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If you are using an inkjet or laser printer, you may need to clean the cartridge. At home, devices are often used irregularly, but despite this, they need proper care. Timely cleaning contributes to obtaining high quality printoutsallows you to extend the life of the equipment. Do-it-yourself cleaning can be carried out in hot and cold ways. In order to carry it out in time, you should know the first signs of problems associated with cartridges.
Signs of need for cleaning
The fact that there is a need to inspect inkjet cartridges is evidenced by a number of print defectsthe main ones being:
- on proof printouts, patterns contain jagged or fuzzy lines;
- during operation of the device, ink blots appear on the sheets;
- one or more colors are missing when printing a test pattern;
- When photographs and other color images are taken, horizontal streaks form on the paper.
Poor print quality
The considered defects are typical for different device models, for example, Epson, HP, Samsung, Canon. When the reboot does not help get rid of the unpleasant phenomenon, then you will need to clean the device cartridges. There are several reasons why you need to do this regularly:
- during downtime, it may happen that the paint in the nozzles has dried up, and it will need to be removed to remove blockages;
- dust from the air settles inside the printer, especially on the nodes covered with ink — the print head, cartridges.
For laser devices, cleaning is carried out when replacing the toner. At the same time, old paint and other contaminants are removed from the cartridge. The work is carried out with the help of napkins, cloth or brush without lint. It is important that the electrical contacts remain clean. Works are performed according to certain algorithms and do not require special skills.
Software cleaning
Many jets are equipped with built-in automatic cleaning programs. To carry it out, proceed as follows:
- open the control panel;
- go to the settings of the printing equipment;
- there they select the required section — “Tools and cleaning the cartridge”;
- make a test printout of a blank sheet.
The operation can be repeated several times. Built-in tools allow you to get rid of minor contaminants.
If the function is missing, then you can download the program from a disk or the Internet and install it. Then, in the print settings, select the “Printer Maintenance” section, then you need to open the print settings, start cleaning. In this case, follow the instructions of the program. Most often, the procedure needs to be performed repeatedly.
When the software method did not help, then there are several other ways to get rid of the problem. For different models of inkjet technology, the algorithms are the same, only the way to access the cartridges is different. To do this, you may need a set of screwdrivers with different nozzles.
The scheme of work, regardless of the chosen cleaning method, is as follows:
- removing the cartridge;
- soaking;
- washing;
- drying;
- refueling;
- installation in the printer;
- control printout.
It is necessary to work carefully so as not to smear the surrounding objects, clothes with ink.
Cleaning with detergent
To implement the cold method, you will need to stock up on such available tools and materials:
- rubber gloves (medical);
- syringe;
- napkins (cloth) made of paper or cotton;
- clean water;
- pipette;
- special glass cleaner, which includes isopropyl alcohol or ethylene glycol.
An example of a suitable detergent is «Mr. Muscle», «Mr. Shine».
The whole process takes place in the following sequence:
- remove the cartridge from the printer;
- place it with nozzles up (on a specially laid fabric);
- a few drops of cleaning liquid are applied to them using a pipette;
- wait about 10 minutes;
- then wet the nozzles with a napkin, wipe them dry with a cotton cloth.
You may need a screwdriver to remove it, depending on the model of the device you are using.
The manipulations discussed above are not always enough. If the nozzles remain clogged, then the operation is continued:
- take a small container;
- fill it with cleaning liquid, pouring approximately a layer of 3 mm;
- immersed in the composition of the nozzle;
- keep them in liquid for 3 hours;
- take out and wipe dry.
After wiping the nozzles of the cartridge located in the working position with a cloth, it should stay ink trail, which is a characteristic result of complete cleaning. As a container for a detergent composition, an ordinary plastic lid from a can is suitable.
There are special liquids for removing dried ink on the market. They are divided even by types of cartridges, but the scheme of working with them is the same.
Manual ink punch
In order for the ink from the cartridge to get onto the paper, a set of specific mechanisms is used inside. At the same time, the design is such that it is possible to manually push through a certain amount of ink, which will allow you to clean the nozzles. There are 2 ways in total.
Method 1 (hard)
For this method, you will need a regular syringe.
- There is a small hole on the back of the cartridge. It acts as an air intake. It must be entered needle attached to an empty syringe. You need to insert so much that it rests. The part of the needle remaining outside must be measured.
- From the end of the needle, cut off the amount that does not fit. Next, you need to take a small piece of rubber material and put it on the base of the needle. It will serve as a gasket and will not allow excessive physical impact on the plastic, which can lead to breakage.
- Place the cartridge with the nozzles down on the paper. It will absorb paint that should flow during cleaning. We insert the syringe again, but with air, and slowly squeeze it out until drops appear on the nozzles.
Now it remains to remove the released ink, and you can start printing.
Method 2 (simple)
To clean the cartridge with this method, you will need a rubber pad that can be supplied with it (not all models have). If it is provided by the manufacturer, then the sequence of actions is as follows.
- There is a hole in the cover. You need to insert a syringe without a needle into it.
- Now it is placed on the cartridge with the syringe installed.
- Holding the ink hopper on the table, and pressing the pad (it creates a kind of vacuum), you need to pull the syringe plunger towards you, pulling the ink through the hole.
This completes the cleaning process. It remains only to make sure that the ink does not leak. If there are any residues on the nozzles, they are simply removed.
Fault Prevention
Any technique requires proper maintenance and operation. This helps to avoid many problems. In order for the printer to serve for a long time and without failures, it is enough to follow the following recommendations.
- The area where the printing equipment is located should be kept clean. Wet weekly cleaning is essential as Dust is the worst enemy of a printer or MFP.
- Once a month, you should carefully clean the printer with a vacuum cleaner. This will collect dust particles and ink (for laser printers). Places wet from paint should be removed with a rag.
- Each printer has a programmatic way to clean the printer head. How to start it — you can find in the instructions for the device. This cleaning should be done regularly.
- If the printer is color, and most often only black text is printed, then it is worth once a week test color print. Otherwise, the paint may dry out and clog the nozzles.
- When refilling laser printers, experts recommend emptying the waste ink tank, regardless of its fill level.
When cleaning the cartridge, no complicated manipulations are required, but the procedure itself is quite laborious. The easiest option during independent work is the use of special built-in programs. If none of the considered methods leads to the desired result, then it is necessary to remove contamination from the equipment units involved in printing.. When this does not help, you should contact the service center specialists. They will accurately determine the cause of the problem, advise options for its elimination.
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