When printer toners run out, the machine stops working. It’s time to make new replacements. It is essential to keep track of your toner levels so you can order new ones in advance. This way, you can refill or replace them immediately once they run out.
Toner cartridges come with a waste toner container. So when you throw out an empty cartridge, you are also getting rid of the toner container—no need to clean it.
However, if your printer has a built-in waste toner container, it’s best to clean it regularly. Some copiers also have refillable toner cartridges. If you have such machines, this article is an easy guide on how to clean waste toner container.
What You Need
A waste toner container or toner bottle catches powder residues on the drum inside your printer. Without it, your printer will poorly work as powder may mound in the printer.
A warning pops out on your screen when the waste toner container is full and is in need of cleaning.
Some printers have toner containers, while some have not. Cleaning your toner container also depends on the model of your laser print or copier.
Here are the things you need to clean most toner containers:
- Latex gloves
- Mask
- Toner Vacuum
- Activated toner cloth
- Paintbrush
- Cotton swabs
Here are the easy steps on how to clean toner container or waste cartridge:
- It is best to turn off your printer or copier one hour before cleaning it.
- Wear Latex gloves to keep your hands tidy during the cleaning process.
- Wear a mask to avoid inhaling toner particles.
- Open the printer or copier.
- Remove the toner container.
- Place the container in a piece of activated toner cloth.
- Wipe excess powder with activated toner cloth.
- Use vacuum to remove spilled toner in the internal components.
- Use a paintbrush to clean crevices that are hard to reach.
- Use the vacuum again for residues.
Using the same safety gears (latex gloves and mask), you can clean your toner container in this other way. To do this process, you need a plastic bag, a clean cloth, and a paintbrush.
- Remove waste toner container from printer or copier.
- Place it in a plastic bag.
- Seal the bag properly.
- From outside, open the flap of the container.
- Hold the container with two hands.
- Shake the container to release powder residues in the bag.
- Once the container is empty, take out the waste toner container from the bag.
- Wipe the container with a clean cloth to get rid of excess powder.
- Use a paintbrush to clean hard-to-reach parts.
- Put back the container to the copier or printer.
Remember to read your copier and printer’s user manual to know how to fix and clean them and their parts. The processes vary depending on the model. It is also best to keep the manuals for future reference.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned the easy way on how to clean waste toner container, you won’t have to panic the next time a warning pops up on your screen. Clean and well-maintained machines work efficiently for a long time. Clean away, and get your quality prints done in no time! Discover more cleaning tips here!