Enough has been written on how to free up a Mighty Mouse scroll ball, but no one seems to have written on what causes the problem in the first place.
The materials are wax, grease, and fat.
So here are the top three sources of these sticky substances and how to get them into the scroll ball.
Number one is ear wax. poke your finger into your ear and if possible, scrape with a fingernail.
Second in line is butter-laden toast eaten at the computer.
And the third is any activity that leaves your fingers greasy. Doing the washing up may not seem an obvious way to do this, but believe me, unless you wash your hands thoroughly after cleaning those greasy plates, you will successfully carry grease into the inner workings of your scroll ball.
For those who want to reverse the process and clean their Mighty Mice scroll balls, my own very useful little guide to cleaning a gummed-up scroll ball is here: Cleaning A Mighty Mouse Scroll Ball.
