How to Clean a Blocked Ink Jet Cartridge

A clean print cartridge will print better images.

Inkjet printers generally use inkjet print cartridges to print out black and white or color images. However, if the inkjet print cartridge has dried ink on its surface or is covered in debris, your documents and images might not print with the clarity and quality that you prefer. If this is an issue with your inkjet printer, there is a simple process for cleaning an inkjet print cartridge that's blocked with ink or debris.

Things You'll Need

• 2 lint-free cloths
• Water

Instructions

1. Open up the lid of your printer. The inkjet print cartridges should slide into view. Gently push down on the top of the cartridge to pop it out of the printer and remove it for cleaning.

2. Locate the copper-colored strip on the underside of the inkjet print cartridge. This is the area that gets blocked with dried ink and will need to be cleaned.

3. Dampen a lint-free cloth with a small amount of water. Make sure the cloth is not dripping.

4. Rub the copper strip of the inkjet print cartridge against the cloth using an upward motion. You should see some ink come off on the cloth.

5. Clean any dust or debris off of the rest of the inkjet print cartridge using the other side of the dampened lint-free cloth.

6. Use a dry, lint-free cloth to thoroughly dry the copper strip and the rest of the inkjet print cartridge before replacing back inside your printer.

References

• HP: Cleaning Clogged Nozzles, Print Cartridge and Ink Cartridge contacts
• Northlight Images: Inkjet printer cleaning