How do you regenerate ink cartridges that have dried out?

@dragon54u (31636)
United States
March 5, 2010 9:22pm CST
I don't use my printer much but the ink cartridges are very expensive. I bought new ones a few months ago and when I really needed the printer the cartridges were dried out. Have any of you had this problem? Do you know the best way to re-moisturize them or is it possible?
2 people like this
13 responses
• Romania
6 Mar 10
I never try to do anything to them. There was a service which refilled them , but now with the new printers , cartriges just can't be refilled. FOr the printer I use now, they cost as much as a new printer so there would be no point in buying them . So for about a year I haven't used my printer.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I got it when I first moved here because I needed to stay in touch with some business contacts and my attorney. It did a good job but now I only need it a couple times a year. I'm going to try to re-hydrate them but it that doesn't work I will remember to seal them up between uses!
• United States
18 Jul 10
I just tried the soaking in warm water. I really didn't think it would work, but it did!
@topffer (42156)
• France
6 Mar 10
If the ink cartridges are really dried, I don't know. If you have not used the printer during a long time, it's perhaps the printing chokes that are obstructed on the printer (they are sometimes on the cartridge : it depends of the model). You can buy a special product to clean them or try my trick : 4 drops of ammoniac in half a glass of water. Wet a sponge with this liquid and put it 5 mn on the printing chokes, then dry them with a blotting paper. Do that again two times, and (if it has one) launch a self-cleaning process in your printer (with the cartridge in place). I wish this help you.
• India
6 Mar 10
good suggestion indeed. It should work if cartridges are dried out.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
Thank you!! I will try that before I try to get them refilled.
@kialele (126)
• United States
7 Mar 10
Before I change to laser printer, I usually add some substitute ink instead. It is cheaper. I even know one of my friends who add tap water to it. But I won't recommend to do so because it might damage the cartridge head.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
7 Mar 10
I really don't care if it damages the cartridge head. As it is now, the printer is useless to me. I only need it a couple times a year. If I'd known my needs 3 years ago, I would have used the library printer service and the UPS fax service!!
@millertime (1394)
• United States
10 Mar 10
I tried to get out cheap and got one of those refill kits for the ink cartridges. It does work but it's kind of messy to do. Squirting a little ink into your seldom used cartridge may revive it but I don't really recommend it. I buy the generic ink cartridges now from a couple of different places online and they are a lot cheaper than the name brand ones, especially if you buy several at a time. It's much easier than trying to mess with injecting ink with a syringe. Before you take that cartridge out though, try running it through a couple of cleaning cycles and see if that helps. It might just be plugged and cleaning could break it loose. If not, I would just replace it.
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
11 Mar 10
I didn't think of running it through cleaning cycles, thanks! I haven't done anything yet, haven't had the time, but I will tackle the problem this weekend. Thanks for your feedback and suggestion!
@Ginoyes1 (40)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I have worked for many years in business and I don't believe you can regenerate a dried out ink cartridge. Some companies sell ones that they say they have recycled - and some people say they work just fine. but I don't know if you can do that yourself.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I'm going to try rehydrating them in a plastic bag with some moisture. If that doesn't work, I've learned a valuable lesson at least!
@iamamommy (163)
• United States
6 Mar 10
Sometiems they are not dried out. If you open up your printer, take them out , and shake them a few good times there might be some ink left in them. Just make sure you dont shake them to hard because the ink will go everywhere. I would try to put something on the end that the ink comes out so that you dont get splattered with it.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
They don't shake at all, they are hard as rocks! I'm going to try to rehydrate them. And when I use another set, I will remove them after use and seal them up!
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I would remove he cartridge and shake it few times. Depends on how often you need to print, this rick will work for a while. It was already said about refill in few places. I never try to re-moisture cartridge.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
Maybe shaking will help. I'll try that before anything else, thanks!
• United States
6 Mar 10
I would take them back and get replacement cartridges. I think they have an expiration date on the packaging.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I bought them months ago, I doubt I can return them now. I'm going to try a few things the others have suggested, though, and see what happens!
@Sreekala (34314)
• India
6 Mar 10
Hi dear Once it got dry then it is difficult to do something. But you can refill the same and I think it will cost only less. I don’t know the type of printer you are using and type of cartridge too. I am using the laser jet 1000 series and the cartridge is really costly but most of the time we are refilling it and the cost is very less if compared to the new one. Next time when the printer is not in use you can label the cartridge so that it won’t dry when not in use.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
If I get these working, I'll remove them and put them in a plastic bag till I need them again!
@May2k8 (17979)
• Indonesia
6 Mar 10
put cartridge head with warm water wait until about 5-10 minutes for the ink to be moist. I have not used my ink for more than one year and after I do so I returned the ink running smoothly without any one point is missing.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
Thanks, a couple other people have apparently had good results with methods like this. I will try it!
@kaylachan (56277)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
6 Mar 10
Its not possible the best thing to do would be to replace the cartage. If its that bad then replacing it would be your best option. Of course opening a cartage before its needed will keep it from drying out on you. Any other atempts you make would be damaging to the printer.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
I've gotten a few suggestions that sound good. You're right about not opening before I need them but I only need a printer a couple times a year. I originally bought it for heavy use for a period of a couple of months and now I rarely use it.
@hofferp (4734)
• United States
6 Mar 10
Did you try printing several pages? I'm not sure there is a way to re-moisturize them. I'd just keep trying to print with the cartridge in hopes that the fluid would start to run. Sorry I can't be of more help. They are expensive!
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
We tried that when my son was here and that's how I found out what was wrong with it. Son is a computer tech and he comes across this all the time with people trying to save money by not using their printer.
@common_man (1799)
• India
6 Mar 10
I have a crud idea, that i have tried and it worked with me, easy to try. Just get warm water and keep your cartridge in it for few minutes. The warmness of water works in opening up holes on cartridges. Most of the time due to drying of ink the pores on cartridges gets chocked, in such case if you shake the cartridge u can feel ink moving, but no print due to pores chalking. This technics work in such condition. Its feasible in case of small cartridges of inkjet printer. I am not sure about cartridges of Laserjet printer.
1 person likes this
@dragon54u (31636)
• United States
6 Mar 10
That sounds like a good idea, too. Thanks!