1. Get supplies you’ll need for the cleaning. Around 10 cotton swabs is a good start. Get either bottled, distilled or filtered water to moisten the swabs. (Tap water is no good because there can be contaminants in the water which will cause damage.) Obtain some sheets of paper or some paper towels to set the cartridges on while you clean the printer. You’ll also need about 2 or 4 coffee filters. They are good to absorb the residual ink under the ink cartridge cradle.

2. Open the cover, let the cartridges move to the center of the printer, then unplug the printer and remove the cartridges. (Don’t have the cartridges out of the printer for more than 30 minutes or they will dry out.)

3. Dip a swab in water and squeeze out the excess. Wipe the face and edges of the black cartridge (not the nozzle plate). Wipe off any visible traces of dust or dirt. Do the same with the color cartridge with a fresh swab.

4. Clean the service station (under the on/off switch on the top right side) with a lint-free clean cloth moistened with water. Use a light touch. Don’t rub.

5. Fold a coffee filter in half, then half again and insert it under the black ink cartridge cradle. Push it back so it is in front of the brass colored rollers. Gently move the cradle back and forth and watch the residue ink get absorbed. Turn over the folded coffee filter and do the same again. Continue until no more residues show up.

6. Put the ink cartridges back into the printer, plug in the machine and turn it on.

You can then run a Self-test in the Maintenance setting and check the output. You should have no more streaks or smears.

This will save you a lot of money and time in the long run, preventing repairs in the future. You can also save a ton of money by purchasing your ink cartridges from Inkjetsuperstore.com. We have OEM, compatible and remanufactured cartridges of the highest quality. We also back them with a one-year full money back guarantee.