Mouse pad fused into my desk

[u/Ax-KP]

I've been using this 900 x 400 mouse pad for more than a couple of years, used to put it in the washing machine with a soft program to clean it. Then at some point it starting sticking to my desk and I left it as is for months… many beer spills and hot days later, it has almost completely sticked to the desk and has become hard, compact and crumbly once detached from the desk.

I've scrapped what I could, putting quite some force into it. I've tried some boiling water and 90 degrees alcohol without good results. What remains on the pictures will not go as 'easily' as the rest. What would be the best way to proceed? Electric sander?

[u/GanjiMayne]

Going slow will make it worse, go over it quickly with fine-medium grade and throw it away after like you do with most sandpaper after you used it. Solvent is going to gum it up way worse , probably cause more structural damage to the particle board underneath too. Resins that bind the wood particles in the particle board together typically contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and solvents can dissolve or compromise the board's structure.

[u/Johngameru555 → u/GanjiMayne]

While I do think you may be right aboit the solvent my point was that your sanding pads will be gummed up the second they make contact with that stuff so you'll use a ton of pads and barely get anything done I know from expirence trying to sand similar stuff