sticky touchpad button

I do a lot of work outside on my e1405.  Spring came along and with it came a whole lot of pollen from the oak trees around here.  Made for layer upon layer of dust. 

I'm kind of blaming that, but also figure there's a lot outside that could have added to the following problem:

My left button on my touchpad won't click.  It works, but only with the slightest bare pressure and sometimes sticks either up or down.  If I use my fingernail or a small screwdriver I can lift it up enough to get it functioning again.  This stickiness as well as the extreme sensitivity is getting a little tiresome.

I opened up the top, taking off the panel near the screen, and lifted up the keyboard only to find how deeply embedded the touchpad is.  I'm not quite eager to take apart the whole computer.  

So, I'm wondering what would be the next best step to clean out my touchpad and get it working nice again.