How To Clean A Scanner?

Scanners are important components of modern computer technology. One can scan and send a picture or a document to any place of the world in faction of seconds. Clear scans of some necessary documents (passport, license) are extreme needs of some functions like insurance claim, ticket registrations etc. But a scan is efficient only if we get clear outputs, this is not possible with a dirty scanner. Scanner is soft hardware, it needs care and maintenance. While taking the scans some people leave dirt, fingerprints etc on the reading glass of scanner. This degrades the output quality of the scans. This article provides help about cleaning a scanner. One can easily clean a scanner with the help of the mentioned tips.

For cleaning a scanner you will need these things-
1) Compressed Airs for internal parts of the scanner
2) Soft and lint-free rags
3) Endust for the Electronics parts of the scanner
4) Eyeglass Cleaner

Steps to clean a scanner

1) First, gather all the necessary materials for cleaning a scanner. All the materials are mentioned above.

2) Read the scanner manual, if some specific instructions are given then you should follow them.

3) Shut down the power supply of the scanner and remove the plug.

4) Take a clean cloth and spray the glass cleaner on it.

5) Try to raise or just remove the scanner lid.

6) Wipe the glass properly, in order to remove the grease and dust from the glass.

7) Just after that, wipe the screen by using a second rag or simply the dry portion of the rag.

8) Look for the degree of cleanliness. If you are not satisfied from the cleaning, then do it again from step 1.

9) You can clean the chassis of the scanner by using the same fluid or you can also use some other plastic specific cleanser. You can also use mild detergent which is dissolved in the water.

10) Clean under side of the scanning glass, only after getting the recommendation from the manufacturing company. Some manufacturers allow to self clean the internal mirror, by using compressed air or camel-hair brush, but most of manufacturers recommend only “professional service” for internal cleaning of the scanner.

By following these basic steps you can get a clean scanner, which is able to provide high quality scans without any degradation of the result.

Some warnings and important tips

1) You should buy original cleaning material only, don’t go for low quality brushes as they can scratch your scanning glass. You can get all cleaning material from electronics stores, computer stores and art-supply stores.

2)You should not spray the cleaner fluid (direct) at sensitive parts (electronic) of the scanner.

3) You should not use any harsh object (fiber cloths, anti-static sheets etc) for cleaning the scanning glass, because these objects can leave scratches on the glass.

4) Use of paper towel should be avoided, as it will leave the dust on the bed.

5) You should not use any abrasive pad or cleanser on the scanning glass.

6) Do not use alcohol based products as cleansers.

By following these tips and methods of cleaning you will be able to use the scanner for a much longer duration and also this will help in maintaining the quality of scanned documents and pictures even after many years of usage.

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