How to cost-effectively clean an old or clogged ink cartridge

Video: 7 Ways to Clean Blocked Clogged Ink Cartridges

Content

Water method
Vacuum cleaner method
Extreme measures
Tips
Warnings
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If you've ever owned a printer (not one of those old ones) that you haven't used for months (or even years) and can't print, it's probably a clogged cartridge.

What's more, there are many different types of cartridges in different shapes, which will require you to apply a different method or even use something completely different.

It is not very difficult to clean, but you can get dirty, so be sure to read the tips below before starting.

Water method

Find a bathroom next to it with a sink and hot water. The closer the better.
Spread some old newspaper or paper towels around the sink to keep the paint from staining everything.
Make sure that the printer is turned on and that all the drivers required for the printer are installed on your computer.
Open the printer to remove the cartridge.
Pull out the black ink cartridge. This method may work for a color ink cartridge as well, but it's best to try it out with a black ink cartridge first.
Take the cartridge to the sink and place it on top of a newspaper or paper towel. Try to place it diagonally so that the part where the paint is coming out does not touch the paper towel, otherwise you may stain everything.
Turn on the water and wait for boiling water to flow.
Plug the hole in the sink to prevent water from leaking out.
Fill a sink with hot water, but only a little. The sink should be only 2 cm full of boiling water.
Place the cartridge in a sink so that the part where the paint comes out is submerged in the water. Make sure the water covers the entire part of the ink supply port. Ink can (and most likely will) leak from the cartridge. Do not worry!
If the ink drains out of the cartridge right away, then it is not clogged too much. About 5 minutes in the sink will do the trick. Otherwise, you will have to wait 20 minutes.
Wipe off the cartridge, insert it back into the printer, and perform a test print.

Vacuum cleaner method

Bring the tube of the vacuum cleaner to the cartridge, to the ink supply port. Cover the hole with electrical tape or plasticine.
Adjust the suction of the vacuum cleaner with the regulator and turn on the vacuum cleaner for a few seconds, holding the cartridge upright, with the ink supply port facing down.
Repeat the process until the port is clear.
Wipe off excess paint with toilet paper.
Insert the cartridge back into the printer.

Extreme measures

Determine the type of cartridge you have. The easiest way to do this is by looking at which nozzle it has (electronic or spongy). The sponge nozzle looks like a sponge that you can touch. The electronic tip is usually covered with an orange stripe.
If it is an electronic attachment, you can throw it in the trash. These tips are not reliable, especially if you don't print every day.
Get rid of your printer. Give it to charity, for example.
Buy a sponge printer. They almost never dry out. Sometimes these printers have three to four cartridges: three for color and one for black.
If you have a foam cartridge and you have already tried the above methods, but they did not work for you, then your cartridge is over. The sponge has dried and hardened to such an extent that it cannot be saved. Buy a new one. They can usually be bought cheaply on Ebay.

Tips

If paint accidentally gets on the counter or sink and you can't wipe it off, take some hydrogen peroxide and wipe the stain.
Ink cartridges can be bought on the Internet at a very good price, for example, on Ebay or Amazon. This makes refilling your cartridges a waste of time, but remember to recycle the old ones to keep them just as cheap.
If you don't use your printer often (like most people), cartridge drying can be a problem for you. For this, it is recommended to buy cartridges with sponge nozzles. They don't dry out as quickly.

Warnings

The ink from the printer can get very dirty, and it is quite difficult to remove it. Wear gloves and an apron to prevent it from getting on you.
You will be using boiling water when flushing the cartridge, so be careful!
Some ink may leak from the cartridge when you take it out of the sink, so be careful!