How to Fix a print cartridge





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	How to fix a print cartridge without spending a lot of money If you've ever had a printer (not one of those super old ones) that hasn't been in use for a couple of months (or even a year or two!) that won't seem to print, the reason could be because of a clogged ink cartridge. Unclogging it isn't very complicated, but can get messy so make sure to read the tips and steps BEFORE you begin! Steps Find a bathroom close by that has a sink that can give you hot water. The closer the better Place some old newspapers or paper towels in the counter of the sink. We don't want ink everywhere. Make sure your printer is plugged in and your computer has the printer drivers installed. Open the printer up to reveal the ink cartridges. Take out the black ink cartridge. This trick might work for a colored ink cartridge, but it's probably a better idea to use a black cartridge. Take the cartridge to the sink and put it down on the old newspaper or paper towels. Try to rest it sort of diagonally so that the part where the ink actually comes out isn't completely touching the paper towel or you could have a mess. Turn on the sink and wait until you can get very hot water. Pull that thing behind the sink handle that closes the drain and keeps water in the sink. Let the sink fill with hot water, but ONLY a little bit. No more than 3/4" from the very bottom. Place the cartridge in the sink so the part where the ink comes out is in the water. Make sure it gets passed the surface of the water. Ink may (and probably will) come out, don't be alarmed! If ink comes out immediately then your cartridge isn't terribly clogged. About 5 minutes in the sink should do the trick. Otherwise, you might have to wait up to 20 minutes. Dry off the cartridge so it's no more than damp, and put it back in the printer and give it a test run. Tips If you accidentally get some ink on a counter top or in the sink and can't get rid of it, use a bit of hydrogen peroxide and rub it off. Warnings Printer ink is VERY messy and can sometimes be hard to remove. Wear gloves and an apron to prevent ink from getting all over you. While unclogging, you will be using VERY hot water! Be careful! When taking the cartridge out of the sink, some ink may drip out so be ready! Things You'll Need An old printer or ink cartridge that hasn't been used in a while Gloves An Apron Paper Towels or old newspaper A sink that can get you HOT water. Hydrogen Peroxide (For cleaning up) Related wikiHows How to Change Black Ink to Color on a Dell 940 Printer How to Cut Printing Costs on Inkjet Color Printer How to Make a Perfect Square out of Regular Printer Paper How to Share a Cups Printer With Apple Mac Os X Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Fix an Old or Clogged Ink Cartridge the Cheap Way. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.