# Clean your mouse day! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 26, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791 "2001-10-26T15:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/1 "2001-10-26T15:50:05Z")
I would like to declare today Clean Your Mouse Day. My fellow Dopers, take a few minutes to give your mouse a good cleaning! I am speaking of your computer mouse, but if you have pet mice you may clean them as well. Please be gentle. I just cleaned mine this morning, and was it ever filthy. I’ve got one of those trackball dealies that was billed as never needing cleaning, but that’s a lie. It doesn’t need cleaning _often_, but after I borrowed a screwdriver from my neighbor and got the stupid thing open I discovered that over a year in my school’s infamously dusty dorms had made the inside of the poor thing look like the Sahara. I was astounded by how much gunk was in there. But now my cursor responds to the slightest touch. Life is good. ---
**Author:** ![Gunslinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/4491bb/32.png) [@Gunslinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gunslinger)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/2 "2001-10-26T16:17:32Z")
::turns mouse over:: ::squints, puzzled:: ::gets really close to look:: ::is blinded by laser:: Oh yeah. Optical mouse. ::blows on lens:: Cleaning done! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bdgr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bdgr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bdgr)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/3 "2001-10-26T16:22:50Z")
If you use one of them old fashioned mice with the little ball in it. Do youreself and or your tech a favor. Dump the cloth covered mouse pad. Thats where all that fuzzy stuff you find wrapped around the rollers comes from. Get one of the plastic or rubber mouse pad, or switch to optical. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/4 "2001-10-26T16:24:29Z")
Whatever. I clean my mouse regularly (well, whenever it starts acting slow), and it’s good now, so I’m going to wait a while. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/5 "2001-10-26T16:24:36Z")
I cleaned my mouse last week. First time I’ve done anything ahead of deadline in months! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![screech-owl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@screech-owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/screech-owl)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/6 "2001-10-26T17:10:41Z")
Ick ick ick ick ick ick ick ick. Much better now. Thanks for the reminder. ---
**Author:** ![Fornit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c89c15/32.png) [@Fornit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fornit)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/7 "2001-10-26T18:54:38Z")
/hijack sorry, but my girlfriend’s name is Mouse, so this OP had a MUCH more titillating quality for me. /hijack fornit ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2001, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/8 "2001-10-26T19:13:38Z")
Done! I actually really enjoy picking the crud off the roller-bars. Weird… ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/9 "2001-10-27T06:47:05Z")
I spend all darn day cleaning mice!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/10 "2001-10-27T06:55:55Z")
Haven’t had to clean it yet. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Harvey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@Max\_Harvey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Harvey)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/11 "2001-10-27T07:04:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pucette \* > **I actually really enjoy picking the crud off the roller-bars.** Me too. It’s the bubble wrap of the 21st century. It’s so cool when you nudge off a little piece with tweezers, and then you slowly pull off the flattened crud in one long intact piece. Very satisfying for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Cougarfang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c67d28/32.png) [@Cougarfang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cougarfang)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/12 "2001-10-27T07:27:36Z")
hmmm… _licks pet mouse clean_ _squeak, squeak_ tah-dah! oh, wrong mouse? _licks computer mouse clean_ _PTOOEY!_ tah-dah! ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/13 "2001-10-27T07:44:44Z")
::Fills sink with hot soapy water:: ::Drops mouse into hot soapy water:: ::Something clicks inside if head " electrical things do not belong in water":: :Reaches in hot soapy water for mouse:: ::Zapped with numerous volts of electricity:: ::Decides never to clean mouse again:: ---
**Author:** ![Mudshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f04885/32.png) [@Mudshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mudshark)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/14 "2001-10-27T07:45:50Z")
damn smiles ---
**Author:** ![vandal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/858c86/32.png) [@vandal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vandal)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/15 "2001-10-27T10:05:18Z")
Ahhhh, nice optical mouse. Nice mousy. Now if only dirt didn’t collect on the little rubber slides. Grrrrr… ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/16 "2001-10-27T14:46:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by vandal \* > \*\*Now if only dirt didn’t collect on the little rubber slides. Grrrrr… \*\* My mouse collects bits of table. My mouse has actually worn away parts of my computer table. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![ThunderBunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/73ab20/32.png) [@ThunderBunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThunderBunny)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/17 "2001-10-27T15:56:16Z")
OK, I have an optical mouse as well. I use it on a mouse pad, since it’s padded and is thus more comfortable. But not changing the mouse pad for… um… (counting…) _NINE YEARS_ has left a little something to be desired. I think it used to be blue. Now it’s kinda brown-gray. Can you tell I’m a bachelor? ---
**Author:** ![Kricket](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f14d63/32.png) [@Kricket](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kricket)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2001, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/18 "2001-10-27T19:08:05Z")
Hubby cleaned ours last week. I love my track ball mouse, and curse my dad who won’t switch. I told him if my husband could use one being left handed so could he! While hubby was cleaning ours, our youngest (4) daughter brought in hers (our old one) and had him clean that one also. Then she and her imaginary friend sat in her room for hours with the old mouse and an old keyboard in front of her little tv and played computer. See, sometimes the heathens do cute stuff that makes me not want to keep them locked in a closet forever. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![dragongirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b38774/32.png) [@dragongirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragongirl)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/19 "2001-10-28T14:53:31Z")
My mouse is acting funny. How do I clean it ? ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2001, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/clean-your-mouse-day/89791/20 "2001-10-28T15:40:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dragongirl \* > \*\*My mouse is acting funny. How do I clean it ? \*\* First unplug your mouse from the computer. Then open the mouse up. If you have a regular mouse, you can twist or pop off the ring around the rollerball on the bottom. If it’s a trackball like mine, you’ll probably have to get a screwdriver and unscrew the whole bottom section. If your mouse is really filthy like mine was, a whole bunch of gunk will fall right out as soon as you get it open. You can then use your fingernail, a toothpick, and a tissue to clean out the rest of the gunk. If you have a regular mouse, make sure to clean away the rings of gunk that have likely formed around the metal rods. I have heard that if things are really bad you may need to wipe your mouse clean with a mild soap solution (let it dry before reassembling), but I’ve never needed to do that. There are also commercial mouse-cleaning kits available, but I suspect they are a waste of money.