Make your cloth mousepad as good as new!

[Denned]

This is basically the same as washing any other fabric like a carpet or a seat in your car. So it should be fairly straight forward for most people

Before you start, I'd say that you might need to be careful using this technique, if you have a mousepad with printing on. As you can see, the Roccat logo on mine is nearly gone, actually after only one single wash. But the alternative for me was to spend 30$ on a new one.

 

Every soap has different properties. Something like the carpet cleaner I used is very aggressive. It's designed to remove really tough stains from fabric. 

Whereas normal dish soap is designed to remove grease from tables or plates. I guess it might be the perfect balance between too aggressive while not being too gentle.

The soap you use with your clothing might be worth a try though. Since it's for clothing (like t-shirts with prints on) I imagine it would do a decent job You could put your mousepad in a bucket with some moderate warm water and however much clothing soap you see fit. Let it sit for a few minutes and then carefully squeeze out the water and let it dry

 

If you want to be very careful, then use some moderate warm water, without soap or anything. If you have prints, then be careful not to rub on those. After that you just let it dry. It might take some time, since squeezing out water could also destroy your prints if you aren't careful.

 

I have a few options for cleaning fabrics. The one to the right is Vanish stain remover. Basically the average household stain remover. The one to the left is Sonax foam upholstery cleaner. I've just gotten the Sonax a few days ago for my car, so I'm going to try that. Most mousepads has like 1mm of fabric so I really doubt anything would have a hard time cleaning a mousepad

 

 

This is what my mousepad looks like after months upon months of use. But the old sweat and dead skin makes for a good blackboard!

 

 

 

Start by making the mousepad wet, with the hottest water you can touch without getting your hands burned.

 

 

 

No, sadly it isn't grease you can see floating in the water. That would be a bit too easy. It is air bubbles. Get the entire mousepad wet, and rub the hot water into the fabric.

 

 

 

This is the Sonax hard at work. The foam have two jobs. One is to loosen the dirt/grease and the other one is to lift up the dirt/grease. Let it sit for a few minutes. The instructions says 3-5 minutes for the Sonax, which might be different on the one you're using. However since the facric is very thin, a minute or two should be enough. If it's really dirty, you can help it by rubbing the foam into the mousepad.

 

 

Rinse the foam off. If it's still dirty, you can redo the foam step.

 

 

 

After the foam is gone and the mousepad is mostly clean. You can fold together the mousepad. And while having hot water running onto the mousepad, you can squeeze that and some more gease out. When you feel like it's clean, then turn off the water, squeeze the water out you can, and let it dry

 

 

This is the finished product. The mousepad is 4-5 years old, and only took a 5 minute wash to make it appear new

 

 

 

 

 

Some suggestions from others

 

I just shove mine in the washing machine. It's the size of my desk as well so it goes in on it's own then hangs out to dry on the washing line :P

 

 

I just use water and regular liquid hand soap with my QcK Heavy, it's much easier on the artwork and works just as well.

[Theo]

Interesting, might clean mine since it started looking like yours did before you washed it lol

[Kuzma]

Nice guide imma be bookmarking this!

[Samdb]

I washed mine the other week or so, but I think I need to do this.

[HirgaLTTki]

Does it work with custom mousepads? Im afraid that the artwork will come off when in contact with water

[Denned]

Does it work with custom mousepads? Im afraid that the artwork will come off when in contact with water

It might be safer to use a damp microfiber cloth / towel for that. But I would most likely write a mail to the company who made it If you start using soap or something simlare it would most likely destroy the printing. That said, the printing on my mousepad might just be some bad quality.

 

Interesting, might clean mine since it started looking like yours did before you washed it lol

It's quite handy. I almost ordered a new one, before I realized how easy it would be to wash.

[Hans Christian | Teri]

I just use water and regular liquid hand soap with my QcK Heavy, it's much easier on the artwork and works just as well.

[HirgaLTTki]

It might be safer to use a damp microfiber cloth / towel for that. But I would most likely write a mail to the company who made it If you start using soap or something simlare it would most likely destroy the printing. That said, the printing on my mousepad might just be some bad quality.

 

What about the razer Goliathus? Have one that is like disgustingly dirty

[Venomz1337]

So you can also use Vanish Oxi Action?

