How to Clean Inkjet Printer Heads

If a printer has not been used for a long period of time, the many tiny holes that make up a modern inkjet printer’s head may become clogged with dried ink.Your printer can serve you for a longer duration of time without exhibiting a drop in print quality if you clean and maintain it on a regular basis.

Here are some ways to manually clean inkjet printheads:

• Determine from the owner’s manual where the print head is located.
• Remove the ink cartridge from your printer and then dip a foam swab in hot water or isopropyl alcohol and rub it against the print head. This should loosen any crusted ink. NOTE: Be careful, especially if you use isopropyl alcohol to clean your print heads: Some printers use rubber gaskets, and if you get isopropyl alcohol on the gaskets it could dry them out.
• For models where the print head is in the printer, drop 7 to 10 drops of isopropyl alcohol (91% denatured isopropyl alcohol – not ‘rubbing’ alcohol) down the ink receptacle area where the ink actually flows from the cartridge into the head. Run a few self-cleaning utilities. If possible, allow the printer to sit a few hours or overnight and repeat the self-cleaning utility.
• If the print head is in the cartridge, soak the cartridge print head in hot water. Allow it to soak overnight. Dry the print head area with a paper towel. Repeat the self-cleaning utility.
• If the hot water soak did not unclog the print head, place the cartridge printer head in isopropyl alcohol and allow it to soak overnight. Use a damp paper towel to wipe off the print head area and dry carefully. Try the self-cleaning utility again.
• If the alcohol soak did not unclog the print head in the cartridge you may need to purchase a new cartridge. This will provide new print heads that won’t be clogged. Contact a service technician for repair of print heads in the printer if the alcohol did not unclog the printer head.