Smudged prints, lines on copies, and paper jams can be quite frustrating, especially if your work relies on a printer. Blemishes and imperfections are not simply troubling for the printer but can hamper your reputation in front of clients.
Fortunately, minor printer issues can be fixed with simple printing cleaning. Not the automatic cleaning function but manual, which cleans each nook and corner of the printer. If the problem persists, get in touch with professionals for Canon, Brother, Ricoh, and HP Designjet Repairs.
What you will need
1. Paper Towel or Kitchen Roll: This will help remove the stubborn dirt from the hard to reach corners. You can also remove the excess ink from the cartridges with the help of a soft paper towel.
2. Window Cleaner: A window cleaner will help get rid of the ink stains left on the machine surface.
3. Printer Oil: It lubricates the internal components and should be applied post cleaning the machine.
4. A pair of protective gloves: Ink, once stuck on the skin, can be extremely tough to get rid of. Use a pair of gloves as a preventive measure.
Step by Step Instructions to Clean Printer
Once you have gathered all the above equipment, it is time to begin. Make sure to keep the process slow and work with gentle hands, as the internal parts are quite fragile. If in doubt, contact professional repair services.
Step 1 Remove the ink cartridges and switch off the machine
Position the cartridge housing in the centre of the stabiliser bar. With most printers, the housing readjusts itself on opening the front of the machine. This will help you extract the cartridges easily. Once done, turn off the machine.
Step 2 Cleaning the cartridges
Check if the cartridges have both ink and print head together.
Together: Take a kitchen roll or paper towel and fold it into four parts. Add a window cleaner on top of the towel. Now wipe down the bottom of the cartridge gently with the paper to clean the print head.
Separate: It is advisable to take the print head and separate from the ink cartridges before cleaning. Things can get messy if you try cleaning the ink itself, as you cannot control the amount of ink that flows out of the bottom.
Step 3 Clean the Ribbon
Take another paper towel and fold it into four parts. Spray just a thin layer of window cleaner on it and wipe down all the ink blotches.
Be sure to be gentle as inkjet ribbons are too fragile and can cause you costly repairs.
Step 4 Clean the cartridge housing
The cartridge housing can accumulate a lot of dirt and grime over time, as it holds the ink in place. Simply use cotton swabs dabbed with alcohol or window cleaner to clean off the dirty areas.
Step 5 Oil the stabiliser bar
The inside of the printer develops a thin film of ink after a while of usage. This can make the movement of print head difficult, clumsy, and you may even hear a “crunch” sound. Oil the stabiliser bar to get rid of the problem. Apply small dabs of oil on different areas of the bar.
Step 6 General Outside Cleanup
Now, clean the paper pickup assembly if you spot ink on the rollers, which can cause the paper to jam and not get into the tray properly. Use glass cleaner or alcohol to get to the rollers.
For outside cleaning, take a paper towel folded into fours and wipe the outside gently.
Step 7 Re-insert the cartridges
Once you are done with all the cleaning, getting rid of the dirt and grim, re-insert cartridges and switch on the mains. Run the machine to check proper functioning.
Wrapping up
If your printer is still not working, then don’t take any risks and simply call up professional repair services. Certain issues require knowledge of the functioning of the printer in general and the different parts. If not done carefully, the fragile parts can break and lead to even expensive repairs.
Simply click here for Brother, Ricoh, OKI, Epson, and HP Designjet Repairs with 3-months warranty on faults and parts.
