HP 903 inkjet cartridges - print head nozzle cleaning OfficeJet 6950

The HP 903 inkjet cartridges sit in a moving print head compartment inside the HP OfficeJet 6950. The printers print head is integrated in this moving compartment. The tutorial demonstrates how to get rid of bad looking prints due to clogged nozzles in the print head by cleaning the print head manually. The cleaning approach does not pollute the printer´s waste ink sponge and does not waste valuable printer ink.
HP 903, HP 903 XL inkjet cartridges work in the following HP printer models:
Officejet 6950,
Officejet PRO 6868,
Officejet PRO 6870,
Officejet PRO 6950,
Officejet PRO 6960,
Officejet PRO 6968,
Officejet PRO 6970,
Officejet PRO 6975,
Officejet PRO 6978

[@chrysaniaskou4659]

Hi! I just cleaned my HP Officejet 6950's printhead! Thank you so much! It is a quick and easy process but instead of the Octopus fluids print head fluid, I used just pure alcohol and a glass cup straw instead of a plastic hose. I cleaned any remaining alcohol inside the ink ports and that's it!!! I turned my printer on and I can finally print in color. It couldn't be easier!

[@octopusoffice]

Hello Chrysa, thanks a lot for Your nice feedback and the detailed description of Your adaption of the suggested cleaning method. Especially the sustainable solution to use the glass straw - outstanding 👍🏻😀

[@Electronicview]

Useful print head nozzle cleaning, friend, HP Offiece Jet 6950

[@octopusoffice]

Thanks for Your nice feedback - sounds the approach could help Your printer....

[@DestroyerStereotypes]

Thank you very much for the instruction! Really helped me with cleaning! 😋👌

[@octopusoffice]

Makes us happy when stuff is getting done and we could help a bit ! Thanks for the nice feedback! 👍🏻🙏🏻🙂

[@DestroyerStereotypes]

@@octopusoffice You're cool! 💛 Best wishes from Vladivostok, Russia 🌏

[@octopusoffice]

@White Knight Same goes out to You! SPASIBA... 👍🏻

[@ahmadkamali8547]

Thank you very much.. it is very helpful But could you kindly please let me know what is these mixtures.. I mean the percentage value of each this solution.. thank you

[@octopusoffice]

Hello, thanks for Your question. Our nozzle cleaner / print head cleaner is based on our formulation for water based inks suitable to wotrk in desktop printers. It consists of demineralized, very clean water and it is enriched with surfacants. The surfacants have the effect of bringing down the surfcace tension at cloggings inside the nozzles and at dried in inks. This way the ultra clean water can dissolve these cloggings more easily. In most cases You wil not have access to a surfacant dispersion - it is very seldom to something like this sitting on the shelve :) But water based inks You can clean with demineralized water - demineralized is very important as minerals in the water bring the risk that the minerals become solid inside the printhead.

[@pierocasamassima2886]

ottimo prodotto

[@octopusoffice]

Grazie per il bel commento !

[@allenluberger1511]

Hello. I have done printhead cleaning numerous times. the blue is always a problem getting cleaned. many times when i remove cartridges i get error code saying wrong cartridges or in wrong place. they are not. i am a customer of instant ink. where they send you cartridges when get low, they can turn these off i hear. i canceleed my account. i have 3 sets of inkjets that are pretty full, i am at odds if i dont get this working or buy a new printer. do you think use alcholol as fella did in above comments be better that the cleaning solution i have. Hope you can help. I hear of inkjets in new printers that you just fill up compartments and dont have to buy injets. What are your thoughts on this also. Thanks In advance.

[@octopusoffice]

Hello Allen, instant ink should not make such a head ache ... sorry to read that. With Your description of the error code it might be a combination of defective chips on the cartridges and instant ink settings applied into Your printer´s by the instant ink programm. From our knowledge about this programm we know that the printer communicates with HP and this way they can also prevent the usage of refilled or alternative cartridges - we are sorry we do not know how to switch these settings off. Alcohol is not a good cleaner for these inks as the inks are water based and alcohol is no solution for water based cloggings - but at the same time it also does no damage. Most of the big printer manufacturers offer desktop printers with tanks for the printer ink: You need to look for Epson Ecotank printers for examples. On most of their websites You can filter for tank supplied ink. We hope that helps a bit in Your situation.

[@trishacolorado8330]

The description for this kit says it will work with HP Officejet Pro 6968. My printer uses ink cartridges 902, not the 903 shown in the video.. Will the diameter still be correct to fit on my printheads? Also, the link below takes me to a non-working page. Is this product sold in USA or only in EU. I could not find it on Amazon.

[@octopusoffice]

Hello Trisha, thank you very much for Your question. The kit (actually dedicated to Canon cartridges)also works for Your HP 902 single ink tank cartridges too - there are not so many HP cartridges around for which that cleaning method works - just to give You an explanation for our laziness not setting up a set dedicated to HP cartridges. You can purchase the kit from our shop ( as it is not sold on amazonUS yet) but we are aware of that our shipping rates for that small item are not really attractive: www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/printer-ink/nozzle-cleaner-cartridge-cleaner/5161/print-head-cleaner-set-for-canon-pixma-nozzle-cleaner-with-extension-hoses

[@FinFunnel68]

do you have link for products used? I was wondering what size of the plastic pipe used for the nozzle.

[@octopusoffice]

Hello David, thank you for Your question. I have been using our Canon print head cleaning kit - it contains the supplies that are suitable too for these HP cartridges. Please check this link: www.octopus-office.de/shop/en/printer-ink/nozzle-cleaner-cartridge-cleaner/5161/print-head-cleaner-set-for-canon-pixma-nozzle-cleaner-with-extension-hoses

[@Mogsey1845]

Is it possible to replace the print head on the Office jet PRO 6970? I'm getting "print head problem" message no matter what I try to do. How can I find out whats causing the print head to generate this message.

[@octopusoffice]

Hello Terry, thanks for Your question. We have checked our sources with the result that a new print head is not listed as a consumable for Your printer model - it is considered to be a spare part which You need to purchase through a HP service partner. We have not tried to remove the print head - so we are sorry that we cannot assist in getting the print head out and a new one in.

[@Mogsey1845]

@@octopusoffice thank you for your help and quick reply. I don’t know where to go from here the printer has had very little usage which is probably what instigated the problem.

[@octopusoffice]

@@Mogsey1845 thanks for Your reply and describing the situation. We know that these printer models are keen for drying in when beeing used not regularly. But this actually does not explain why You receive this error message. The message itsself is also anything but hepful thanks to HP - what further information should You make up Yourself from the confirmation that there is an error? 🤐

[@KhanKhan-hw5bg]

My hp6960 doesn’t print blank. It was not used for a year . I tried cleaning with isopropyl alcohol solution but I didn’t use a syringe. I used a dropper . I have cleaned 10 times still there is no black print. The coloured cartridges are very low but black is more than half . Why is it happening

[@octopusoffice]

Thanks for sharing Your experience. The reason for not getting a real improvement might be the used cleaner - alcohol has no disolving effect on waterbased inks. The cleaner fluid should be made of purified and demineralized water. Beside that we assume that You are working with a new set of cartridges, right? Either You use new original cartridges or please make sure that Your new alternative cartridges contain ink that is suitable for Your printer model.