How to Clean a Laser Printer

Cleaning a laser printer can solve minor problems, maintain print quality, and prolong periods between professional cleanings. Clean your printer when print quality deteriorates or when you change toner cartridges.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cleaning Solution For Plastic
• Cleaning Cloths
• Laser Printers
• Toner Cartridges
• Cleaning Cloths

Cleaning the Outer Case

1. Collect the supplies you need: a soft cloth and cleaning fluid made for plastic. (Water is fine in most cases.)

2. Check the printer manual. If the manufacturer has provided specific instructions, follow them.

3. Turn off the printer.

4. Dampen a cloth with water or cleaning fluid.

5. Wipe the outside of the printer, making sure that no fluid gets inside.

Manually Cleaning Inside the Printer

6. Unplug the printer from the surge suppressor.

7. Remove the internal paper trays.

8. Remove the toner cartridge and place it on a piece of scrap paper.

9. Clean inside the toner cavity with a dry, lint-free cloth and brush (if a brush is supplied with the printer).

10. Clean the printer mirror gently with the brush. Don't touch the mirror if a brush isn't provided.

11. Wipe away dust and spilled toner. Remove paper fragments.

12. Clean the rollers, but don't touch the sponge roller.

13. Replace the toner cartridge.

Initiating Automatic Cleaning Through Printer Software

14. Open the printer software by double-clicking on a printer icon or specific printer utility program, or opening a document and then selecting Print from the File menu.

15. In the printer software, look for a button labeled Options, Troubleshooting, Toolbox, Printer Utilities or something similar. (This varies by manufacturer.)

16. Follow the instructions on the screen.

17. Repeat the cleaning process if the results aren't satisfactory.

Tips & Warnings

• To remove unfused toner from the rollers following a paper jam, print 5 to 10 blank pages on scrap paper.
• Wipe toner from clothing if necessary, then immediately wash toner-soiled clothes in cold water.
• Go to your printer manufacturer's Web site (see Related Sites) for detailed cleaning instructions.
• Don't use any liquid cleaners inside the printer.

on 11/22/2005 Some print quality problems are caused by dirty toner contacts on the side of the toner. Simply get a eraser and erase any excess grime; wipe with a lint free cloth. This will remove fine lines in the PQ pages.