Brother Printer Print Head Not Cleaning – How to Fix It

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If your Brother printer’s print head is not cleaning properly, it can result in poor print quality, missing colors, or streaky output. This issue may be due to dried ink, software problems, low ink levels, or mechanical malfunction. The steps below cover how to resolve the issue on both inkjet and all-in-one Brother printers.

Run the Built-in Print Head Cleaning Function

Use the Control Panel
  1. Press the Menu or Settings button.
  2. Navigate to Ink or Maintenance > Cleaning.
  3. Choose the affected color or select All to clean all nozzles.
  4. Let the cycle complete and then run a Print Quality Check or Nozzle Test.

Repeat If Necessary
  • If print quality doesn’t improve, you may need to repeat the cleaning 2–3 times.
  • Do not run multiple cleanings in a row without printing in between, as it can waste ink.

Clean the Print Head Using Software

Windows
  1. Open Control Panel > Devices and Printers.
  2. Right-click your Brother printer and select Printing Preferences.
  3. Go to the Maintenance or Services tab.
  4. Click Head Cleaning or Clean Printhead and follow the instructions.

macOS
  1. Open System Settings > Printers & Scanners.
  2. Select your Brother printer, then click Options & Supplies.
  3. Look for Utility or Maintenance options and choose Cleaning.

Check Ink Levels and Replace Cartridges
  1. From the printer menu, go to Ink Levels or Ink Management.
  2. Replace any cartridge that is low or empty.
  3. Use genuine Brother ink cartridges to avoid compatibility issues during cleaning.

Perform a Deep Cleaning (If Available)

Some Brother printers offer “Power Cleaning” or “Heavy Cleaning” modes:

  1. Go to Maintenance > Advanced Cleaning or Ink > Power Cleaning.
  2. Select the color group or all colors.
  3. Confirm and wait for the extended cleaning cycle to complete.

Manually Clean the Print Head (Inkjet Only)

If the automatic method fails:

Materials Needed
  • Distilled water or printhead cleaner
  • Lint-free cloth or paper towels
  • Syringe with rubber tubing (optional)

Steps
  1. Turn off the printer and unplug it.
  2. Remove ink cartridges.
  3. Moisten a cloth with warm distilled water.
  4. Gently clean the area where the ink is dispensed from the head.
  5. If accessible, use a syringe to flush the nozzles gently with cleaner.
  6. Let it dry before reinstalling cartridges and powering on the device.

Caution: Manual cleaning can void the warranty or damage components. Use it only as a last resort.

Check for Blocked Nozzles or Dried Ink
  1. Print a Nozzle Test Pattern from the Maintenance menu.
  2. If lines or colors are missing, that color’s nozzle is likely clogged.
  3. Run cleaning again or perform manual unclogging.

Reset the Ink System
  1. Unplug the printer and wait 5 minutes.
  2. Plug it back in and perform a full cleaning cycle.
  3. Check if print head behavior improves.

Update Firmware and Drivers
  1. Visit Brother Support.
  2. Download the latest firmware and driver updates for your model.
  3. Install the updates and restart both printer and computer.

Replace the Print Head (if cleaning fails)

If cleaning does not work even after several attempts:

  1. Contact Brother Support to confirm whether the print head is replaceable.
  2. In some models, print head units can be serviced or replaced.
  3. If under warranty, request authorized repair.

Failure of the print head cleaning function is typically a maintenance or ink system issue. Repeating cleaning cycles, checking ink levels, and using proper ink can often fix the problem.