cleaning a laser printer?

spigidygak · 01-14-2003, 02:19 PM

My parent's hp laserjet 2100 is having some bad issues with printing now. the printouts are having smudges all over the print out. Is there a way to clean it? Not sure what happened, almost looks like toner got all over the rollers or something.

ribitch · 01-14-2003, 02:50 PM

compressed air, cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol and paper towel always worked for me when cleaning dirty laser printers. just make sure you wear crappy clothes and blow the toner out in an area that can get dirty.

also rub the rollers down with the rubbing alcohol. this will remove some of your smudges. you may also want to take a peak at the toner cartridge ittself. i have seen tons of hp toners carts that build up toner on its internal rollers.

CynJon · 01-14-2003, 03:29 PM

OfficeDepot carries these Kensington Laser Printer Cleaning Sheets. Your best bet, as Ribitch said, is to clean what you can with alcohol, and then run one of these sheets through. I believe they are like a paper towel, just a little stiffer so there aren't any feeding problems. Should take care of most problems...

spigidygak · 01-14-2003, 08:19 PM

Yeah I'll probably have to clean it out . . . one thing I noticed on looking closer at the print outs. Not sure how to explain it but I guess it prints out lets say a paragraph of text. Its not really smudges going on but like a light layer of the exact text being printed a few lines down out of sync. Very light and not really smudges or smears, its cleanly, but very lightly misplaced printing.

ribitch · 01-14-2003, 08:42 PM

sounds like dirty rollers. what i meant about the paper towleing it to rub down each roller. that way the roller is free of any excess residue. the excess toner may be on th erollers inside the print cartridge.

spigidygak · 01-14-2003, 11:47 PM

so how would I go about cleaning the internal rollers. . . compressed air? And shoot it where the toner cart goes?

Tommy Boomfiger · 01-15-2003, 12:25 AM

got a free sample of laser printer cleaning paper from here once but i havent used it because my printer has never given me anything but optimal results. you even posted the deal spigs

spigidygak · 01-15-2003, 01:40 AM

Hehe. . . yeah I remember that. . . I think I even got the stuff, but not sure where it is now. Go figure a "useless" freebie that probably would have done me some good now. Hopefully they'll send me another one

01-14-2003, 02:19 PM	#1
spigidygak Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: Redlands & San Diego, CA. Posts: 5,882	cleaning a laser printer? My parent's hp laserjet 2100 is having some bad issues with printing now. the printouts are having smudges all over the print out. Is there a way to clean it? Not sure what happened, almost looks like toner got all over the rollers or something. __________________

01-14-2003, 02:50 PM	#2
ribitch Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,672	compressed air, cotton swabs, rubbing alcohol and paper towel always worked for me when cleaning dirty laser printers. just make sure you wear crappy clothes and blow the toner out in an area that can get dirty. also rub the rollers down with the rubbing alcohol. this will remove some of your smudges. you may also want to take a peak at the toner cartridge ittself. i have seen tons of hp toners carts that build up toner on its internal rollers. __________________ http://ribitch.com/ipod.html

01-14-2003, 03:29 PM	#3
CynJon Commander Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: The middle of the country Posts: 1,424	OfficeDepot carries these Kensington Laser Printer Cleaning Sheets. Your best bet, as Ribitch said, is to clean what you can with alcohol, and then run one of these sheets through. I believe they are like a paper towel, just a little stiffer so there aren't any feeding problems. Should take care of most problems... __________________

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01-14-2003, 08:19 PM	#4
spigidygak Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: Redlands & San Diego, CA. Posts: 5,882	Yeah I'll probably have to clean it out . . . one thing I noticed on looking closer at the print outs. Not sure how to explain it but I guess it prints out lets say a paragraph of text. Its not really smudges going on but like a light layer of the exact text being printed a few lines down out of sync. Very light and not really smudges or smears, its cleanly, but very lightly misplaced printing.

01-14-2003, 08:42 PM	#5
ribitch Rear Admiral Upper Half Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Michigan Posts: 3,672	sounds like dirty rollers. what i meant about the paper towleing it to rub down each roller. that way the roller is free of any excess residue. the excess toner may be on th erollers inside the print cartridge.

01-14-2003, 11:47 PM	#6
spigidygak Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: Redlands & San Diego, CA. Posts: 5,882	so how would I go about cleaning the internal rollers. . . compressed air? And shoot it where the toner cart goes?

01-15-2003, 12:25 AM	#7
Tommy Boomfiger Rear Admiral Lower Half Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Chi town Posts: 2,348	got a free sample of laser printer cleaning paper from here once but i havent used it because my printer has never given me anything but optimal results. you even posted the deal spigs

01-15-2003, 01:40 AM	#8
spigidygak Admiral Join Date: May 2000 Location: Redlands & San Diego, CA. Posts: 5,882	Hehe. . . yeah I remember that. . . I think I even got the stuff, but not sure where it is now. Go figure a "useless" freebie that probably would have done me some good now. Hopefully they'll send me another one

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