Maintenance

Chapter 9

Manually clean print cartridges

CAUTION: Do not clean the print cartridge contacts unless you are having a problem with print quality and other measures have not been successful. For more information, see Print quality is poor.

If the HP Deskjet is used in a dusty environment, a small amount of debris can accumulate on the print cartridge contacts. This debris can cause ink streaks on printed pages. The problem can be corrected by manually cleaning the print cartridge contacts.

You need the following items to clean the print cartridges:

Distilled water (tap water can contain contaminants that can damage the print cartridge)

Cotton swabs or other soft, lint-free material that will not stick to the print cartridge

Be careful not to get ink on your hands or clothing as you clean. For more information, see Remove ink from your skin and clothing.

To prepare to clean

1.Open the HP Deskjet cover.

2.Wait until the print cartridge carriage moves to the right side of the HP Deskjet and is idle and quiet.

3.Remove the print cartridges and place them on a piece of paper, with the copper strips facing up.

CAUTION: Do not leave the print cartridges outside the HP Deskjet for more than 30 minutes.

To manually clean print cartridge contacts

1.Lightly moisten a cotton swab with distilled water and squeeze any excess water from the swab.

2.Gently wipe the print cartridge copper contacts with the cotton swab.

CAUTION: Do not touch the print cartridge ink nozzles. Touching the ink nozzles will result in clogs, ink failure, and bad electrical connections.

1Ink nozzles (do not touch)

2Copper contacts

56 Maintenance