Epson print head cleaning - bring clogged nozzles back to work

Following the Kiss principle (keep-it-stupid-simple) we use a very limited set of tools and materials to clean an Epson print head and its nozzles. Our intention is make the cleaning quite easy. Our suggested method works with a big refill syringe plus a plastic hose (best case would be both having a Luer Lock connector) and a suitable print head cleaner fluid. The inner diameter of the plastic hose has to match the ink port inside the print head compartment. Furthermore some an absorbent underlay is needed - a simple piece of kitchen towel is fully sufficient here.

The cleaning of the print head and its nozzles we do not conduct when the print head compartment is in the parking position. We clean having the whole print head in the printer´s working area. The print head compartment can get unlocked by cutting off the electricity supply of the printer during printing a nozzle test pattern or during any other print job. You can check how to do so more detailed in our video.
As soon as the Epson print head is free to be moved from side to side we slide a piece of folded kitchen towel under the nozzle plate at the print head. This underlay absorbs the print head cleaner that leaks out of the nozzles and prevents this polluted liquid staining the inside of the printer.

Now it´s time to connect refill syringe and the plastic hose. If Yours have Luer Lock connectors - good - because such a connection provides security from the plastic hose slipping off from the refill syringe´s tip. If You do not have such a material available - also no problem - You just have to be a bit more careful while pumping print head cleaner into the print head.
Make sure that there is also some air in the refill syringe when taking nozzle cleaner into the syringe. This air acts as a kind of shock absorber when building up pressure with the syringe towards the nozzles. This protects the tiny Piezo components inside the ink chambers from damages.
The other end  of the plastic hose is slided on the ink port located in the print head compartment.

Start pumping the syringe´s plunger carefully to flush print cleaner into the print head. Make sure not to push the cleaner liquid in by brute force. The surfacants inside the cleaner dissolve cloggings and blockades best when giving the cleaner time to have impact.
Especially during pumping pay attention to avoid the plastic hose sliding off from the ink port when building up too much pressure. The cleaner should flow into the print head and through the nozzles easy and without resistance. It is sufficient to press one to two milliliter of cleaner through. The printer coming out of the nozzles is absorbed by the kitchen towel below the nozzle plate.

Pull the plastic hose from the ink port and clean inside the print head compartment afterwards. Now You can install the Epson inkjet cartridges again; take out the kitchen towel, move the print head compartment to the parking position and connect the Epson printer back to the electricity supply. To check on the effect of the manual cleaning it is helpful to print a nozzle test pattern. Do all lines exist and do they appear clear? You can repeat the cleaning process until the desired result has been reached.