Printhead Clogging Becoming A Common Fear For Print Shoppers

Inkjet printers have typically been a cost-effective means of printing for business and home owners alike. Noticeable differences in the short-run costs have given rise to their sales. However, consumers & businesses are becoming more reluctant as to the long-run costs. The most notable problem is that the printer’s inkjet gets easily clogged. If a user cannot free the clog through standard procedures; such as running a software diagnostic to clean and realigning the print cartridges, he or she could end up at a repair shop or replacing the printer altogether. As a recent development, a printhead cleaning kit could save this user time and money by cleaning out the clog, freeing the printer to work properly.

Most common clogs are caused by:

- Switching ink cartridges to a less expensive brand.
- Using a printer that hasn’t been in use for a while.
- Having the inkjet printer near an area where air can blow frequently.
- Dirt and debris.

Inkjet printers are manufactured to ensure that the ink dries quickly on the paper and doesn’t smear. Because the ink can dry rapidly, any ink leftover on the printhead can dry, causing potential clogs. The problem is so common that print manufactures anticipate this, and often include a manual cleaning application bundled into the printer’s software.

However, print users are often left unsatisfied with the reliability of automatic printhead cleaning solutions. In fact, depending how long it’s been since it was in operation, automatic cleaning options often make things worse–overcompensating the clog by clearing the ink too forcefully. Even worse, this smears ink all over the printhead, and blocks the nozzles causing it to dry up again.

Typically a user doesn’t know this is what’s happening, and when the desired end test page is not achieved, instead of exploring other options, he or she simply tries the “clean Printhead” option again and again, to futile results. The only thing that really happened is the printer has consumed a lot of ink, and now the user has low toner with wasted paper. When this happens, usually the toner cartridge is thought to be the issue, so a new cartridge is installed, but the same results are achieved, leaving the user to believe that the printer itself has become defective and must be replaced. The once cost-effective printer has now become an expensive headache.

Users are finding that the above scenario does not need to happen with the advancement of printhead cleaning kit technology. A cleaning kit can quickly rid the clog, causing the inkjet to work like new. The kit comes with a specialized cleaning formula, a syringe, and instructions on how to apply the solution.

Users find that using a cleaning kit on their inkjet printer fixes issues with printing broken lines on documents, or having missing or faded colors. The printer doesn’t have to have a printhead or nozzle cleaning cycle performed through the software program.

It’s important to use a cleaning kit that comes from a reputable manufacturer, since using abrasive substances like alcohol, bleach, window cleaner fluid, or peroxide can seriously damage the printhead. Even using compressed air can damage the printhead. A cleaning kit has a compatible solution that dissolves the clog without harming the printhead or nozzles.