Making your own print head cleaning fluid.

thor

I've been scouring the internet to find ingredients for print head cleaning fluids. I see that the main recommendations are for a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and the window cleaner windex. Now I know that windex is an american thing and there is no UK equivalent due to the lack of ammonia in products on this side of the pond.

So I am posting here to ask for any suggestions on creating my own diy cleaning fluid for my currently blocked epson print head with ingredients readily available in the UK.

Neil_Jones

Why?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=printer+head+cleaner+kit&i=electronics

Anyway the UK equivalent of Windex is probably something like Mr Muscle, but ammonia based products aren't illegal in the UK and there is nothing to stop you buying a bottle of ammonia from Homebase.  Don't mix it with any other cleaning products (especially bleach) because the end result will be a gas which is toxic.

Ergates

Just isopropanol would be a good start.  Not hard to get hold of.

flaneurs_lobster

Original (w/ammonia) Windex available on Amazon/eBay albeit for over a tenner.

Just squit it it with WD-40, if it fixes stuck bike wheels and squeaky hinges it must be OK for printer heads, no?

Neil_Jones

flaneurs_lobster said:

Original (w/ammonia) Windex available on Amazon/eBay albeit for over a tenner.

Just squit it it with WD-40, if it fixes stuck bike wheels and squeaky hinges it must be OK for printer heads, no?

Not necessarily:

https://www.printerknowledge.com/threads/made-the-mistake-of-using-wd-40.15350/

Though I think the issue in that case was just squirting it round willy-nilly and then wondering why it caused more damage than whatever they were trying to fix.

Used in small doses it might be okay.  However the clue is in the name - WD-40.  Water Displacement.  Printer ink is not water based, it's paste/dye based.  WD-40 may help when the printer goes through its head cleaning cycles though.

Ergates

Anyone tried a Karcher?

flaneurs_lobster

Ergates said:

Anyone tried a Karcher?

Exactly, power washer filled with WD-40, that'll shift yer blockage.

Grey_Critic

Probably much cheaper (and a lot less hassle) to just buy a new print cartridge.

debitcardmayhem

Head and shoulders anyone?

Heedtheadvice

Alcohol (Meths is cheap) mixed with 25% water (to prevent  rapid drying of alcohol) and a liquid dropper to add to the head a few drops at a time then replace  cartridges and test print a few times has worked for me.