Mousepads have been used by people since the earliest days of any computer becoming a common household and work item. It brings ease and comfort to the process of being on your computer for long periods of time, no matter what the purpose. Something concerning excessive use of tools and accessories is them getting dirty after a while, which brings us to the topic of today’s article.
This article will answer questions regarding mousepads, their types, and most importantly how to clean mousepad made of different materials. There are many different types of mousepads available in the market, due to different preferences by people. Often there are specifics in terms of someone’s medical prescriptions that require them to use specific tools, it works the same with furniture such as a medicated chair, etc. The same is possible for something less impactful such as a mousepad. It keeps your mouse’s flow and your hand both comfortably working. Let’s look at more specific questions regarding mousepads.
Are mousepads more comfortable?
The reason so many people choose to use a mouse, even with a laptop that has a built-in touchpad, is because of its comfort and smoother flow in work. For some people, it’s also more specifically about their preference, because there are others who prefer to use the touchpad on a laptop. Even if we consider the differences in preferences for different people, there is a large number of Desktop PC users who have to use the mouse, along with a mousepad for obvious reasons.
For those who still use their mouse without the mousepad, there are many disadvantages that could cost you. Here are just a few common top ones.
Improved performance
For those who have not felt the difference yet, using a mouse to play games is much more precise and improves your movements by a margin. Different options even have different surface structures that help your fluid movements. The key here is to find the one best suitable for you, as well as the one with the most consistent surface.
Protects your desk
In case you were unaware, longer use of your mouse on your desk without a pad to protect it can wear your desk down significantly. It can cause a rather unpleasant spot where you most use the mouse, depending upon the quality of your desk as well. If you use a pad for your mouse, even if it wears down after a while, it will be much easier to replace a mousepad rather than the table.
More comfortable
There are many ways an ergonomic mouse changes your experience while on your PC, similarly, a mousepad can make your user experience much more comfortable, than the hard surface of the table that might hurt your palm/wrist.
Special features on pads
There are many technological features in mousepads offered in the market now. Keep in mind these are in majority not good to wash, therefore don’t use the tips from ‘how to clean mousepad’ on any of the special feature pads. It is due to these highly advanced products that we are able to have really good personal experiences. Mousepads now come with LED lights enabled, USB ports, and even some with the ability to charge a wireless mouse. All this at a certain cost of course, because when you ask for more features, it often costs more than the standard product.
Protects your mouse
On the topic of cleaning, a pad does help against keeping your mouse from excessive dirt. It will not protect it completely, but it will keep it contained to a much minimal amount. Not to mention, a pad is mostly washable so your mouse’s performance does not get affected due to it.
What are the different types of mousepads?
There are three different types of mousepads available in the market, depending on their main objective and purpose. Textured, gaming, and ergonomic are three main categories of mousepads out there. They all present a specific purpose in terms of their use, and that has developed since the initial inception of mouse and mousepad as well.
Initially, the mousepad was introduced to incorporate the ball that all early mouse products had as part of their body. Over time that purpose has changed for sure to bring in the comfort, cleanliness, and smoothness of the product. Each of the categories mentioned above, for example, have a specific function, here is how each of these work.
Ergonomic
For those who don’t know what the ergonomic category in any product stands for, it is when a product is specially made with physical comfort and ease in mind. An ergonomic chair or sofa per se has the best possible shape and material, that ensures your body is at its most comfortable. Similarly, an ergonomic pad ensures your hand and wrist in particular is well-rested on the mouse, without hurting your hand, even in longer hours of use.
Textured
Textured pads are the most commonly used type of pads due to their reasonable price as well as ease of use. They’re made of many different materials, but they all ensure a consistent texture throughout the pad space, making sure you have a good quality overall product.
Gaming
Gaming pads are the ones with most to offer, as they are larger in size to cover more area, with better ergonomics and sensitivity, in addition to a good extended period of use. They are generally more expensive as well, as not everybody uses a gaming mousepad, or needs it even. But for those who don’t mind the extra cost for the extra features, this is an ideal choice of the mousepad to have.
How to clean a mousepad?
Finally, here’s how you can clean your mousepad, after long use. Sometimes a pad is not ready to be replaced, instead, it just needs a bit of cleaning to bring it back to its original efficient form. Here’s what you need to do.
Washable
Most fabric/cloth mousepads are made up of just that, fabric or other washable materials. In this case, you can easily wash them, by using soap or any kind of washer, making sure not to use the washing machine as the harsh round can damage the pad. You can simply wash your mousepad, whether via a scrub or brush, or simply via scrubbing it well by hand.
Non-washable
There are many obvious non-washable materials, including some pads that have electronic features that may get damaged when you use water with them. Any amount of water, whether to wash or to scrub the mousepad can damage it easily. In this case, use a damp cloth or tissue to clean any dirt or other grub you might find on the surface of your mousepad, and wipe it off instead of washing it.
This was all about mousepads, their types, and an easy guide on how to clean mousepad made of different materials. Make sure you check thoroughly before washing if your mousepad is made of material safe enough to wash. And try this, before you go replacing a pad every other month, it can save you an additional minor cost.
