A question about maintenance

[texshooter]

Two questions:

Do printers ever need lubricating?  I would think that after years of use (and non-use), the platen and other friction bearing parts  would need re-greased, no?

Also, regarding the Windex and Brawny paper towel head cleaning technique.  Does all that ink that gets soaked up by the towel come from dried up ink that was caked on the head? Or is that merely fresh ink that is being wicked out from the lines through the head by the paper fibers?  First time I did this, I thought I  was giving the printer head a good scrub down because the towel absorbed gobs of ink, but now I suspect it's just a parlor trick.

[Mark D Segal]

Do not use Windex on a printhead.

Lubrication, I don't know. Are you hearing strange noises?

[Farmer]

The printer should not require lubrication during it's normal life unless there is an adverse environment.  Some printers (such as solvent) require regular (daily or more, depending on usage) maintenance and cleaning/wiping of certain areas to prevent issues, but not re-lubrication generally.  For the aqueous ink printers used by folks on these forums, it shouldn't be an issue.

And, yeah, never use Windex.  It's just creating a reducing viscosity and pulling through ink and it can cause damage.