Cleaning Printer Cartridges
Sometimes you’ll be printing an important document and you’ll notice that your text is starting to look a bit smudged. Or you’ll be printing off pictures and notice lines or irregularities in the results. Don’t worry! You don’t need a new printer. There’s likely not anything seriously wrong; you just need to clean it a bit.
The first thing to check for is an automatic cleaning mechanism on the printer. This may be a button somewhere on the printer itself, or a piece of software that came with the device. This will run the printer through a set of automatic procedures that will try and bring the printer back to ideal working condition. You might check the printer’s manufacturer’s website for more information on functions like these.
If the printer does not have an automatic cleaning function, or you are still getting messy results despite running it, it’s time to open it up and see what you can do yourself. Sometimes ink can build up around areas in the printer where it is transferred, especially on the head of the cartridge. Try removing the cartridge and seeing if you can locate any build-up. Dip a cotton swab into isopropyl alcohol and try rubbing the dried ink off with it. You may have to repeat this process a few times, with clean cotton swabs, to remove all the build-up.
If trying to clean a toner cartridge from a copier or a larger printer, make sure to take extra care. Use a small brush to gently dislodge any large pieces of build-up that you see. A hand-held vacuum might be useful in cleaning the inside of the machine, where bits of dried toner may have accumulated.
When you finish cleaning a cartridge, be sure to wipe or vacuum up any dried ink that may have fallen, and wipe the outside of the cartridge with a clean, dry cloth.
For more information, check out this video on Youtube.