How to clean a mouse to ensure proper operation, Part 2

I received a few emails regarding last week's Visitor Feedback suggestion on "How to clean a mouse to ensure proper operation" ;.

A few of you suggested not using a screwdriver / knife to chisel the dirt off the wheels of computer mouse. When I wrote the Visitor Feedback for that particular day, I envisioned my old "ball" mouse which came with steel wheels.

I completely forgot about those old ball mice with plastic wheels -- in which case, my suggestion for using a knife or flathead screwdriver may potentially damage the wheel -- although, I think you would have to chisel away at it in the same spot for a long time to cause damage like that.

Oh well, nobody's perfect. A better way to release the dirt / grime / lint / hoo-hoo from the mouse wheel is to use rubbing alcohol. As Roberta B. suggests:

" I was told years ago how to clean my mouse and have had great results doing it this way: Remove and clean the ball as you stated. For the wheels: dip a Q-Tip in Rubbing Alcohol, shake off all the excess liquid, and gently wipe away the grime. This keeps the grunge from falling back into the cavity and evaporates so quickly the moisture cannot damage the components. It also makes the ball grip the rollers better. "

Theo T. wrote in with a similar suggestion. He also commented on the possibility of using Window Cleaner to clean the wheels:

" The usual recommendation is to use isopropyl alcohol [common rubbing alcohol] on cotton swabs. The swabs cannot scratch, and the alcohol evaporates. This usually takes some time and is perhaps less satisfying than attacking with a 'knife with teeth on the end / flathead screwdriver'. I also recently I saw a suggestion to use window cleaner as a substitution for the rubbing alcohol. Except for the alkaline ammonia corroding parts, this suggestion sounds OK considering that it will evaporate also. "

Hey, I know that chiseling mouse grime with a screwdriver can be fun, but I didn't think it would satisfy me. What about a Jack Hammer?