Cleaning the mouse every day is getting old.

May 7, 2009 7:27 PM

Boyfriend has really sweaty hands. Any computer mouse he gets his hands on very quickly becomes really gunked up.

The mouse gets what looks like a mixture of sweat and dead skin, not very sticky once rubbed off, greyish colored, both caught in the various cracks and joins and stuck to the mouse buttons (roughly in a finger shape).
What, exactly, is causing this, and is there anything we can do to stop it? He washes his hands rather often but it doesn't seem to help any. (Meanwhile, no matter how sweaty my hands are and whether I wash them or not, I don't have the problem.)

posted by sailoreagle to computers & internet (19 comments total)

He could apply antiperspirant to his hands.
posted by stavrogin at 7:28 PM on May 7

He could try washing his hands with a really scrubby soap, like the pumice stuff they sell at hardware and auto parts stores. Maybe even just use a pumice or some other kind of exfoliant right on his hands.
posted by pocams at 7:39 PM on May 7

Perhaps he has Hyperhidrosis, which can cause excessive sweating of the palms. There is really no cure for the condition, but aluminum chloride antiperspirants have been proven to help in severe cases. That, or maybe you could purchase a mouse protector.
posted by Buttons at 8:00 PM on May 7

There appears to be such a thing as a mouse cozy. A washable one would be just what you needed, I think.

Come to think of it, though, it wouldn't need to be fancy. As long as the wheel/sensor/whatever isn't covered and the material you're using isn't so stiff that you can't click the button, any kind of fabric oughta work. Wrap a bandana around the damn thing, hold it on with a rubber band and call it a day.
posted by nebulawindphone at 8:18 PM on May 7

Is he handy? Because I think installing a mouse fan, or making a fan-cooled mousepad would be just the thing(s).
posted by The GoBotSodomizer at 8:48 PM on May 7

Alternative if the sweating issue can't be resolved: plug a second mouse in. You can run multiple USB mice at the same time, no problem. Think of them as his and hers mice.
posted by Burhanistan at 8:49 PM on May 7

Sounds like palmar hyperhidrosis. Treatments include botox shots.
posted by gramcracker at 8:50 PM on May 7

I wipe my mouse and keyboard down with clorox wipes every week to prevent this problem.
posted by pluckysparrow at 8:57 PM on May 7

He or you could wear a glove when using the mouse so as to not have to deal with it.
posted by ZaneJ. at 9:19 PM on May 7

Or a glove with the fingers cut off, for better mousing?
posted by snoelle at 9:31 PM on May 7

Unlike counterfeiter Rick Masters who lamented in To Live and Die in LA "Do you know what it's like to work with rubber gloves on", I have no problem wearing them all day long. Have him try thin latex gloves. Lightly powdered are usually easier to get on.
posted by Tube at 9:37 PM on May 7

I've lived with palmar hyperhidrosis for my whole life and I have exactly the same problem that your boyfriend does.

I would imagine that the gunk you mention is a mixture of oil, moisture, dirt from the hands (constantly sweaty hands grab onto lots of dirt) and environmental dust all combined together. I highly doubt that it is harmful in any way (chlorox wipes!?!). I would offer two suggestions for the immediate problem:

1. wipe down the keyboard/mouse after every use with a soapy towel or baby wipes that are conveniently placed by the computer

2. find some sort of a flexible cover for the mouse or keyboard that can be easily removed for your usage.

In the longer term there are multiple treatments for the condition including scent-free deoderants and botox injections as mentioned above (haven't tried either). There is also a cure which involves severing a sympathetic nerve which radiates from one of the thoracic vertebra. In my opinion it's easier to just learn to accept it and love it as part of who you are. There are a few forums online that are frequented by people with this condition

I wouldn't recommend constantly wearing latex gloves all the time either as some people are sensitive to latex and can actually develop a severe alergy to it over time.

One more thing...having sweaty palms all the time can be a rather embarrasing and socially awkward physiological trait, I was quite sensitive about it for a long time. I would really suggest that you talk with your boyfriend about it and discuss how he feels about and try really hard to avoid the "ewww...gross" response.
posted by talkingmuffin at 10:48 PM on May 7

Nitrile or thin cotton gloves are available for those with latex allergies.
posted by Tube at 11:22 PM on May 7

Wearing latex gloves all day when you have sweaty hands is gross.
posted by aubilenon at 11:40 PM on May 7

My mom had chronically sweaty hands her whole life--her hands would literally drip sweat. She's on a beta blocker now (Toprol) that has nearly eliminated the problem entirely. It's also a blood pressure/anxiety medicine (apparently its nickname is the stagefright drug). This just happened to be a happy side effect for her, not the reason for the prescription, but he could maybe get a prescription off-label. I remember her also talking (before going on this medicine) about some kind of surgery she could have that would have kept her hands from sweating, but I don't remember any more details.
posted by Captain Cardanthian! at 11:45 PM on May 7 [1 favorite]

Get him his own mouse.
posted by flabdablet at 12:00 AM on May 8 [1 favorite]

Sounds like wiping down the mouse is the way to go, at least in the short term. Thanks everybody.
I would really suggest that you talk with your boyfriend about it and discuss how he feels about and try really hard to avoid the "ewww...gross" response.
Thankfully, the way I feel about it is not a problem. Hell, he's encouraged me to post here and ask, because he'd really like to find a solution and avoid gunking up his stuff.
Get him his own mouse.
He does have his own mouse (attached to his own computer), which is part of the reason this post exists. It would be perfectly easy for me to just institute a "don't touch my mouse" rule, but I don't particularly want to do that since (1) that would preclude any kind of shared computer use even in the short term (say he wants to show me something on my own computer, or I want to use his for a brief while), and (2) he hates the gunked-up mouse probably more than I do, so it'd "solve" the problem for me but not for him - which kind of defeats the point.
posted by sailoreagle at 4:33 AM on May 8

Similar to talkingmuffin I had palmar hyperhidrosis but I opted for the thoracic sympathectomy. That surgery was 5 years ago and my quality of life has improved significantly. Prior to surgery I would struggle to hold a pen in my hand while taking notes and even if I was successful at that the notebook paper would become moist. Shaking hands was always uncomfortable, clothes would be easily soiled, holding hands with my s.o. was frustrating...I could go on. Ultimately surgery worked well for me but it is still surgery and there are risks. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
posted by firetruckred at 10:10 AM on May 8

This really worked for me. Astonishingly so. No surgery or chemicals, but it takes a handful of 20 minute sessions before it works, followed by a 20 minute session once every week or two afterward. Cost is around $15 IIRC
posted by bradly at 1:09 PM on May 8