While most people don’t do it, cleaning printer rollers is an essential maintenance task to ensure smooth paper feeding and prevent paper jams. It takes about 10 minutes and can drastically lengthen the life of your printer. So grab your cleaning supplies and follow these steps:

  1. Gather Supplies:
    • Cotton swabs or lint-free cloths
    • Isopropyl alcohol or distilled water (avoid using tap water)
    • Clean, dry cloth
  2. Power Off the Printer:
    • Turn off the printer and unplug it from the power source. This ensures your safety during the cleaning process.
  3. Access the Paper Tray:
    • Open the paper tray or access panel to expose the printer rollers. Refer to your printer's manual for guidance on locating the rollers or do a quick internet search.
  4. Identify and Remove Loose Debris:
    • Inspect the rollers for any loose debris, such as paper dust or small particles. Gently remove any visible debris by hand.
  5. Dampen the Cloth or Swab:
    • Moisten a lint-free cloth or cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol or distilled water. Ensure that the cloth or swab is not dripping wet, as excess moisture can damage the printer.
  6. Clean the Rollers:
    • Wipe the rollers with the dampened cloth or swab. Rotate the rollers manually to clean the entire surface. Apply gentle pressure, and avoid using excessive force to prevent damage.
  7. Repeat as Necessary:
    • If the rollers are particularly dirty, you may need to repeat the cleaning process with a fresh cloth or swab until no more debris is visible.
  8. Dry the Rollers:
    • Allow the rollers to air-dry completely before closing the paper tray or panel. Ensure that there is no residual moisture, as damp rollers can cause paper jams.
  9. Close the Printer:
    • Once the rollers are dry, close the paper tray or access panel securely.
  10. Power On the Printer:
    • Plug in the printer and turn it on. Test the printer by running a test page to ensure that the rollers are functioning smoothly.

Regularly cleaning the printer rollers, especially in environments with high print volumes, can significantly improve paper feed reliability and reduce the risk of paper jams.

Printing High Volume with No Time to Clean? We’ve got you covered.

Doctor’s offices, lawyers, CPA’s, dealerships and schools are just a few of the businesses that see high print volumes. While cleaning is a necessary component of your printers health, staff members simply don’t have time to be cotton swabbing machines.

That’s why MLS offers Managed Print Contracts. For a flat rate yearly fee, we’ll come in and provide all of your printer maintenance and cleaning services. Contracts include:

    • Two preventative maintenance cleanings per year at no cost, which will eliminate 50-65% of all service calls.
    • A 25% discount on any parts installed during the contract period. If service is required at any other time during the contract period, the labor rate is reduced from $99 to $55.
    • Complimentary installation of all pickup and feed rollers.
    • Take service priority, with same day/next day response time.
    • Special reduced pricing on all OEM and compatible toner cartridges.
    • 35-50% discounts on refurbished Hewlett Packard LaserJet printers.

Call today for more details at 630-654-0002 or click here.

Share this post

Back to All Posts