Q&A for How to Clean Gunk Off of an Optical Computer Mouse

You really only want to use 99% alcohol. If you use anything more potent than that, you may damage your mouse.

You really don't want to overdo it with the cleaning. Most optical mice can be pretty sensitive, so you don't want to fiddle with it too much when it comes to cleaning and you definitely don't want to overdo it.

You may be able to pull that off, but I wouldn't recommend it. I'd go with something softer, like a cotton swab. The sensor is pretty fragile and you don't want to jab it with anything sharp.

Yes, as long as you're careful when doing so.

Absolutely! Rubbing alcohol is the preferred cleaning solution because of its quick drying time and lack of residue, but water would be an acceptable substitute. If you do use water, make sure you only use a little bit at a time (you shouldn't see pools of water on your mouse), and pat any wet spots dry when you're done cleaning a part before moving on to the next.

Throwing a mouse on the ground will more or less break the mouse, and then you won't need to clean it. But you will need to buy a new mouse to keep mousing on your computer.

Brush with rubbing alcohol. Rubbing alcohol dries quickly. Use an old toothbrush, a cotton swab, or a wire brush, until the buildup comes off.

Most often, yes it does. However, not all situations can be answered using this method. Moving on it's own is often a trouble-spot and keeping the mouse dust and dirt free on the bottom is a common issue that this addresses. As to not moving, because it's got no mechanical parts, it may not be a true fix - but that seems like a firmware issue or something involving the mouse's updates or software which aren't costly.

As long as the two mice aren't sitting one ontop of the other, you should be okay with letting them sit together overnight.

So sorry that happened to you. That's not a common issue and not something related to the use of isopropyl alcohol but a more-common issue with some mice.