Even the highest quality printers suffer from wear and tear and experience the buildup of dirt and grime through repeated use. These conditions occur very slowly and they can cause your printer to experience diminished performance or even render it unusable. Regular printer maintenance and cleaning is the key to extending the life of your printer and ensuring that it is always delivering the peak performance you expected when you paid for the machine.
Know which areas to focus on
If you’re planning on undertaking printer cleaning yourself, the first step should be to familiarize yourself with the various parts on which you’ll be working. The average printer contains hundreds of different parts working in concert with one another, and certain areas are more vulnerable to the collection of dirt and debris than others.
If you’ve been noticing streaks on your printed materials or areas with missing ink, dirty printer heads could be to blame. Since the printer heads are frequently coming into contact with ink and exposed to the air, they can easily become clogged and diminish the performance of your printer. The air compressor may also need to be blown out in order to allow sufficient circulation to prevent overheating. Additionally, if you find that your power or connection is unstable or nonexistent, it could potentially be the result of particle buildup around the ports.
Take care when attempting to clean sensitive machinery
A little extra time and effort can keep your printer running for a long time, but if you’re not careful when attempting to clean out the parts you could end up doing more harm than good (either to the printer or yourself!). The instruction manual included with your printer should provide some helpful guidelines on how to treat the parts with care, and you can likely download a copy of the manual from the manufacturer’s website if you’ve misplaced the hard copy.
Most importantly, make sure the printer is not plugged in and has had sufficient time to cool down since last being operated before you begin putting your hands inside the machine. Always use soft cleaning materials and avoid using force to remove or replace any parts.
Allow the experts to provide you with worry-free maintenance
Printers are known for being temperamental, so preventative maintenance goes a long way towards heading off more serious problems before they occur. If you’re unsure about the best ways to clean your printer, afraid of damaging sensitive parts, or simply don’t have time to devote to a regular cleaning schedule, consider utilizing Great Lakes Computer to take care of the hard work for you. You’ll have access to seasoned professionals who will treat your printer repair with the care it requires, and you’ll be able to rely on your printer to keep up with your workload. Also, partnering with GLCgives you access to supply refills and emergency service, all for an affordable, predictable price.
