4 Tips and Tricks for Disinfecting and Cleaning Printers

Get ready for the new normal at your office or business. Use these tips to help you clean and disinfect your shared printers and other office equipment.

Hands in the air if you have thought about all the surfaces that we communally touch at work. As we embark on the new normal, offices and businesses will have to follow ongoing health and safety guidelines, including regularly cleaning and disinfecting printers and other office equipment. Learn how to clean your devices properly so you can protect your team and your equipment.

Use these tips and tricks from your innov8 team:

1. What’s the Best Way to Clean Printers?

Before you start cleaning and disinfecting your equipment, make sure to:

• Turn off and unplug all devices.
• Wear disposable latex gloves.
• Never attempt to clean your printer, copier or scanner with flammable solvents, as you can damage the components and be at risk for fire or electrical shock.
• Do not open the control board yourself. Instead, contact an innov8 technician for service and repairs if required.

2. Which Parts of Your Printer Can You Clean?

Think about all the surfaces on your office equipment that you and your staff regularly touch.

Areas to clean include:

• On/off buttons
• Document feeders
• Output trays
• Touch screens
• Drawer handles
• Scanner and copier screens (the glass) and lids

3. How Do I Clean My Printer and Office Equipment?

• Use a scratch-resistant microfibre or similar cloth.
• Mix 70 percent isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol with 30 percent water into a spray bottle.
• Apply the mixture onto the cloth and wring out any excess moisture.
• Do not spray disinfectant directly onto the device.
• Pay particular attention to the commonly-used areas mentioned above.
• Watch for moisture dripping into keyboards and USB ports as water can cause electrical shorts.
• Clean the glass and scanning surface with a window cleaner such as Windex.
• Air dry all surfaces before turning devices back on.
• Throw out latex gloves after each cleaning.
• Wash your hands with soap and water.

4. Where Can I Get Information on How to Clean My Printer?

For more information on how to clean your printer, look for the owner's manual from the manufacturer, or go online. Google search your make, model, and “maintenance manual” for instructions on how to clean your device safely. It is not recommended that you attempt repairs yourself, as all electronic devices are sensitive. Instead, contact innov8’s factory trained technical staff to attend to repairs correctly.

Still unsure how to safely clean and disinfect your printer or office equipment? Our innov8 Digital Solutions team is on standby to answer all your questions. Contact us for up-to-the-minute service.