A good cloth mousepad lasts about two years of daily use.

Roughly. It depends on how sweaty or aggressive you are, but most high-end cloth pads (Artisan, Zowie, Logitech) start showing noticeable wear between 18 and 24 months of daily gaming or work.

First signs: the edges fray or start curling up, especially if you rest your wrist on them. The glide gets uneven — a spot in the middle feels slower than the edges. You might also notice a permanent discolored patch where your mouse sits, even after washing. Some pads develop a rough texture in the main tracking area as the cloth fibers compress or mat down.

If you’re squeamish about performance, you’ll want to replace it when the mouse feels “sticky” or inconsistent. If you just need a desk surface, you can keep using a frayed pad until it literally falls apart.

Don’t bother trying to “fix” wear — you can’t un-flatten cloth fibers. Just buy a new one.