Printer Maintenance: How to Make Your Printer Last

November 23, 2021

A printer is a key part of any home office or office in general, which means it needs to be reliable. If someone sends you a document to sign, a paper you need to edit, or images that you need to print for a presentation, a printer that suddenly malfunctions can seriously disrupt your workflow and make it challenging to get the job done. You may also need a printer for personal reasons, such as a printer for photos that you can trust to print beautiful images for display around the house.

So, once you invest in the right printer for your needs, it’s good to try to follow best practices to help it last. There are several brands that offer reliable printers, including HP printers, Canon printers, Brother printers, and Epson printers. With proper care, your printer can last several years. We’ll walk you through some ways to maintain your printer so you can rely on it whenever you need to hit the “print” button. 

Double-Check Documents Before Printing

Wear and tear will greatly impact how long your printer lasts. So, using it unnecessarily can result in parts wearing out faster than they might have otherwise. Taking care to only print documents you need will help prolong the life of your printer, regardless of whether you have a wireless printer or one that needs to be plugged in.

To avoid using the printer unless necessary, it’s a good idea to double-check your documents before you print. You can review your work so that you catch any typos or formatting errors before printing. The more mistakes you can catch before you actually hit print, the fewer times you’ll need to print the document. This will not only help you save on paper and ink but also help minimize the use of the printer, so it may last longer.

Clean the Outside of Your Printer

In addition to making sure you only use your printer when necessary, also try to focus on keeping the printer clean. Keeping the outside areas clean can help reduce the amount of dust that gets inside. When dust gets into parts of the printer, it can make it work harder to accomplish the same task, which can speed up the process of wear and tear.

To keep your printer clean, you can run a dusting rag or a slightly damp cloth over the outside of the printer. Compressed gas cleaning dusters can also help you remove dust from small, harder-to-reach areas. Depending on the frequency of use, try to make sure your printer has a good external cleaning between two and four times per month.

Clean the Inside of Your Printer

In addition to cleaning the outside of your printer, you can take care of the inside parts. Keeping these inside components clean can further prevent parts from wearing down. It can also help minimize dust around the ink, leading to a fresh, clean print each time you need to use the printer.

Depending on the type of printer you have, there are different cleaning techniques you can use. We’ll explore what you need to know about cleaning inkjet versus laser printers so you can take proper care of your investment.

How to Clean an Inkjet Printer

First, we’ll explain how to keep an inkjet printer clean. With an inkjet printer, there will be a visible ink-head or cartridge that distributes your ink when you tell the printer to print something. So, you can follow these steps:

1. Begin by removing the ink cartridge.
   
2. Next, carefully wipe off any excess ink on the nozzles of your printer.
3. Then, take your print head and carefully use a small swab with rubbing alcohol to rid it of any excess ink or dust.
4. Once everything has had a chance to dry, you can replace the ink cartridges, making sure that everything clicks properly into place.
5. Consider doing a short test print to make sure the cartridge has been reinstalled properly.

You won’t need to clean the inside of your printer too often. Generally, aim to clean it every four to eight months, depending on your level of usage.

How to Clean a Laser Printer

Laser printers work a little differently from inkjet printers. Specifically, both black-and-white and color laser printers have a corona wire that distributes the toner on the document being printed. Therefore, the cleaning process will work a little differently.

Be sure to follow your manufacturers’ recommendations throughout the process. In general, though, here are the steps you can follow:

1. Begin turning off and unplugging the printer. Then, give it a few minutes to cool down before you begin to open it up to clean it. Laser printers can get hot while in use, so this step will help you avoid injuries.
   
2. Next, open the printer so you can see the inner parts.
3. Take a dusting cloth to gently wipe off the wires you see.
4. Check your toner guards. These guards help keep excess toner from getting onto the document and damaging the paper. Look for excessive toner buildup on the guards. You may need to replace them or wipe them with a clean cloth to reduce the toner buildup.
5. You can use isopropyl alcohol to wipe down the rollers that feed your paper, as buildup here can lead to streaks or smudges on the paper.
6. Canned cleaning dusters with compressed gas can help you blow out any dust that has gathered around the fan.

Plan on cleaning the inside of your laser printer about twice per year.

Run Regular Checks on the Printer and Its Software

To help keep your printer cleaned and well-maintained, try to stay on top of software updates related to your printer. Software updates help repair any problems that the software developers might have noticed and help make sure that the software your printer relies on is working optimally.

Depending on the type of printer you have, you might be able to run through some cleaning tasks directly from the computer. For example, if you open up the “printers and devices” portion of your computer — typically found under “start” — you’ll see several cleaning options available for your printer under “maintenance.” Often, you’ll see:

• Nozzle cleaning: This consumes some ink and can play a helpful role if you want to see a crisper picture or if you notice that a particular color doesn’t seem to come through well, even though you have plenty of ink left.
• Printer head alignment: This makes sure that the ink and paper have the alignment necessary to produce a high-quality image.
• A nozzle spray check: This will allow you to gauge the clarity before you print your document.

Check your settings to see what cleaning options are available for your printer.

Use Quality Paper

The last best practice involves the quality of paper you load into the printer. Good quality printer paper can help the ink look sharp and clear when you print your document. It will also move more smoothly through the printer. For an all-in-one printer, having quality paper can help the machine regardless of the function it performs. The smoother the print job, the easier it will be for the printer to keep serving you for years to come.

Help Your Printer Go the Distance

Your printer is a vital part of your office, so you should take proper care of it. With the right maintenance and care, your printer can last you for years to come.

With multiple brands of printers, ink, and paper available, it has never been easier to find and maintain the right printer for your needs.

About the Author

Jessica Burshtynskyy has been a freelance writer for over 10 years. When she is not at her computer writing, you can usually find her outside by the water. 

All content provided herein is for educational purposes only. It is provided “as is,” and neither the author nor Office Depot warrants the accuracy of the information provided, nor do they assume any responsibility for errors, omissions, or contrary interpretation of the subject matter herein.