Printer
Proper maintenance is an important factor for any electronic device, but cleaning is especially important when you have a printer. An unclean printer can cause paper jams, ink smudges and overall poor performance. Luckily, cleaning your HP ink-jet printer is a fairly simple process, and it can be done with just a few household items.
Prepare the Printer
Turn on your HP printer using the power button and then lift up the top cover. The ink cartridges will automatically move to the center. Then unplug the printer power cord and remove the ink cartridges. Put them down on a rag or piece of paper that is okay to stain with ink. You now have 30 minutes to complete the cleaning process, since this is how long it takes for ink to dry.
Clean the Ink Cartridges
Pick up the ink cartridge you want to clean and use a cotton swab moistened with water to wipe around the face and edges of the cartridge. Be careful not to wipe the nozzle plate, which is the shiny square at the bottom of the ink cartridge, since this can result in severe damage. Once all dust and particulates have been removed from the cartridge, set it aside.
Clean the Ink Cartridge Cradle
Find a paper coffee filter and fold it in half twice so that you have a small trapezoid shape. Slide the coffee filter in the bottom of the ink cartridge cradle (which should still be in the center), and then move it around in the tiny space between the cradle and the metal bars underneath it to clean the bottom of the ink cradle. When you take the coffee filter out, you will see some ink residue. If there is a lot, fold up another coffee filter and repeat the process until the coffee filter comes out clean or with minimal ink stains.
Replace the Ink Cartridge and Clean Exterior
Once finished, simply click the ink cartridge back into place (see your owner's manual if you are unsure of do this) and then close the printer cover. You can start cleaning the exterior now. Simply take a damp rag and run it over the surface of the printer, being very careful to remove ground-in dust or particulates. If your printer has small buttons, use a moistened cotton swab to remove dirt from around these areas. Once you have finished, your printer should be clean and functional.
Tags: coffee filter, your printer, bottom cartridge, cotton swab, dust particulates, since this