Easy Steps to Clean Your Inkjet or Laser Printer

A chill is in the air… Fall is here! It’s time to start your fall cleaning. Once you’ve finished dusting, vacuuming, and organizing your abode, you should clean your entire printer. A well-cleaned printer results in its optimal functioning and extends its life. Don’t be overwhelmed—the printer cleaning process isn’t difficult or time-consuming. Read on for our step-by-step instructions on cleaning both inkjet and laser printers.

Clean Your Inkjet or Laser Printer Using These Step-by-Step Instructions

Cleaning an Inkjet Printer

Make sure your inkjet printer is unplugged before starting the first three steps.

1. Open the printer top and spray compressed air in and around the printer to eliminate dust and prevent dust collection.

2. Put alcohol or Windex on a soft cloth to clean the interior screen. You do not want to pour liquid directly in the machine.

3. Do you get a lot of paper jams? Then you’ll want to clean the paper rollers. Open the printer casing and wipe a damp cloth against the roller, turning the roller as you clean. When the rollers look spotless, close the printer casing, turn the printer on, and print a few test sheets. If any paper gets jammed, repeat the process.

4. Now it’s time to clean your printhead, which is the most involved step during the cleaning process. You should be able to clean the printhead using your computer (4a) or the printer itself (4b). The instructions largely depend on what types of printer and computer you have. To run the printhead cleaning process, you’ll need to turn on your printer and insert several sheets of paper.

4a. There are a few different options if you’re using your computer. For some printers, you can go to the computer’s Control Panel and then Settings/System Preferences or Devices. Navigate to your printer model and click Printing Preferences or Properties. After you select the cleaning or maintenance tab, the computer guides you through the cleaning process, ending with a test page printed.

4b. To use the printer only, locate the printhead in your printer. Remove the ink cartridges and use water or alcohol to clean dried ink from the cartridge. Select the self-cleaning option from the printer’s menu and follow the instructions.

Cleaning a Laser Printer

Turn off the laser printer and let it cool before starting the cleaning process.

1. Remove the paper trays and toner cartridges from the printer. Try laying the cartridge on cloth in case there are any leaks.

2. Remove the drum unit and place it away from light. Use isopropyl alcohol to wipe the exterior of the drum and the thin corona wires. This should remove any loose toner.

3. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe the paper rollers except for the spongy transfer roller.

4. Use a soft cloth or brush to clean spilled toner or any dust inside the printer.

5. Reassemble all of the components, turn on the printer, and print some test pages.

For both laser and inkjet printers, you’ll want to wipe down the exterior with a soft slightly damp cloth or even a dust wipe.

Now that you have these instructions, go get started on your fall cleaning! If you have more cleaning tips, let us know below or on Facebook and Twitter.