What You Need to Clean the Feed Belt
Cleaning the paper feed belt for the first time might seem intimidating, but in reality, it’s one of the simplest maintenance tasks you can do for your printer. It’s straightforward because it requires only a few items and doesn’t involve removing any parts from the printer.
To begin, you’ll need a lint-free cloth, such as an eyeglass or screen cleaning cloth. A coffee filter can also work well! It’s important to use a lint-free cloth to avoid leaving fibers behind, which can happen with tissues, rags, or regular cloths. Lint-free is always the best choice! The second item you’ll need is Denatured Alcohol. If you can’t find denatured alcohol, 90% or higher Isopropyl alcohol is a good substitute.
Why You Might Need to Clean the Feed Belt
The main reason for cleaning the feed belt is to eliminate roller marks or ink smearing on your prints. You might notice lines that consistently appear in the same spot on all prints, but these lines won’t be evenly spaced. A dirty or damaged feed belt can also cause an SC 57000 error message. While cleaning the feed belt can help troubleshoot these issues, it’s also a good idea to inspect the feed belt as part of your regular monthly maintenance. Checking the belt each month for dirt or lines will allow you to clean it before problems arise.
How to Clean the Feed Belt
The cleaning process is fairly easy. First, turn off and unplug the printer. This ensures that the printer doesn’t think there’s an issue while you’re cleaning. Don’t worry; it’s perfectly fine to turn off the printer during cleaning! You’ll power it back on when you’re finished.
Next, take the Isopropyl alcohol and lightly dampen the lint-free cloth—just enough for the cloth to absorb some liquid, but not so much that it’s dripping. Open the printer’s top cover, and gently wipe down the feed belt (it’s the black shiny strip that looks like film or plastic). After that, take another cloth with some alcohol on it and gently wipe the paper feed belt. Don’t apply too much pressure to avoid damaging or scratching the belt. When done, wipe the belt with a dry lint-free cloth to remove any excess moisture.
You’ll need to rotate the belt to clean all of it. To do this, open the rear door by pressing in the two gray tabs. You should now see the gray rollers. Once you’ve cleaned the visible part of the belt, gently press down on the gray rollers to rotate the feed belt. Be careful not to slide the rollers back and forth, as this could cause a paper misfeed. This will allow you to clean all areas of the belt, not just the visible parts. Repeat the cleaning process with the Isopropyl alcohol until the feed belt is fully cleaned.
Once you’re finished, close the rear cover and ensure it clicks into place. Wait 15-30 minutes to allow the belt to dry completely. It’s crucial to let the belt dry before using the printer. If you don’t wait, it could cause issues with paper handling or printing quality.
A Few Helpful Tips
Patience is key when cleaning the feed belt. If you want to be extra sure the belt is dry, leave the printer off for an hour before using it again. You can find lint-free cloths or eyeglass cleaners at most drugstores. Lastly, if the gray rollers come out of place while you’re rotating them, gently return them to their correct position. Avoid sliding them too much, as this can cause paper feed errors.
That’s the complete process for cleaning the feed belt during troubleshooting or routine maintenance. If you need further assistance, don’t hesitate to contact our Care Team. Happy printing!