Tips for cleaning sticky mouse buttons?

I have a filthy optical mouse. Its buttons are very sticky and I can barely right-click. Any suggestions for how to clean it?

Iain

Posted 2010-01-03T19:44:34.437

Reputation: 4 399

1@gnoupi Actually, you can get a pretty decent idea by swabbing, TPC & CEC are standard indicator organisms, or you can do adenosene triphosphate for overall micro activity. But yeah, I think computer mouse ranks in top 10 "dirtiest". – Arctiic – 2020-02-01T11:49:19.083

2And since we are in "tips for a clean mouse": wash your hands before touching your mouse and keyboard. You have no idea how many germs are growing in most of them. – Gnoupi – 2010-01-03T19:54:33.607

1Aww, come on. You want our immune system to become obsolete? :-) – Joey – 2010-01-03T20:19:41.510

Answers

First, unplug your mouse before putting anything on it just in case. Grab some rubbing alcohol, paper towels, Qtips, and a can of compressed air if you have it.

Put a bit of rubbing alcohol on a paper towel. Make sure it isn't dripping wet, but a wee bit damp. Give the buttons a good, thorough wipe down. This should cut the stickyness and remove gunk that's on there.
Tilt your mouse sideways so you can see the crack where the button contacts the rest of the mouse. Spray compressed air into there while moving the mouse itself around so you can get all angles. Do this for both buttons, even if only right-clicking is causing problems. Blowing air under the right button may move the dirt beneath the left. If the right-clicking problem was from the stickyness on the button, I'd still clean underneath the buttons regardless.
Use a Qtip on the LED on the bottom of the mouse to remove any dust or hair.

John T

Posted 2010-01-03T19:44:34.437

Reputation: 149 037

From that page: 'Keep this product off plastic surfaces. The product will ruin any plastic it comes into contact with.' – VolleyJosh – 2016-07-28T17:22:27.207

Great answer thanks. I did some more reading and Wikipedia recommends contact cleaner instead of rubbing alcohol, as it leaves no residue.

http://www.ehow.com/how_2120548_use-contact-cleaner.html

– Iain – 2010-01-04T00:14:15.907

If there are screws on the bottom of the mouse you may have better luck with unplugging the mouse and remove them. Depending on the model of mouse you have the buttons may be attached to the upper section and the electronics and cord attached to the lower. This would allow you to place the upper section in the top rack of your dishwasher, or to perform a better manual cleaning. Be gentle when cleaning the pads on the bottom of the mouse that it glides on; don't use abrasive cleaners.

Jason Aller

Posted 2010-01-03T19:44:34.437

Reputation: 2 254

Congratulations on reaching 2000 rep points again. (I have a sense of *déjà vu all over again*.) – G-Man Says 'Reinstate Monica' – 2015-06-16T12:30:33.523

Rust removal liquid should be the best, else alcohol is also does its job very well. I just fixed it today by using my wife nail liquid cleaner as it's the quickest and cheapest solution I can get.

Frozenna

Posted 2010-01-03T19:44:34.437

Reputation: 101

Try opening your mouse and clean the sticky parts using dry cloth with alcohol if you cleaned the top of the mouse and it didn't work try looking for sticky parts in the bottom of the thing

user459327

Posted 2010-01-03T19:44:34.437

Reputation:

-1

A slightly different option is dripping (A DROP OR TWO, NO MORE THAN FOUR) rubbing alcohol into the crack in the front using a medicine dropper. Blow air into or use compressed air.

Deeztroyer_Fire

Posted 2010-01-03T19:44:34.437

Reputation: 1