How to Clean an Epson R1800 Sponge Soaked With Ink
- 1). Put on the gloves and protective eyewear. Turn on the computer and printer.
- 2). Run a printer cleaning program or print head cleaning cycle. On your computer desktop, go to the "Start" tab, select "Control Panel" and select "Printers and Other Hardware." Right-click Epson R1800 and choose "Printing Preferences." Click on the "Maintenance" tab. Select "Auto Nozzle Check and Cleaning." Run the program. Load several sheets of paper into the feeder. Print a test page. Run this cycle five times.
- 3). Run the head clean utility feature of the printer. For Windows: Right-click on the printer icon. This is located on the taskbar, lower-right corner of the monitor; select "Head Cleaning." If the icon isn't in the taskbar, click on "Start," go to "Control Panel," select "Printers and Faxes," right-click on "EPSON Stylus R1800" and select "Printing Preferences." Click on the "Maintenance" tab and select "Head Cleaning."
- 4). Turn on the printer. A green power light will show if the printer is on. Open the printer cover. Remove the printer cartridge by pressing the ink icon button. The print head will move when you do this and the green power light will flash. A red light will indicate the corresponding ink cartridge that needs to be replaced. Lift up the cartridge covering. Press the tab behind the indicated cartridge; lift it slowly off the slot.
- 5). Turn off the printer. Unplug the power cord. Wipe the outer part of the printer with a damp cloth. Use a clean dry cloth to wipe away spilled or dried ink only on the black plastic area.
- 6). Fold a paper towel in half and then in half again. Push it into the black plastic feed where the print head moves back and forth. Carefully slide the print head over the towel. The towel will turn black from absorbed spilled and dried ink. Do this several times. This would soak all residual inks. Get a clean dry towel and gently wipe the print head area and the black channel.