Condition your leather mousepad twice a year. Use a leather balm, not oil.

Twice a year is plenty.

Leather mousepads don’t need frequent conditioning the way shoes or jackets do. Over-conditioning is the main cause of tackiness — that sticky feeling that makes your mouse drag and your sensor act weird. Once every six months is enough unless you live in a desert.

Use a wax-based leather balm (Obenauf’s, Saphir Renovateur, or even a plain beeswax blend). Apply a very thin layer, let it sit for 10 minutes, then buff it off completely. Avoid oils — neatsfoot, mink, or coconut oil can seep into the leather, make the surface greasy, and eventually gum up your sensors. The sensor itself doesn’t care about the balm as long as the surface is dry and not tacky.

If you start noticing the leather looking dry or feeling stiff, condition it. If you notice tackiness first, you probably conditioned too much or too often. Dial it back.

Your mousepad doesn’t need spa treatment — just enough to keep the leather happy.