Fix an Old or Clogged Ink Cartridge the Cheap Way

If you've ever had a printer (not one of those super old ones) that hasn't been in use for a couple of months (or even a year or two!) that won't seem to print, the reason could be because of a clogged ink cartridge.

Further, there are multiple types of cartridges with different construction, so you might need another method or even to use something different.

This article refers mostly to printers used by general home consumers classified as "Drop on Demand" (DOD).

Unclogging it isn't very complicated, but can get messy so make sure to read the tips and steps before you begin!

Steps

Water Method

  1. Find a bathroom close by that has a sink that can give you hot water. The closer the better
  2. Place some old newspapers or paper towels in the counter of the sink. We don't want ink everywhere.
  3. Make sure your printer is plugged in and your computer has the printer drivers installed.
  4. Open the printer up to reveal the ink cartridges.
  5. Take out the black ink cartridge. This trick might work for a colored ink cartridge, but it's probably a better idea to use a black cartridge.
  6. Take the cartridge to the sink and put it down on the old newspaper or paper towels. Try to rest it sort of diagonally so that the part where the ink actually comes out isn't completely touching the paper towel or you could have a mess.
  7. Turn on the sink and wait until you can get very hot water.
  8. Pull that thing behind the sink handle that closes the drain and keeps water in the sink.
  9. Let the sink fill with hot water, but ONLY a little bit. No more than 3/4" from the very bottom.
  10. Place the cartridge in the sink so the part where the ink comes out is in the water. Make sure it gets past the surface of the water. Ink may (and probably will) come out, don't be alarmed!
  11. If ink comes out immediately then your cartridge isn't terribly clogged. About 5 minutes in the sink should do the trick. Otherwise, you might have to wait up to 20 minutes.
  12. Dry off the cartridge so it's no more than damp, and put it back in the printer and give it a test run.

The Vacuum Method

  1. Attach the hose to the Print cartridge nozzle , closing the gap with blue-or white tack or plasticine.
  2. For only a few seconds at a time, turn on vacuum adjusting the suction with the regulator or speed control and leave the cartridge in the vertical nozzle down position.
  3. Repeat process until the nozzle is cleared.
  4. Blot off the excess ink with toilet roll.
  5. Refit cartridge.

The Last Resort Method

  1. Determine what type of cartridge you have. This should be either electronic, sponge or open head. Electronic heads are normally covered with orange wire strips. Sponge heads are obviously sponge which can be touched. Open heads are a hole with nothing in them but ink.
    • For electronic heads, simply throw in trash. These heads are unreliable, especially if you don't print every day.
      1. Get rid of your printer. Give it away. Deliver it to your local thrift store.
      2. Buy a printer with sponge or open heads. These almost never dry out because the system keeps them sealed. Usually you will find these in printers with four or more cartridges; three separate colors and one black (aka CMYK).
    • If you have a sponge or open head cartridge, and you already did the other methods to no avail, your cartridge is dead. The ink has dried and hardened to a point it cannot be salvaged. Buy a new one. They can usually be found cheap on Ebay.



Tips

  • If you accidentally get some ink on a counter top or in the sink and can't get rid of it, use a bit of hydrogen peroxide and rub it off.
  • If you don't use your printer much (like most homeowners), cartridges drying out could be problem. You will want to get sponge head cartridges. These don't dry out as quickly.
  • Cartridges online have become very cheap. Check Ebay, Amazon etc. It makes refilling your own not even worth it, but don't forget to recycle your old ones so they will remain cheap.
  • Consider searching Ebay or similar site for specialty refillable or Continuous Ink Systems for your printer model. These are designed to be used a long time.

Warnings

  • When taking the cartridge out of the sink, some ink may drip out so be ready!
  • While unclogging, you will be using very hot water! Be careful!
  • Printer ink is messy and can sometimes be hard to remove. Wear gloves and an apron to prevent ink from getting all over you.

Things You'll Need

  • An old printer or ink cartridge that hasn't been used in a while
  • Gloves
  • Apron
  • Paper towels or newspaper
  • Sink that can get you hot water.
  • Hydrogen peroxide (for cleaning up)

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Sources and Citations

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