week: a quick dry clean to remove loose dust and crumbs.
- Whenever you spill something: spot clean straight away.
- Every two to three months: a full hand wash. More often if you eat at your desk, have pets or game for long sessions in a warm room.
A signal that it is overdue: the mouse feels slower in one area than another, or you can see a shadow where your palm rests.
What you need
- Warm water (not hot)
- Mild dish soap or a gentle liquid detergent
- A soft sponge, a microfibre cloth or a soft-bristled brush
- Two clean towels
- Somewhere to let it dry flat for a few hours
The quick clean: once a week
Most of the dirt on a mouse pad is loose. Getting it off every week stops it being ground into the weave, which is what causes the dark patch.
- Lift off your keyboard and mouse and shake the pad over a bin.
- Run a lint roller over it, or wipe it with a dry microfibre cloth.
- For any mark you can see, dab it with a cloth that is damp with soapy water, then with a cloth damp with plain water, and let it dry.
How to wash a mouse pad properly: every few months
When the whole surface looks dull or your mouse no longer glides evenly, give it a full hand wash.
- Fill a sink or a bath with a few inches of lukewarm water and add a small squirt of dish soap.
- Lay the pad in the water, printed side up, and let it sit for two or three minutes.
- Scrub gently in small circles with a soft sponge or brush. Spend more time where your palm and wrist rest.
- Drain the water and rinse the pad under cool running water until no suds come off. Leftover soap leaves the surface tacky and attracts dirt faster.
- Lay it on a towel, put a second towel on top and press down to soak up the water. Do not wring or twist it.
Drying: the step that ruins most pads
Let the pad air dry completely, flat on a dry towel or draped over a drying rack. A small pad is usually dry in a few hours; an extended desk mat can take overnight. Check the rubber underside as well as the top before you put it back, because a damp base can mark a wooden desk and a damp pad can start to smell.
Do not use a hairdryer on hot, a radiator or direct sunlight to speed it up. Heat can warp the rubber so the pad curls at the corners, and strong sun fades printed fabric over time. A fan blowing across the room is fine if you are in a hurry.
Can you put a mouse pad in the washing machine?
Many people do, but we recommend hand washing for printed pads. The spin cycle bends the pad hard, which can stress the bond between the fabric and the rubber and leave the edges curled. If you decide to machine wash a cloth pad anyway, use cold water, a gentle cycle and a small amount of mild detergent, put it in a laundry bag, and never put it in a tumble dryer. That is at your own risk.
Getting specific stains out
- Coffee or soda: blot the spill straight away with a paper towel, then spot clean with soapy water. Sugary drinks need a proper rinse or the area stays sticky.
- Grease from snacks: work a drop of dish soap directly into the mark with a damp cloth, leave it for a minute, then rinse.
- Sweat build-up: this is the dark patch under your hand. A full hand wash with a little extra scrubbing in that area usually lifts it.
- Ink: dab gently with a cloth barely dampened with rubbing alcohol, working from the outside in. Test on a corner first.
- Pet hair: a lint roller or a slightly damp rubber glove pulls it out of the weave better than a cloth.
Getting rid of a smell
A pad that smells musty usually was not fully dry the last time it was washed, or has absorbed sweat over a long period. Wash it again by hand, rinse very thoroughly, and dry it somewhere with good air flow until the rubber is completely dry. Sprinkling a little baking soda on the dry surface, leaving it for an hour and then shaking and vacuuming it off can help with lingering odours. Avoid perfumed sprays, which leave residue on the surface.
Cleaning hard and glass mouse pads
Hard plastic, aluminium and glass pads are much simpler. Wipe them with a microfibre cloth dampened with water or a little isopropyl alcohol, then dry them. Clean the mouse feet at the same time, because dirt on the feet transfers straight back onto a clean pad.
What not to do
- Don't use bleach or strong cleaning sprays. They strip colour out of the print.
- Don't use hot water. It weakens the rubber and the adhesive.
- Don't scrub with a stiff brush or scouring pad. It roughs up the smooth surface your mouse glides on.
- Don't fold the pad. Roll it, print side out, if you need to move or store it.
- Don't put it back on the desk damp.
How to keep it clean for longer
Wash your hands before a long session, keep drinks on a coaster off the pad, and give it the quick weekly clean. If you eat at your desk, a darker design hides day-to-day marks better than a pale one. Wiping your mouse feet and your desk under the pad every few weeks also helps, because grit underneath can wear the pad from below.
Our full guide to cleaning a desk mat covers the larger sizes, and if you are deciding between the two, desk mat vs mouse pad explains the difference.
When it is time for a new one
A pad that is cleaned regularly lasts for years. Replace it when the surface has gone shiny where the mouse moves, the edges are fraying or lifting, or the rubber has hardened and no longer grips. If you are choosing a replacement, the desk mat size guide explains the sizes, and you can browse every design in the desk mats and mouse pads collection.