Why should I clean a fountain pen? Cleaning a fountain pen on a regular basis is obligatory to keep the writing instruments in proper conditions. If this is done regularly, the user reassures himself that his or her tool will be capable of showing a quality performance for a prolonged period of time.
This is especially relevant for those individuals who like writing or drawing with different colours. In such cases, it’s necessary to do this procedure every time you charge a tool with the liquid of a new colour. If there is no need to recharge it with different paints, just for writing with one colour, there's no point in cleaning very often. Nevertheless, don't neglect this procedure because the ink can simply dry and make your tool useless.
When you know why you need this, let’s find out how to clean a fountain pen properly to make sure it will be a durable instrument. Here is the step-by-step guide for tools with different charging mechanisms.
Instruments with different charging mechanisms guide. How do you clean a fountain pen? Basically, to do this properly, you don’t need any specific kit of tools or accessories, or any special fountain pen cleaner. This is done by simply flushing the writing instrument under the tap of water. However, if you're willing to make the procedure more effective, you're free to apply various attachments, depending on the charging mechanism.
It’s important to mention that built-in or converter filling systems don’t need any accessories. Syringes, pipettes, or other kinds of attachments might be helpful when you flush cartridges, for instance. Before applying such tools, make sure they suit the construction of your writing instrument.
Now, it’s time to find out how to clean a fountain pen with dried ink step by step.
Cartridge-filling pens Cartridge-filling fountain pens are the most available on the market because of the low prices and the simplicity of their use. Consequently, cleaning such instruments is easy as well. Here is how you should do this:
-Twist the grip section to make it come apart from the barrel.
-Take out the cartridge without the ink.
-If you have another cartridge, you can simply substitute the empty one with this attachment. If you don’t, rinse it under the water and charge it with the new ink.
-Flush all the parts of your writing instrument, including its nib, grip section, and barrel. Don't clean it just in a pot of cool water - it's better to use running water. The process is finished when you see that the water running below your pen is clean.
Dry all the sections. They will get dried faster if placed separately. If it's possible, place the pieces in a vertical position to make all remaining ink flow down on the towel.
Converter. Similar to the previous option, you can clean each section of the writing instrument separately by placing it under the tap of water. In this case, it’s easier to wash the nib completely. Here is how to clean calligraphy pens with converter fillers.
-Unscrew the pen into two separate sections.
-Put the grip into the vessel with cool water.
-After this, fill the chamber with the liquid, similar to charging the tool with ink for writing. Start twisting the knob to let the liquid flow up the reservoir.
-Then, put it above the other vessel and make the liquid inside flow down the barrel through the lower tip.
-Do it as many times as it is necessary. Finally, you should see clean water coming from the tip. This means that you don't need to fill it with the liquid again Go to the following step.
-Dry all the sections and converter by putting them on a dry surface. Similar to the previous option, it would be better to place it vertically if possible.
Eyedropper fountain pen. These are widely-used instruments because they can contain a lot of liquid and there's no point in recharging them very often. Because of this, somebody might think that it’s complicated to clean. In reality, it’s not. Here are the simple steps you take to make it usable for smooth writing again:
-Twist the grip part to make it come apart from the other tool's sections.
-Wash everything. To make sure it’s clean, you should rinse it under the running water until this water becomes clean as well.
-Flush all the remaining sections of your pen. Make sure that you don't clean it in a simple pot filled with water. Used running water. It’s completely flushed if water becomes clean.
-Put the writing instrument on the paper towel and wait until the tool is fully dried.
-If you don’t want the ink to leak after the cleaning procedure, seal the pen tight by reapplying a silicone grease dab on the section threads
Piston filler. Tool with built-in charging systems might be more difficult to clean because you cannot put all the pieces of a pen apart. On the other hand, you don’t need to use additional tools at all. Here is how to flush a fountain pen that is filled by applying a piston filler.
-Drop the nib of the pen into the vessel filled with cool water. Make sure your hold a pen in a vertical position.
-The next step is to fill the reservoir of your writing instrument with this cool water the same way you would fill it with the ink. Start twisting the knob in the necessary direction to let the water flow up the reservoir.
-Then, put the pen over the empty vessel and let the liquid inside flow down the barrel through the tip.
-Do it as many times as necessary until you see clean water coming from the nib.
Other variations of writing instruments that apply built-in charging mechanisms are also available on the market. Vacuum fillers are also popular, as well as piston fillers. To clean such tools, you should take the same steps described in the guide above. Just charge the pen with water instead of ink and flush it until it is clean. Then, take wait until the writing instrument is dry and ready for use.
What difficulties might occur when cleaning a fountain pen? Cleaning a fountain pen properly might not always be as simple as we described. The most frequent issue is when the ink is dried and it’s too difficult to wash it off from the surface of your instrument. This usually happens when you place the pen, completely filled with the liquid, somewhere and don’t use it for a too long period of time. In order to avoid such an unpleasant difficulty, discharge the tool if you know you won't need it for a while.
It’s also difficult to flush a pen previously filled with shimmer inks. Such liquids may dry quicker and might dry too hard to be cleaned by water. How do you solve these issues to make the pens usable for smooth writing again? The most effective way is to soak the writing instrument into a special pen flush and only then rinse it under the tap of water. You may also use special jewellery cleaners, but a pen flush is a simpler method. You can buy it online or try to make this from the ingredients you have at home. Whatever cleaning method you prefer, it’s vital to take care of your writing instruments. Remember to flush your fountain pens regularly to make them more durable and efficient.