Soak the Printhead Fill a bowl with warm water (or a mixture of water and vinegar to clean the printhead) and place the printhead directly in it. Let it sit for five minutes or so. Pull the printhead out of the water and use a lint-free cloth or paper towel to remove the dried ink.
The sponge end of a blocked printer head can be cleaned with only one liquid other than water. This liquid is isopropyl alcohol. Isopropyl alcohol isn't strong enough to melt the sponge but is still strong enough to dissolve the ink inside the blocked printer head.
Otherwise use a printer head cleaning solution recipe of 50% water and 50% rubbing alcohol. We also like a homemade printhead cleaning solution that is 8-parts Windex to 2-parts rubbing alcohol. This printer head cleaning fluid works like a charm and it's cheap to make!
As a last resort I tried soaking the head in methylated spirits for about 15 minutes. Then I blew out the nozzles and basically the whole head with compressed air. I reinstalled the head and carried out a deep clean. Then I did a nozzle check and all was working like brand new.
First, we soak the printhead in cleaning solutions for a few hours. Then, we will use a high-pressure steamer to open up the nozzles and blow away debris. Finally, we will use an ultrasonic cleaner to remove clogging particles and dried ink.
WD-40 Specialist Contact Cleaner can also be used on a number of different electrical and electronic appliances including printers & copiers, witches & controls, spark plugs & electrical assemblies, clear tape heads and metal, most plastics and most rubbers.
You can use both methylated spirits and isopropyl alcohol for cleaning your home surfaces but remember to wear a mask and gloves as they are highly potent and flammable substances.
Clean with 90% isopropyl alcohol (IPA) on a foam tip applicator or on a soft cloth. We do not recommend using other cleaning solutions, such as Goo Gone or nail polish remover.
You may need to clean the print head up to 4 times. You can also turn off your Epson printer and wait at least 6 hours. Then try printing again.
If your PC or the LCD screen on your printer is telling you that your ink cartridges are full but no ink is passing through to the paper, then it's most likely that you are dealing with a clogged printhead. Blurry documents and images that appear faded are also signs that it's time to remove the excess ink.
If streaks or white lines appear on your labels, you can clean the print head. Caution: Do not use benzine, paint thinner, or other chemicals to clean the printer.
We'll cover how to remove the printhead assembly in another post, but once it's out, you have a few options for removing stubborn clogs. Printheads can be thoroughly cleaned by soaking them in a solution of water and ammonia for several hours and then washing them under warm running water.
Make sure that the printer is turned on and the ink out light is off. Access the Print or Page Setup dialog box and click the Utility icon button, then click the Head Cleaning button. Follow the on-screen instructions. The power light and the ink lights flash while the printer performs the cleaning cycle.