Directions for Cleaning Inkjet Cartridges

Cleaning inkjet cartridges is a routine but important part of ensuring your printer is working properly at all times. There are many reasons why a cartridge would need to be cleaned. Many of today's cartridges come with the print head already on them, which means you get a brand new print head every time you change the cartridge. However, the longer you use a cartridge, the higher the risk of the print head getting dirty or clogged. Sometimes, people who don't print very often also experience clogs due to dried ink. If this happens, there are some ways to remedy the problem.

The first way is by using the cleaning cycle on your printer. Most inkjet printers have an automatic cleaning mechanism that can be activated with the press of a button or two. To find out if your printer comes with this function, check your owner's manual. Sometimes, however, a printer is unable to do this or the process just doesn't work like it should. Short of replacing the cartridge or print head if it is part of your inkjet printer, there are some other things you can try.

Using a cotton swab soaked in isopropyl alcohol is a great way to remove dried ink from a print head and get the ink flowing again. Or, simply place a few drops of alcohol on the print nozzle and allow it to soak through before wiping clean. This will loosen up the dried ink and encourage fresh ink to flow freely. Many people find problems with printing happen following the refilling process. Refilling inkjet cartridges is a way to save a substantial amount of money on the cost of replacements, however it is not without its own problems. Some cartridges contain sponges that hold the ink. If the sponge is refilled too quickly, air pockets can form and block the flow of ink to the print head. To pop the air pockets, tap the sides of the cartridge gently or insert ink with the refilling syringe from the bottom to push the air out. Other cartridges feature a vacuum tank that must be reactivated, and resealed carefully before the refilled cartridge will work properly.

Cleaning inkjet cartridges is often a necessary part of keeping print quality high. Refer to your inkjet printer manual for full instructions on keeping your printer, and your printer cartridges, functioning optimally. You'll find that most of the time, cartridge cleaning is simple and can be done in only a few minutes!

Copyright 2006 Jim Sterling - All Rights Reserved

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