How to Clean Ink Cartridge Nozzles

Clean your ink cartridges for optimal performance.

You can clean your ink cartridge nozzles if your printer is printing slowly or if gaps appear in printed documents while the cartridges are still partially full. Usually, cleaning the cartridges and nozzles will clear up the problem, but if your printer won't work properly with any cartridges, you may also need to replace the printer.

Things You'll Need

• Ink cartridge
• Cotton balls
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Cotton swabs

Instructions

1. Put the ink cartridges upside down on a flat surface. To protect from mess, you may want to put out a cloth or newspaper.

2. Dip a cotton ball in isopropyl alcohol and squeeze it until it's damp, not dripping. Wipe around the sides and bottom of the ink cartridge. Be careful not to push on or damage the copper square on the back; it tells the printer how much ink is in the cartridge.

3. Dip a cotton swab in the alcohol and swab gently around the hole where the ink comes out. You can dip it in very carefully---but do not push hard. Keep repeating this step until the swab comes away clean. This removes or dissolves any hard dried lumps of ink blocking the cartridge.

4. Dampen a cotton swab with the alcohol and clean gently in the bottom of the cartridge tray where the ink rests.

5. Wait for the alcohol to evaporate (it should take only a few minutes) before returning the cartridge to the printer.

References

• Computer Cleaning Guide: Cleaning a Printer