[squirrl]

I just shove mine in the washing machine. It's the size of my desk as well so it goes in on it's own then hangs out to dry on the washing line :P

[JamesIsBatman]

Cool. I hope I remember this in a few months

[Denned]

What about the razer Goliathus? Have one that is like disgustingly dirty

I'm not really sure, I've only washed my own mousepad. And with that I did worry about the printing since I don't really care that much about the print.

You could start off easy with some moderatly warm water, without soap or anything. And then just be careful not to squeeze it too hard.

The alternative to wash it would be to buy a new one, so I didn't mind having a slightly uglier logo compared with spending 30$ on a new one

 

 

So you can also use Vanish Oxi Action?

I guess. You could use any form of soap. Every soap have different properties. Something like the carpet cleaner I used is very aggresive. It's designed to remove really tough stains from fabric. 

Where as normal dish soap is designed to remove grease from tables or plates. I guess it might be the perfect balance between too aggresive while not being too gentle.

Oxi Action might a worth a try though. Since it's for clothing (like t-shirts with prints on) I imagine it would do a decent job Put your mousepad in a bucket with some moderelty warm water and how ever much Oxi Action you see fit. Let it sit for a few minutes and then carefully squeeze out the water and let it dry

[HirgaLTTki]

I'm not really sure, I've only washed my own mousepad. And with that I did worry about the printing since I don't really care that much about the print.

You could start off easy with some moderatly warm water, without soap or anything. And then just be careful not to squeeze it too hard.

The alternative to wash it would be to buy a new one, so I didn't mind having a slightly uglier logo compared with spending 30$ on a new one

 

 

Lol, new mousemat every 3 months! I think i will try with a cloth first, as I dont trust the print, seems like it fades

[Venomz1337]

I'm not really sure, I've only washed my own mousepad. And with that I did worry about the printing since I don't really care that much about the print.

You could start off easy with some moderatly warm water, without soap or anything. And then just be careful not to squeeze it too hard.

The alternative to wash it would be to buy a new one, so I didn't mind having a slightly uglier logo compared with spending 30$ on a new one

 

 

I guess. You could use any form of soap. Every soap have different properties. Something like the carpet cleaner I used is very aggresive. It's designed to remove really tough stains from fabric. 

Where as normal dish soap is designed to remove grease from tables or plates. I guess it might be the perfect balance between too aggresive while not being too gentle.

Oxi Action might a worth a try though. Since it's for clothing (like t-shirts with prints on) I imagine it would do a decent job Put your mousepad in a bucket with some moderelty warm water and how ever much Oxi Action you see fit. Let it sit for a few minutes and then carefully squeeze out the water and let it dry

 

Do you know where I can get Sonax Xtreme in the UK? Will it be in supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco etc.

[Denned]

Lol, new mousemat every 3 months! I think i will try with a cloth first, as I dont trust the print, seems like it fades

I washed mine the first time efter like 3 years. Not 3 months :P 3 year lifespan for a mousepad wouldn't seem that bad to me

[Denned]

Do you know where I can get Sonax Xtreme in the UK? Will it be in supermarkets such as Asda, Tesco etc.

I get all my car stuff from http://cleanyourcar.co.uk/

I edited the first post with some suggestions about soap. But unless your mousepad is filled with soda, then using something like the Sonax carpet cleaner is very overkill :D

[Denned]

I've added some of the other suggestions to the bottom of the post. So if anyone have improvements or other ideas, then feel free to share them

[Venomz1337]

I get all my car stuff from http://cleanyourcar.co.uk/

I edited the first post with some suggestions about soap. But unless your mousepad is filled with soda, then using something like the Sonax carpet cleaner is very overkill :D

 

So what'd you recommend?

[Denned]

So what'd you recommend?

Try the most gentle thing first and then work your way up

[Kerplex]

What about the razer Goliathus? Have one that is like disgustingly dirty

I wash mine all the time and it still looks brand new, just grab a wet cloth and wipe it down

[Venomz1337]

Try the most gentle thing first and then work your way up

 

I mean, what product should I try, should I just get vanish oxi action?

[SpamBrie]

Never of thought of doing that but thanks!!

[Dr3nz4r]

Thumbs up got the same mousepad, mine was even dirtier (sounds wrong?) then yours, washed it and now it looks like fkcing real.. the printing does look like new aswell.. (never used that corner so i just didnt used soap here)

[Torey]

I've just thrown mine in the washer for the past 3 years and when it gets out it looks brand new, with a very small amount of frayed edge which could of been just from 3 years of use, but it's negligible. I wash it about every 3 months.

[BiggestFan]

Thanks man