The Ultimate Printer Cleaning Quiz

When you want to print something on your printer, first you turn the printer on, send the print command from your computer and wait for the printer to do it's thing. It's also a good idea to check whether the paper and ink are loaded properly.

The microscopic ink nozzles in an inkjet printer and the mirror and rollers in a laser printer are examples of some complicated printer parts that may need occasional maintenance.

Cleaning your printer occasionally will save you money by helping you get the maximum number of printed pages out of your ink cartridges. It will also give you better printing results.

In an inkjet printer, the printer head is the part that contains tiny nozzles that spray ink onto the paper. If the printer head gets clogged, some colors might not print correctly, or you might notice streaks or smears on your paper.

The print carriage that holds the print cartridges has its own special place away from the paper path. This protects the ink cartridges and printer heads from dust and dry-out.

If your printer is being used in a very dusty environment, such as an office trailer on a construction site, you may want to use a plastic cover to protect it when it's not in use.

If your printer needs cleaning, check your printer's owner's manual for instructions on how to activate the cleaning or maintenance cycle. If you want to clean the printer head manually, you can use isopropyl alcohol and a lint free cloth or cotton swab.

Just cleaning the dust off the top of your printer can keep dust from getting into the printer's insides. All you need is a damp cloth.

Cleaning a laser printer can be dangerous, since some parts of a laser printer can be very hot, and toner particles can irritate your lungs if you inhale them. Your best bet is to call a professional printer service technician.

Using low-quality paper or recycled or third party ink products in your printer may save you money in the short run, but may cause long-term problems.