Simple Steps to Clean Your Epson Printhead

Do you own an Epson printer and find yourself facing print quality issues? The culprit could be your printhead. So, what exactly is a printhead? It is the part of the printer that holds the nozzles responsible for depositing ink onto paper. Maintaining the printhead is vital to keep your prints sharp and clear. We recommend cleaning your printhead every six months or when you notice a decline in print quality.  

To avoid clogs an ensure peak performance, it is important to take preventative measures:

• Use printer regularly to ensure ink flows properly and does not dry out
• Use high quality ink cartridge to ward off buildup
• Properly turn off printer to prevent damage or drying of the ink

If you experience print quality issues like missing lines or ink smears, we’d recommend:

• Run a printhead nozzle check and clean the printhead directly from printer display
• If the issue persist, try manually cleaning your printhead
  • Clean Printhead Sponges with Distilled Water
  • Clean Printhead with Paper Towel
  • Distilled Water in Ink Port
  • Using Epson’s Print Head Cleaning Utility

Clean Printhead Sponges with Distilled Water

1. Turn off your printer
2. Open the top to see the printhead assembly
3. Look for a small plastic lever on the left
4. Move the lever forward and down to release the printhead
5. Push the assembly to the right to release it completely
6. You should see sponges that store ink from the cartridges in the carriage
7. To clean the sponges, saturate them with distilled water or Windex solution using an eyedropper or plastic syringe
8. Let the distilled water set for at least 15 minutes (overnight, if possible)
9. Print 5-8 pages with text and images until your prints are clean and crisp

*If you don’t see a lever, print a page with the top up and unplug the printer with the assembly in the center, unlocked

Clean Printhead with Paper Towels

1. Turn off the printer
2. Tear a paper towel in half and fold it to about half an inch wide
3. Locate the rubber roller in the paper feed system
4. Attach the paper towel to the roller with tape
5. Apply several drops of distilled water or cleaner near middle of towel
6. Move printhead assembly over the paper towel
7. Let it sit for 15 minutes (overnight, if possible)
8. Repeat with fresh damp paper towels until you see individual colors from each ink port
9. Wipe the printhead’s belly to remove any additional buildup

Distilled Water in Ink Port

1. Remove the ink cartridges
2. Locate small cone-shaped indents that take the ink from the cartridge to the printhead
3. Using an eyedropper or plastic syringe, add a couple of drops of distilled water or cleaner into the ink port that may be clogged
4. Remember to only add cleaner to the plugged port!
5. Reinstall the cartridges
6. Print 6-8 pages of text and images to test clarity

Clean Printhead with Epson Print Head Cleaning Utility

When to Use?

• Try manual cleaning methods first before resorting to software cleaning
• If manual cleaning doesn’t improve print quality, use the utility
• After extended periods of printer inactivity, run the utility to clear any clogs

How to Use?

1. Download and install the Epson Print Head Cleaning utility on your computer
2. Ensure your Epson printer is connected to your computer and powered on
3. Open the Print Head Cleaning utility on your computer
4. Follow the step-by-step instructions provided by the utility
5. Be patient as the cleaning process may take some time depending on the severity of the clog

Tips:

• Use high-quality ink cartridges for best results
• Run the utility occasionally to prevent clogs from developing
• Avoid running too many cleaning cycles at once to conserve ink
• If print quality doesn’t improve after several cleaning cycles, contact Epson for further assistance

Regular maintenance is key to preserving print quality and avoiding costly repairs. Practice preventative measures and when needed, clean your printhead manually or with Epson’s utility. With these tips and tricks, your Epson printer will keep producing exception prints. Happy Printing!