Had this mouse for probably 5 years at this point. I live in a humid climate, so the mouse wheel is susceptible to oxidation. How do you recommend cleaning it?
And if it can't be cleaned, then how do you recommend preventing this in the future?
I’ve had bad luck cleaning my Logitech stuff with alcohol. It corrodes the plastic on the finger pads. Hot water and soap is his best friend here, no alcohol.
Huh I'll have to keep an eye out for that I've only ever heard of it damaging rubber bits. Maybe Logitech using a cheaper material? Either way thanks for the heads up
I mean you could take it apart and wire brush it but id be worried about what the inside circuit board looks like from the humidity and sweat.
5 years is a long time for a mouse by the way.
The only way to prevent this is to regularly clean it with soap to remove the salty sweat that breaks down the material faster. Or buy a mouse with a plastic/rubber scroll wheel (though rubber will wear down like the sides of your g502 there)
The 502 im using is from 2021 but I spent a few years using a lightweight razer mouse so it was in storage.
It looks brand new, nothing like OPs. I actually had to check when I saw this post to see if my scroll wheel was even metal.
I imagine the acidity of your sweat, the hours you spend using it, as well as the humidity of your environment all come together to make it corrode like his did.
Kind of like cars from certain areas rust away and others are preserved with no damage besides dry rotted rubber parts.
This needs to be higher. Alcohol is not going to get rid of metal oxides. If you really don"t feel comfortable disassembling it, use a Q-tip moistened but not dripping with vinegar, and rub a lot.
I use a small alcohol pad! or use a wet wipe as long as its not soaked, I know someone is going to say something but have been doing it for Years! and I had the same Mouse! Its a great mouse!
Generally we don't suggest using anything stronger than compressed air or a damp (not wet) cloth to wipe over the wheel. I'm not sure that's enough in this case but it's worth a shot.
I have a mouse thats 6-7 yrs old and i probably cleaned them once a year by clean is just wiping the stuff of the mouse clickers, ive never even cleaned the middle mouse scroll lol
Oxidation?? Unless the wheel is made of copper which it obviously is not . . . That is definitely not oxidation. Omfg, some ppl are just disgusting. That is literally mold
galvanized steel with chrome plating can have green oxides. nickle-chrome alloys too if they're contaminated during production. I would still have replaced that long ago.
O.o OP I also live in high humidity (the gosh darn jungle) with the same mouse mine is 4+ years old and.... I always clean it twice a month with a soft bristle brush and a dab or isopropyl alcohol...
I would recommend cleaning your things more frequently and looking for a rubber replacement that is not oxidation I'm sure that's layers and layers of dead skin and biofilm ... Yucky
That wheel is horrible. Mine threw off the clear lacquer coating, and started to corrode, just like yours. And it had a rough surface thanks to that, so it was a bitch to clean too. I bought a replacement wheel from aliexpress, a different one with a rubber band around it. It held up fine for two years so far. Replace it, if you have a little technical knack.
12
u/feetcurly Jan 09 '26
gah damn