The more time I spend at my desk, the more it's only a matter of time before my mousepad gets stained with pizza grease, soda, or some other mystery stain. As someone who once flattened an entire grilled cheese seconds before a video conference, I sometimes eat at my desk. Stains are inevitable.

So, for those of you thinking about taking your mousepad off your desk to clean it, here's a list of places you shouldn't put it:

There is some debate about the proper way to clean a soft surface or cloth mousepad. The reason I advise staying away from washing machines and dishwashers is that these types of mousepads are easily scratched. Not all spin cycles are created equal, so even the low tumble setting of certain washers or dryers may warp and damage the rubber bits on the mouse pad (many cloth mouse pads have some kind of textured rubber base to keep the pad in a certain position when in use). Also, the surface must be clean and smooth in order for the mouse to glide over it without problems.

Even if the mousepad is machine washable, always follow the manufacturer's cleaning instructions carefully. [The rubber used in most mouse pads has a fairly low melting point. This means that putting them in the microwave, frying them with a hair dryer, or spinning them in hot water are all terrible ideas.

The best way to clean a cloth gaming mouse pad is to spray it with a dab of dish detergent, use warm water, a sponge or washcloth, and scrub the dirt off with old-fashioned elbow grease. Then allow to dry naturally. If you are using a plastic or hard-surfaced mouse pad, a damp washcloth can be used to easily remove the stain.

Just to be sure, we asked two manufacturers of very large cloth mouse pads, Corsair and HyperX, about their best practices for cleaning mouse pads. Both agreed that simple hand washing was the way to go, and that washing machines were not a good idea.

"Most people clean their mousepads with soap and water and let them dry naturally.

"We do not recommend putting them in the washing machine to clean them.

"Put a tiny bit of liquid dish soap in the sink with very warm water. Do not put it in the washing machine; rinse gently in cold water."

So, to summarize: do

do not [21]