This post contains or may contain affiliate links. we earn from qualifying purchases, refer to our affiliate page


How to Clean a Laptop Touchpad: 2022 Detailed Guide

How to Clean a Laptop Touchpad | How to Clean your Laptop Touchpad

The touchpad on your laptop is the part of the computer that you use to control what happens on your screen.

You can move around, click things, and scroll through different screens using just a few fingers.

Cleaning your touchpad is an important step in maintaining it because it keeps everything running smoothly. Hence this guide on How to Clean a Laptop Touchpad.

As a matter of fact, it is always a good idea to clean your laptop touchpad. This will help prevent it from accumulating dirt, grime and bacteria which can lead to all sorts of nastiness.

Cleaning the laptop touchpad regularly also helps keep it looking nice and new. In this article, we will provide detailed instructions on how to properly clean your laptop touchpad.

Without further ado let’s get started;

Step two: Prepare Your Workstation

Step two: Prepare Your Workstation | How to Clean a Laptop Touchpad | How to Clean your Laptop Touchpad

Make sure that no children are around when working on your laptop’s touchpad because they could accidentally get their hand in contact with the computer while you’re busy doing stuff.

It would be terrible if somebody got hurt because of this so make absolutely certain that nobody can reach it at all during this process.

Better safe than sorry! Also, avoid working on your laptop while it is plugged in.

Step Three: Turn Off the Laptop

Step Three: Turn Off the Laptop

The next step is to turn off your computer completely before beginning any work with its touchpad.

This will help prevent any damage that might occur should something go wrong during this process, which you cannot predict until you start doing things.

Also, do not operate your computer at all during this process because it could lead to a serious injury to you or the laptop.

Step four: Use a cotton swab dipped in distilled water

Step four: Use a cotton swab dipped in distilled water when cleaning your laptop touchpad

If your laptop touchpad has any tough-to-remove dirt or grime on it, you can use a cotton swab dipped in distilled water to clean it off.

However, make sure that the area around the touchpad is dry before continuing with the next step.

Step five: Use Isopropyl Alcohol (or Soap and Water)

Step five: Use Isopropyl Alcohol (or Soap and Water)

If there is liquid residue present after cleaning with the cotton swab, you will need to use some form of alcohol to remove it.

Isopropyl alcohol is a good choice for this because it evaporates quickly and doesn’t leave any residue behind.

However, we are using isopropyl in this step because it will also help us to disinfect our laptop touchpad.

Step six: Use a Lint-Free Cloth to Dry it Off

Step six: Use a Lint-Free Cloth to Dry it Off

After cleaning the touchpad with either alcohol or distilled water, you will need to use a lint-free cloth to dry it off.

This is an important step because if any liquid residue is left behind then it could cause problems in the future.

Step seven: Use Compressed Air

Step seven: Use Compressed Air

The compressed air will be your best friend during this step.

Take the can and hold it about half an inch away from your laptop’s touchpad so you don’t accidentally blow any dust inside where it shouldn’t be.

Now carefully spray all parts of the touchpad with this compressed air so as to clean out every part of it thoroughly without causing damage to the touchpad.

This will help remove the loosest dirt, debris and grime that is stuck in between certain spaces which may have been missed by a cotton swab or damp towel before.

Step eight: Use a Lint-Free Cloth to Dry it Off Again

Step eight: Use a Lint-Free Cloth to Dry it Off Again

Finally, use another lint-free cloth to dry off the touchpad once more after using compressed air.

This is because there may be some moisture left behind from the previous step which needs removing as well.

You don’t want any liquid residue on your laptop’s touchpad for obvious reasons.

Step nine: Give it some to completely dry and enjoy!

Step nine: Give it some to completely dry and enjoy!

Once you have completed all of the previous steps, give your laptop touchpad a few hours to completely dry off.

Then voila! You’re good to go and can enjoy using it as usual without any worries.

Tips for keeping a clean laptop touchpad

Tips for keeping a clean laptop touchpad

To be fair there are many tips for keeping a clean laptop touchpad on the Internet.

Some of them include:

  • Placing a thin strip of tape over your trackpad so it doesn’t get dirty,
  • Using compressed air to remove dust and debris on a regular basis,
  • Cleaning your touchpad with soap and water once or twice per week,
  • Using a damp towel or cotton swabs to remove dirt and grime,
  • Keep your laptop in an area with good air circulation.
Related: How to Disable Your Laptop Touchpad

Tips for preventing damage when cleaning the touchpad on your laptop:

Tips for preventing damage when cleaning the touchpad on your laptop:
  • Don’t use any liquids unless you are 100% sure they won’t cause harm as this could be very dangerous. If you’re not entirely certain then it’s best to avoid using them completely until such time that you become confident enough about what will work well for this purpose.
  • Never keep anything plugged into your computer while trying to clean its touchpad; if something should go wrong during the process and shock is given off (or even worse) then there may be serious consequences involving personal injury or permanent electrical damage which would be a nightmare to deal with and repair.
  • Keep away from small children at all times while you are cleaning your laptop’s touchpad; they lack the same judgement which we have concerning these kinds of activities so it would be dangerous for them if allowed to get involved, even by accident.

Conclusion On How to Clean your Laptop Touchpad

A dirty laptop touchpad can be the source of a lot of frustration and anxiety, but just because it’s hidden behind your Laptop Touchpad.

This doesn’t mean you should ignore it. If this is something that has been on your mind lately, we recommend taking some time to clean off any dirt or oil from the surface and edges with rubbing alcohol (or another type of disinfectant).

Once dry, use compressed air to remove dust particles trapped under the Laptop Touchpad.

However, some people would argue that keeping things as natural as possible is best for health reasons – not everyone wants to spray liquids from canisters onto their computer after all.

Whatever you choose to do in this matter is up to you but at least now you have been given an idea of how exactly one goes about properly cleaning a laptop’s built-in trackpad thanks to our detailed guide.

These sites have also covered the topic well;

FAQ’S On How to Clean a Laptop Touchpad

  1. Can I clean touchpad with alcohol?

    Alcohol can be used to clean the laptop’s touchpad. To be specific use isopropyl alcohol.

    However, you need to take care not to get any alcohol on the surrounding areas as it can damage the paint or finish.

    Soak a cotton ball in isopropyl alcohol and use it to clean the touchpad.

    Be sure to wring out the cotton ball before using it so that it’s not dripping wet. Wipe in a circular motion until the touchpad is clean.

  2. Why does a laptop touchpad get dirty?

    A laptop touchpad gets dirty due to prolonged use. The dust, oil from the body and dirt from hands accumulate over time causing blurred vision or a faulty cursor movement.

    The best way to clean it is by using a microfiber cloth with alcohol on your fingertips instead of directly touching the surface.

    This prevents fingerprints which can be difficult to remove later on.

  3. How often should you clean a laptop touchpad?

    Cleaning an uncleanable device such as the touchpad takes away all chances of bacteria accumulating in between making it cleaner than before after every cleaning cycle.

    But if you want something more frequent then once every one month will do just fine for regular laptops while those used at home may need bi-weekly cleansing depending upon the kind of environment they are kept in.

  4. How do I clean under my trackpad?

    The best way to clean the area under your trackpad is by using a can of compressed air.

    This will remove any dust or debris that may be lodged in between the keys and the touchpad.

    You can also use a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment to clean this area. Be sure to hold the vacuum cleaner at least 18 inches away from the computer to avoid damaging it.

    The vacuum cleaners I am suggesting here are the small ones like the ones listed below;
    [amazon box=”B08KKZF98G,B0761JHZ27,B07KSXV6LK” grid=”3″]

Leave a Comment