How to: Clean Apple Mighty Mouse
I am a big fan of the AppleMighty Mouse. It feels right in my hand.
Unluckily the little ball attracts grime and stops working. There have been multiple posts on how to fix them.
The problem is just like any other mouse. Grease from fingers gets on the ball which attracts dust. The dust gets rolled into the mechanism clogging it up. Canned does not get this gunk out as it’s like glue. WD-40 does a bit but can damage parts inside the mouse, or the rubber of the ball itself. Plus it leaves a thin film that merely makes the problem worse. Taking the mouse completely apart tends to break them. Rubbing the mouse ball upside down against your hand merely gets out loose pieces.
The best, longest lasting method I’ve found is to use a wire twist tie. Push the mouse ball down and run one end of the wire tie along the groove. You’ll be able to physically see the gunk under the lip holding the ball in. Remove everything that you can physically see.
Step 2 is a variation on other fixes. Pour some rubbing alcohol on a lint free rag. Turn the mouse upside down and rub the ball with the rubbing alcohol. This will clean the rubber ball itself and help remove any smaller pieces of gunk that the wire tire removed. Keep doing this for longer then you think you’ll need.
Follow these steps and you should see a noticeable difference in how the mouse ball moves. It’ll be like getting a new Mighty Mouse, but cheaper.
For long term cleanliness wash your hands before using the mouse. This will help keep the build up to a minimum.