What's The Dirt On Your Mouse ? What Is It Called ? What is that?

[szupie 0]

I've always been wondering about this: what are those pieces of mud-like substance on mouses? Every mouse everywhere has this, but I've never heard anyone discuss about it. They get stuck on the mouse and gives the mouse a rough texture. Does anyone know what they're called, and where they come from?

Edited February 22, 2006 by miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG (see edit history)

[Sarah81 0]

I've always been wondering about this: what are those pieces of mud-like substance on mouses? Every mouse everywhere has this, but I've never heard anyone discuss about it. They get stuck on the mouse and gives the mouse a rough texture. Does anyone know what they're called, and where they come from?

If you're talking about the junk that accumulates as you use the mouse, it's just a composite of dirt/dust, oil from your hands, dead skin cells, etc. And animal hair/dander if you have indoor pets. Basically, the nearly-microscopic stuff that you don't really see builds up on the mouse until you *can* see it.

Even my mini optical mouse has that problem. The tiny feet on the bottom get that crud on them. But - the built-in touchpad on my notebook doesn't really get too dirty or crudded up ... possibly because I go out of my way to keep things dusted/wiped down.

[Houdini 0]

As stated above it is a buildup of all kinds of crud, and since most people have their hands on the mouse most of the time except when actually using the keyboard it will build up. I just cleaned my mouse after reading your post so now it is as clean as the day I bought it.

[szupie 0]

That's exactly what I thought they were. Does anyone know what they are called?

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

MOUSE POOP - that's what they're called you dolt or maybe BUGGERS - if you prefer that. May I know why you're so interested in the NAME ?

 

Here's a quick tip - since I spend some 17-19 hours a day with my computer, I've this crud accumulation happening almost every other day. It was getting to be a big headache. Now I have a totally smooth shiny table surface - and hence I've done away with the limitations of a mousepad. My whole table is my mousepad. So what I do is every second day swipe the mousing area with one of those aerosol glass cleaners and that keeps the mouse gliding over it. Once in a while I do the same for those tiny rubber studs below the mouse too. The day I started doing this - my mouse stopped pooping for good - although I gotta admit that it gets too smooth at times. You can send the mouse flying across the table with the slightest push

[Jeigh1405241495 0]

I don't know about you guys but the dirt on my mouse is called Sammy. He's a pretty awesome dirt to be honest. Always there for me, listening to my problems, never complaining about being moved around on the mouse too much. Really he's everything a guy could ask for in a dirt!

[miCRoSCoPiC^eaRthLinG 0]

Hell - I even composed an ode to it's honour. It's titled - "A small green lump of dirt I found in my mousepit one midsummer morning"

[twitch 0]

What part are you talking about? The inside (where the ball is on those old ones) or the tops of the mouse and sides? On the inside, I suppose it is an accumulation of crap and rubber (from the ball) but on the outside it is just Mouse Poop.I don't think there is a technical name for it. Perhaps we should give it one.

[Sarah81 0]

I don't think there is a technical name for it. Perhaps we should give it one.

When I was a kid, we just called it "mouse crap."

As in ...

Mom: "Sarah, before you get anywhere near my computer, you have to clean out the mouse crap."

Me: "Why do I always have to clean the crap out of the mouse?'

Mom: "Because I said to."

She's had to do it herself the last 1.5 years or so, since I left to go to college. Poor, poor Mom. But on the plus side, she has a stationary mouse, instead of the old ball-on-bottom types that I used to have to clean every, oh, week and a half or so.

[szupie 0]

Wow, it seems like you guys care more about these mouse poops than I do. Since no one ever discussed this with me, I've never really formally cleaned the poop. I only scratch parts of it off the mouse/table when it becomes too annoying.Whoever comes up with a formal name of it might get a nobel prize.

[Jeigh1405241495 0]

haha yea I'm with you szupie, if theres a big chunk or something I'll pull it off, but I've never cared enough to clean it off... not like you see it when the mouse is just sitting there anyways and my mouse never seems to glide less smoothly because of it

[moonwitch1405241479 0]

Oh good god, I can see I am anal about this stuff compared to you guys, though M^e comes close. Weekly I clean my mouse, clean the buttons, the mousepad (my optical one won't work on my desk and my laser one is broken *cries*). Every single week I remove all the keys from my keyboard and clean them individually. I also open my case and clean my fan and heatsink. Usually I also try to remove as much dust as I can without actually breaking the cards The only thing I don't clean is my powersupply and oh, the rest of my room, I clean my room once every other week. THough I do vaccuum daily.

[infamousflame 0]

...Here's a quick tip - since I spend some 17-19 hours a day with my computer...

You worry me

[moonwitch1405241479 0]

And that worries you? How about this then? I can't sleep without the sound of my fans.... I don't sleep if there is something wrong with my computer and I kiss it goodnight. PS. He (the comp) is called Apero

[infamousflame 0]

*Looks around anxiously*Maybe I can escape before they notice me.