Hackszine.com: HOWTO unstick your Mighty Mouse trackball

HOWTO unstick your Mighty Mouse trackball

jkOnTheRun has a great trick for cleaning the Mighty Mouse trackball:

First slightly and carefully moisten the ball, I used spit on my fingertip. :) Then take a clean sheet of paper and turn the Mighty Mouse upside down. Run the ball rapidly in all directions on the paper. In about 5 seconds my problem was fixed as the dirt worked itself loose and came out on the paper. I love my Mighty Mouse again. :)

Check out the posting for more details and some suggestions in the comments. - Link

Posted by Brian Jepson | May 24, 2007 07:50 PM
Mac | Permalink | Comments (33)

Comments

Newest comments listed first.

Posted by: jason_striegel on May 24, 2007 at 9:41 PM

This is so weird. My trackball just crapped out on me this evening and I was thinking I would have to figure this out on my own. Nice work guys!

By the way, I've had some luck in the past with using a thin strip of Scotch tape and using it to de-blattify the thing. I'm giving the new method a shot now, though, because the tape method didn't do the job this time.

Posted by: jason_striegel on May 24, 2007 at 9:44 PM

Wow! Took about 5 seconds and worked like a charm!

Best Mighty Mouse cleaning method. Ever.

Posted by: bjepson on May 25, 2007 at 6:15 AM

I couldn't believe it myself; I had given up on my Mighty Mouse.

Posted by: on December 3, 2007 at 4:17 PM

Thanks a lot. Works great and really quick and easy!!

Posted by: on December 8, 2007 at 6:23 PM

You're a genius! Worked like a charm.

Posted by: on December 16, 2007 at 7:06 AM

So simply, so effective. Me and Mighty back again! Thanks!!

Posted by: Steve on December 17, 2007 at 3:08 AM

Excellent fix!
I was all set to dismantle my mouse when I found this advice - so glad I saw this first.

Posted by: Zach on January 13, 2008 at 9:18 AM

I confess, I was skeptical but there was no harm in trying it. It worked superbly, and the trackball feels exactly like new again! I've had the mouse several years and the trackball was continually degrading to the point where it finally became unusable. Many thanks!

Posted by: Raj on January 15, 2008 at 10:44 PM

Dude, I was about to buy a new one and made one last search to see if people were having the same problem. It worked like a Charm! Sick!

Posted by: Bee on January 22, 2008 at 12:07 AM

Thanks!! That was amazing!

Posted by: Meister on February 3, 2008 at 6:11 AM

Amazing.
Thank you.

Posted by: Wizard on February 17, 2008 at 12:27 AM

Saved me trip to Apple! Thought I was screwed on my project, thanks for posting.

Posted by: John Lozier on February 18, 2008 at 5:56 AM

ditto, worked great, I was ready to throw it away.

Posted by: raul on February 21, 2008 at 7:44 AM

YESSSSS!!!!!

thanks.

Posted by: Michael Holly on February 24, 2008 at 3:40 PM

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thought I had to buy a new mouse.

Posted by: marky on February 27, 2008 at 9:04 AM

hell yeah. as simple as that sounds, it totally worked.

Posted by: Jeffu on February 27, 2008 at 12:44 PM

*bows and worships*

Posted by: Joe on March 4, 2008 at 11:32 AM

YAYYYYYYYYY!!!!!

Posted by: Justin on March 13, 2008 at 7:13 AM

I've successfully used the spit on your finger method before but it didn't work this time until I found your post and tried drawing spit pictures with the trackball on a piece of paper. Now I've got a happy mouse and picture for the fridge. Thanks!

Posted by: bow chicka wow wow on March 13, 2008 at 10:18 AM

I've tried everything and this really worked... Thanks!...

Posted by: Joel on March 18, 2008 at 1:42 AM

This is the best fix I ever came across, I was about to chuck this thing across the room!! Honestly, your tools are spit and clean paper.. digg'd.

Posted by: joEy on March 19, 2008 at 6:00 PM

Holy crap, it worked!

Posted by: Bruce on March 28, 2008 at 7:41 AM

Best five seconds I ever spent. You're a genius!

Posted by: Rusty on March 30, 2008 at 7:41 PM

Amazing.......

Posted by: Art Vandaley on April 7, 2008 at 12:36 AM

Holy crap! This is amazing. You are a god among men, truly.

Posted by: H man on April 12, 2008 at 9:13 PM

wow !

I'm baffled! The spit trick worked perfect right away! I was about to take the whole mouse apart - what a magnificent solution, thanx dude

Posted by: on April 26, 2008 at 9:33 AM

Holy crap that worked!! Thanks a lot!!! :)

Posted by: TURK on May 11, 2008 at 6:04 AM

miracle!

Apple should buy this idea from you!!!

Posted by: on May 13, 2008 at 1:25 AM

it worked!!!! thx a million.

Posted by: Mike on May 17, 2008 at 2:59 PM

Good Job Kid!

Un-freakin-believable... I assumed the mouse would never work properly again....and such a simple fix! I am befuddled with amazementness

Posted by: Billy on June 7, 2008 at 3:56 PM

Darn

This has worked in the past, but didn't work this time. Darn.

Posted by: Billy on June 7, 2008 at 4:07 PM

I Take It Back

It didn't work the first time but, it took my several times and some compressed air but the paper and saliva trick did it.

Posted by: on June 25, 2008 at 9:24 AM

this is why the internet is great. type "mighty mouse problems" into google...clink on the first link...and find something like this. worked perfectly. nice job