Re: Cleaning solutions
Posted: 06 May 2011, 17:32
You're not far off the recipie for Windex there Gary - less the potentially harmful colouring and perfume.
John,
I've obviously not used IPA on every type of printhead or electronic device out there... SO can't give a 100% guarantee sadly... But honestly; it's a pretty much universal solvent well known to most electronic engineers. I can't see how any device designed to have a solvent run through it (some inks ARE alcohol based!) can be 'delaminated' by IPA!
- Of course if someone would rather you spent £5 on the 50ml bottle of 'strange fluid' they have to sell rather than £5 for 500ml of perfectly bog-standard, tried-and-tested , perfectly ordinary industrial solvent I can see why such a rumour might be started.
Personally I've been using inkjets for various graphics/photographic techniques since the late 90's... We do all maintenance in-house... There are a couple of 1290's here that must have been flushed a dozen times each in the years we've had them they've had so many differnet inksets through them.
Not aware of any problems caused by anything other than simple fair wear and tear!
More generally - I'm afraid my knowledge of chemistry is insufficient to say whether Ammonia leaves a deposit or not... Take a lens-cleaning tissue and wipe some on an old filter you know to be already perfectly clean ...The deposits will soon show when it evaporates!
9.5% in solution means that this substance is 90.5% distilled water... Which is probably fine in the context. I'd see no harm in going for a 10:1 solution with IPA for printer cleaning...
John,
I've obviously not used IPA on every type of printhead or electronic device out there... SO can't give a 100% guarantee sadly... But honestly; it's a pretty much universal solvent well known to most electronic engineers. I can't see how any device designed to have a solvent run through it (some inks ARE alcohol based!) can be 'delaminated' by IPA!
- Of course if someone would rather you spent £5 on the 50ml bottle of 'strange fluid' they have to sell rather than £5 for 500ml of perfectly bog-standard, tried-and-tested , perfectly ordinary industrial solvent I can see why such a rumour might be started.
Personally I've been using inkjets for various graphics/photographic techniques since the late 90's... We do all maintenance in-house... There are a couple of 1290's here that must have been flushed a dozen times each in the years we've had them they've had so many differnet inksets through them.
Not aware of any problems caused by anything other than simple fair wear and tear!
More generally - I'm afraid my knowledge of chemistry is insufficient to say whether Ammonia leaves a deposit or not... Take a lens-cleaning tissue and wipe some on an old filter you know to be already perfectly clean ...The deposits will soon show when it evaporates!
9.5% in solution means that this substance is 90.5% distilled water... Which is probably fine in the context. I'd see no harm in going for a 10:1 solution with IPA for printer cleaning...
