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Cleaning the rubber ball on my mouse

E

eviltoon

Senior member
Gaming is getting downright dangerous. My mouse isn't moving too swiftly. I am wondering if there is a good way to get the mouse to move properly again? It was a great mouse, I'd prefer not to toss it.
 
Can try taking it apart and using a Q-tip and alcohol cleaning the contacts -- can also clean the ball (do not use a lot of alcohol -- dampen a clean lint-free cloth). However, over time, I think that the ball just changes shape (shrinks??) and the mouse does not work as good (also the contacts tend to get grooves in them -- mice are cheap -- get a new one
 
Sure . . . just remove ball and clean it . . . also blow out the socket it was in. It is held in place by a simple twistable locking ring.

Be thinking about replacing it with an optical . . . no balls at all! 🙂
 
Try an industrial strenght cleaner with borax, hydrochloric acid and some peat moss. Immerse the mouse, and stir for 30 minutes with an aluminum rod. Pour in some gasoline , stir again for a couple of minutes. Light a match, throw in and stir for an additioinal 15 minutes.

Mouse should be good as new.

G'luck,
N
 


<< cleaning the contacts >>



The ball is very rarely the problem. Most likely the little rollers that touch the ball inside the mouse are caked with a mixture of dirt, dust, and oil. Open the mouse, take out the ball, and look at those rollers. If they look coated with dark colored goop then you have found your problem. I've seen so many people frustrated at the mouse - ready to throw it away - just due to a little dirt on those rollers.

I don't know of an easy method of getting rid of the dirt (especially on the roller attached to a spring. The best I've found is to take a small screwdriver and just keep scraping - it may take a while. Be sure to get all of it off.
 
Darn you beat me to it. 😉
I am continually amazed by how SHOCKED people are when you tell them it's not the BALL that's dirty, but the "rollers" the ball makes contact with! [jaw dropping]

Cleaning advice:
1) Unscrew mouse bottom
2) Remove mouse ball
3) Throw ball over shoulder of choice
4) Clean the rolling contact bars of the line of crud that has accumulated
5) Go find the mouse ball you threw across the room
6) Dust off the mouse ball and pop it back in
7) Re-screw mouse cover back together and go back to your life. 😉
 
Im surprised at you guys, I woulda expected more ball jokes and stuff... o well

The few that said it are absolutely right, it's the rollers and not the ball. A good way to clean off the rollers is to get a screwdrivers and sort of make an incision to make the goop separate, then take some tweezers and pull one end and let the roller roll while letting of the dirt.
 
OR........ go out and buy a optical (wheel) mouse. Logitech has em for 20.00, bought mine at Walmart and i tell ya, never ever will i be running balls around on my desk again. Best thing is no mouse pad needed at all,as long as your desk i reasonably smooth.There is no resistance when moving the mouse either.The Logitech comes as ps2 and usb with adapter. And besides, the little red light is cool. LOL
 
"Mouse balls are now available as FRU (Field Replacement Unit). Therefore, if a mouse fails to operate or should it perform erratically, it may need a ball replacement. Because of the delicate nature of this procedure, replacement of mouse balls should only be attempted by properly trained personnel.

Before proceeding, determine the type of mouse balls by examining the underside of the mouse. Domestic balls will be larger and harder than foreign balls. Ball removal procedures differ depending upon the manufacturer of the mouse. Foreign balls can be replaced using the pop-off method. Domestic balls are replaced by using the twist-off method. Mouse balls are not usually static sensitive. However, excessive handling can result in sudden discharge.

Upon completion of ball replacement, the mouse may be used immediately. It is recommended that each replacer have a pair of spare balls for maintaining optimum customer satisfaction. Any customer missing his balls should suspect local personnel of removing these necessary items."
 
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