How To Clean A Printer Properly – Simple Step By Step Guidelines

Are you having some trouble with the print quality of your printer? Or is your printer not performing well enough like it used to?

If so, then a proper cleanup just might do the work. Let me guide you on how to clean a printer properly.

Like most other devices, printers also need cleaning from time to time for functioning smoothly. Moreover, they can have a notable decrease in performance if not cleaned for a long period. 

So, learning how to clean a printer can save you a lot of hassle over time. So, bear with me as I guide you through the process.

Easy Steps to Clean a Printer Properly

Firstly, let me assure you that cleaning a printer is not as tough as it may sound. It can even be quite an easy task once you get a hang of it. 

The cleaning process of a printer may vary depending on what type of printer it is. Therefore, today we will be discussing the cleaning process of InkJet and Laser printers as they are the most common ones out there.

On top of that, most other printers can be cleaned more or less the same way as these printers. So, let’s dive into the topic:

Steps for Cleaning an Inkjet Printer

Required Tools

• A clean piece of cloth.
• Cotton swabs.
• Window cleaner.
• Printer oil.
• A dusting brush or compressed air.

Caution

I sincerely suggest you be patient and careful throughout the process. Since the inner components are very sensitive, hustling can cause irreparable damage to your device. So, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Cleaning Process

1. Remove the ink cartridges from your device.
2. Turn off the device and make sure to unplug all the wires.
3. Then spray a little window cleaner on the cloth and wipe the excess ink out of the cartridge and print heads. Use the cotton swab for the hard-to-reach areas.
4. Clean the ink ribbon with the cloth and window cleaner.
5. Wipe off the excess ink in the nozzles for unclogging them.
6. Dust off other reachable components with a brush or compressed air. Make sure that you don’t damage any sensitive parts or wires.
7. Apply printer oil to the stabilizer bar.
8. Put back the ink cartridges.
9. Run a print test to see if the job is done right. Hopefully, you will see a notable improvement.

Steps for Cleaning a Laser Printer

Required Tools

• A clean piece of cloth.
• Rubbing alcohol.
• Compressed air.
• Cotton swabs.
• Surgical mask.
• Latex gloves.

Cautions

Powdered toner used in laser printers can cause some problems and irritation if inhaled or exposed to the skin. So, I sincerely recommend you wear a surgical mask and latex gloves throughout the process.

Cleaning Process

1. Turn off your device and let it cool down naturally.
2. Once the device is cooled down, remove the toner cartridge from it.
3. Clean off the excess toner from the cartridges with a clean cloth.
4. When done, wipe off the excess toner from the internal components. Be extremely careful while doing so since the components can be quite sensitive. Use cotton swabs for tricky areas.
5. Pay a little extra attention to the toner housing as excess toners are most likely to build up there.
6. Up next, use the compressed air to blow out excess toners from the corona wire.
7. Then, put a little rubbing alcohol on the piece of cloth and wipe the internal surfaces. Do not hesitate to use a cotton swab if necessary.
8. Put back everything in its place and run a print test. The printer should function properly if everything is done properly. 

If your printer is still causing troubles after a proper cleaning then you should consult a mechanic or an expert.

How to Clean a Printer Roller

If you are having constant paper jam problems with your printer then probably your printer rollers are crying out for a clean-up.

Printer rollers are tiny rubber wheels that move the pieces of paper through your printer. Needless to say, they are an essential part of a printer and require regular cleaning for functioning smoothly. So here are the steps for cleaning the printer rollers:

• Turn off the printer and unplug it from all the power sources.
• Take a piece of fresh lint-free cloth and moisten it slightly with clean water.
• Remove the paper tray and rotate the printer for a better view.
• After locating the print rollers, wipe them gently with a slightly moistened cloth to remove all the dust and ink remainders.
• Rotate the rollers as you go to clean the whole surface. Be very careful while rotating them so you don’t cause any damage to the fragile components.
• When done, put back the paper trays and give it a test run to see if everything is working fine.

This cleaning process may vary depending on what type of printer you are using. For example, you may have to remove the printer rollers in cases of laser printers. But still, the basics will remain the same. 

How to Clean a Printer Drum

A Printer drum is an important component of laser printers which is used for transferring the toner onto the paper through heat and pressure. This drum can often get covered with excess toner particles and need a proper clean-up for functioning well. 

So, here are the steps for cleaning a printer drum:

• Turn off your printer and unplug it from the power source.
• Let it cool down naturally since the components can be very hot if recently used.
• Wear a surgical mask and latex gloves throughout the process as the toner particles can cause irritation problems.
• Once the printer is cool enough, take out the toner cartridge and then the drum unit.
• Take a clean and lint-free cloth and spray a little rubbing alcohol on it.
• Then clean the drum very softly with the cloth. Do little strips at a time and let it dry out.
• Then turn it to wipe again and repeat the process until the whole drum is cleaned.
• Again make sure the drum has fully dried before you put it back in.
• When you put everything back together, give the printer a run to see if the work is done right.

Cautions: The printer drum is an extremely sensitive component. So: 

1. Do not rub too hard as you could rub off the light-sensitive coating.
2. Do not use too much alcohol as it can ruin the toner inside.
3. Do not touch it with your bare hands.
4. Do not expose it to sunlight.

To be frank, this cleaning process is a tricky one. So, I would recommend hiring an expert for the process. On the other hand, you can also try running 10 to 15 blank papers to sweep out the excess toners from the drum.

How to Clean a Printer from the Computer

Nowadays, most modern printers have head cleaning functions that allow you to clean the printheads and nozzles from the computer. 

These functions can come in handy if the prints are unclear or a certain color fails to print properly. So let’s find out the steps to clean a printer from your computer:

• Connect the printer to your PC and turn it on.
• Now open the printer driver setup window.
• Go to the maintenance lab and click on the cleaning icon.
• Select the ink groups that require cleanups.
• Then click the execute/conduct cleaning icon.
• Wait for the confirmation message to be sure if the process is complete.
• Run a test print to check the results.

As usual, the steps of this process may vary depending on the type and brand of the printer. Nevertheless, the basics will be similar.

FAQ

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions by the consumers that might be helpful to you as well:

1. What to Clean Printer Glass with?

Regular printers technically don’t have a glass plate. But many modern-day printers have three-in-one features which mean they can print, copy and scan outputs. These printers have a built-in glass plate for scanning purposes. So, for this case, you can use a clean cloth soaked with a little detergent and freshwater to clean up the dusty glass surface. But make sure you dry out the glass with a dry piece of cloth before using it again.

2. How often to Clean InkJet Printer?

Surely, an InkJet printer requires regular cleaning and maintenance for performing at its best. Therefore, experts recommend cleaning an InkJet printer every 6 months or 300 hours of operation, whichever comes first. But if the printer is not used for a while, the ink in the cartridges can clog up. So, you may have to clean the cartridges and nozzles if you are using the printer after a long period of time.

Conclusion

Experts say, take care of your device and it will serve for a long time. Since regular cleaning is a huge part of proper maintenance, every consumer should learn to do it. So, now that we learned how to clean a printer properly, I hope you will be able to clean your printer properly.

That’s it for now. Have a great day!

You May Also Like:

How To Clean Up Ink Spill From Printer