| Cleaning a laser printer, fax, or copier of | | | | |
| laser toner can | | | | You can use the regular cotton swabs found |
| | | | in your local |
| be easy, provided you know what you're doing | | | | |
| and use the | | | | drugstore or those made especially for |
| | | | cleaning printers. |
| right tools. This article will share with | | | | |
| you some simple | | | | The printer swabs come with six-inch-long |
| | | | sticks.Isopropyl alcohol: |
| tips to help you clean your laser printers | | | | |
| of laser toner | | | | Do not use regular rubbing alcohol. Either |
| | | | use chemicals |
| like a pro.A word to the wise: Before I | | | | |
| begin, I'd like to stress that | | | | that are specifically designed to clean the |
| | | | heads of VCRs, |
| this article is intended only to assist you | | | | |
| with basic | | | | cassette tapes, tape drives, and the like or |
| | | | use 99 percent |
| cleaning of the laser toner from your laser | | | | |
| printer. If | | | | pure isopropyl alcohol, which evaporates |
| | | | without leaving any |
| you're unsure of your ability to perform any | | | | |
| sort of printer | | | | residue.Paint brush (soft bristle, about a |
| | | | half-inch wide): |
| maintenance, or if performing such | | | | |
| maintenance will void the | | | | This is used to brush out toner from tight |
| | | | crevices. Since |
| printer's warranty, you should contact a | | | | |
| qualified service | | | | bristles may fall out during the cleaning |
| | | | process, pull out |
| professional.Some safety issues: Though | | | | |
| laser printers come in various | | | | any loose ones before you use the brush. I |
| | | | don't recommend |
| shapes and sizes, they all use laser toner | | | | |
| (that messy black | | | | using toothbrushes.Latex gloves (optional): |
| | | | |
| powder). While cleaning your laser printer, | | | | These must fit tightly on your hands since |
| the last thing | | | | you want to |
| | | | |
| you want is to have laser toner in your | | | | maintain skin sensitivity. Drugstores |
| lungs or on your | | | | usually sell them in |
| | | | |
| skin. The tips provided in this article | | | | boxes of 100. This is to keep your hands |
| should help reduce | | | | clean but if you |
| | | | |
| the chance of you being bathed in laser | | | | don't have them you can just wash up with |
| toner while cleaning | | | | soap and water |
| | | | |
| your printer.Laser toner particles are so | | | | afterwards.Okay, let's begin cleaning that |
| fine that they | | | | laser printer of the laser |
| | | | |
| can take more than fifteen minutes to settle | | | | toner. Now that you have the tools, it's |
| if they become | | | | time to unplug the |
| | | | |
| airborne make that hours if you have fans or | | | | laser printer, let it sit for one hour, and |
| air- | | | | then follow the |
| | | | |
| conditioners circulating them through an | | | | steps below:1. Put on your mask and latex |
| office. To avoid | | | | gloves if you have them.2. Open the printer |
| | | | and gently remove the laser toner |
| inhaling laser toner particles, try to keep | | | | |
| the air in the | | | | cartridge or laser toner bottle.3. Use your |
| | | | wash cloth and wipe the laser toner |
| cleaning area stable and leave the printer | | | | cartridge. |
| area for several | | | | |
| | | | Place the laser toner cartridge aside.4. Use |
| minutes after cleaning. When you return, | | | | your vacuum to remove spilled laser toner |
| move slowly, open | | | | from within |
| | | | |
| all windows, and begin vacuuming any laser | | | | the printer's internal compartment. Try to |
| toner from the | | | | prevent the |
| | | | |
| floor, tabletops, and so forth.Another | | | | vacuum's nozzle from actually touching any |
| dangerous area common to all laser printers | | | | of the printer's |
| is the | | | | |
| | | | internal surfaces.5. Use your paintbrush to |
| fuser-roller compartment. The fuser roller | | | | remove laser toner from any |
| gets extremely | | | | |
| | | | crevices. Use gentle motions and vacuum as |
| hot during the printing process and is | | | | necessary.6. Many laser printers use very |
| usually covered for | | | | fine wires (called 'corona |
| | | | |
| safety. Burns can occur, however, if you | | | | wires') that are often exposed. If your |
| accidentally | | | | printer has such |
| | | | |
| uncover and touch the roller. I recommend | | | | wires, take care to avoid vacuuming or |
| that you leave | | | | brushing them. |
| | | | |
| your printer off for at least one hour | | | | Breaking a corona wire can be a costly |
| before cleaning it of | | | | mistake. Dip a cotton |
| | | | |
| laser toner.As with all electrical | | | | swab into isopropyl alcohol and gently run |
| equipment, make sure that the power | | | | it along the |
| | | | |
| cable is unplugged before you begin any | | | | length of the wire. Also be sure to clean |
| work.Here are the basic tools you need to | | | | the underside of |
| clean the laser toner | | | | |
| | | | the wires. Never apply pressure.7.Reinsert |
| from the laser printer: | | | | the laser toner cartridge, close the printer, |
| | | | |
| -Vacuum | | | | reconnect the power cord, and you are |
| | | | done.Avoid using the wash cloth inside the |
| -Compressed can of air | | | | printer. Though you |
| | | | |
| -Wash cloth | | | | can use the wash cloth to clean the inside, |
| | | | I do not |
| -Mask | | | | |
| | | | recommend it. There are many sharp points |
| -Cotton Swabs | | | | that can tear the |
| | | | |
| -Isopropyl Alcohol (99 percent pure) | | | | cloth's fiber and leave loose strands inside |
| | | | the printer.OEM vs. Remanufactured Laser |
| -Paint Brush (soft bristle, about a | | | | Toner Cartridges Although many |
| half-inch wide) | | | | |
| | | | people buy OEM Name Brand laser toner |
| -Latex gloves (optional)Compressed air: | | | | cartridges, little do |
| | | | |
| You can buy this in any department store or | | | | they know, they really are remanufactured! |
| | | | Can you believe |
| office supply store. Ranges in price from | | | | |
| $3.00 to $10.00 | | | | it? Seriously folks, why spend many more |
| | | | dollars on OEM's |
| per 10 oz. bottle. Use adequate ventilation | | | | |
| please.Mask: | | | | when you can get THE SAME quality laser |
| | | | toner cartridges for |
| You'll want to prevent laser toner particles | | | | |
| from | | | | half or less than half the price? When you |
| | | | buy an OEM laser |
| entering your throat and lungs. While laser | | | | |
| toner inhalation | | | | toner cartridge, just look at the box! It |
| | | | says "Made of new |
| has not been proven to cause serious health | | | | |
| problems, | | | | and recycled materials". The OEM companies |
| | | | want you to send |
| respiratory tract irritation can occur with | | | | |
| exposure to | | | | your laser toner cartridge back to them , so |
| | | | they can |
| large amounts of laser toner dust. Laser | | | | |
| toner can also | | | | remanufacture it , and sell it back to you |
| | | | as new! Buying |
| contain potentially hazardous compounds, | | | | |
| such as styrene, | | | | remanufactured laser toner cartridges saves |
| | | | the environment. |
| ethyl benzene, and xylene isomers. Use a | | | | |
| mask that filters | | | | Millions of laser toner cartridges get |
| | | | dumped in landfills |
| both odors and fine particles, such as the | | | | |
| ones used for | | | | every year. So, please, save the |
| | | | environment,and save your |
| painting and sanding. You can usually find | | | | |
| these at local | | | | money!Happy Cleaning!Rafael Nunez is |
| | | | responsible for all product quality at |
| hardware stores.Cotton swabs: | | | | Alchemy Toners, Inc. |