is bleach or hydrogen peroxide safe for cleaning printhead?

[akramjef]

I want to share my (one) experiment in cleaning canon printhead.
my friend brought to me his canon printer which causes a lot of trouble to him (printhead clogging) before he stored it in dry hot store out side his house one year ago. last week he remembered his printer and tried to use it but not successful. he gave to me to try clearing the clog (as a last chance)before throwing it away .
i tried to clean the printhead with Windex and alcohol several times for 2 days, but the nozzle check showed only fine streaks of cyan , then i injected hydrogen peroxide 20% solution into the ink inlet of the printhead for 7 times ,the nozzle check showed streaks of cyan,magenta and black which didn't change even after 10 times of H2O2 injection. then i injected Clorox solution in the ink inlet 3 times followed by distilled water. some thing magic happened , the nozzle check showed full color as if it is new printer , i did several prints (texts and photos ) , it was very beautiful results. i gave it to him ,now he is using it happily in printing his photos , any body try using Clorox or H2O2 for head cleaning , are they safe on the long runs.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

some of such agents may react with metal parts like Clorox - probably sodiumhypochlorite, but only as long as you apply it. It would make a difference in this respect if you just flush the nozzles and the use regular ink afterwards or you keep it for an extended period e.g. overnight. It's fine if you are sucessful but it is most likely not a miracle liquid for all types of printhead/nozzle problems

 

[martin0reg]

I once tried it .. without success ..
http://www.printerknowledge.com/thr...failed-the-last-cleaning-method-to-try.10083/

 

[jtoolman]

NOOOOOOO!

 

[akramjef]

I think it is worth trying this method as a last resuscitation before issuing death certificate to the print head, I think we can put these steps to use this method.
1- failure of other safer solutions to unclog the head.
2-must be used with extreme precaution to prevent spilling and contamination of the electric chip and contacts. and /or our clothes.
3-attach long rubber tube (10-12cm) on each ink inlet opening and fill it with Clorox and put the head on kitchen sponge ,leave it to drain with gravity,can be refilled several times using syringe until clear solution is coming out of the nozzle .
4-preferable to smear vegetable oil on the electric contacts and a little bit of grease on the screws (this what i did in the experiment) to prevent reaction with Clorox , and to rule out any iatrogenic cause of print head death.
5-flush the head thoroughly with distilled water to get rid of any Clorox remain.
6-remove the oil and grease with piece of clothes damped with Windex then with distilled water.
7- try to use the print head.
i will try to contact canon dealer and ask him if he can supply me with printers that had been left by the owner (unwanted). to repeat this experiment and to see if it is really successful.
thank you.

 

[pharmacist]

vegetable oil is not recommended: it will polymerize on the long term (remember flax seed oil, used in oil paint), completing sealing off the contacts electronically, thus no contact anymore.

 

[akramjef]

@pharmacist the vegetable oil is only for temporary use ( as a shield ) against Clorox. not permanent use and Windex will dissolve it and remove it. Windex contain mild ammonium , all cooking device and kitchen cleaners contain ammonium hydroxide to remove oil stain , it liberate ammonia gas and even chlorine gas when mixed with Clorox so it is contraindicated to use them together to prevent intoxication with these gases. thank you

 

[akramjef]

sorry Windex and kitchen cleaning solutions contain ammonium hydroxide and not ammonium chloride (typing mistake ). apologize.

 

[The Hat]

I reckon it’s not worth trying or testing any of these chemicals out, for one very good reason, if it can be harmful to you or your printer, then you should stay clear of them.

After all, it’s only a printer at the end of the day, but the same can’t be said for you the owner, there’s only one of you, so please stick around and stay healthy...
We’ve got no way of knowing which age group may try and copy your procedures, safety first, I say..

 

[PeterBJ]

I agree with akramjef and Ink stained Fingers. If more gentle cleaning methods have failed and a new print head is not available or too expensive compared to the value of the printer, I would also give Chlorine bleach a try. I know it is a gamble, and with a very valuable printer I would recommend trying to get a new print head instead.