>
>> I have an Epson 740 inkjet printer.
>>
>> After not using it for a while, I discovered that the inkjet nozzles
>> were apparently clogged to the point where the "head cleaning routine"
>> was of limited usefulness.
>
>A solvent for dye based inks is commonly used. Windex (Windolene UK) is a
>window cleaning fluid which disperses encrusted or dried ink: Some of the
>newer shower dispersant cleaners work equally well.
>Firstly try a few drops on the docking sponge area which is where the heads
>sit when parked.
>Whipping out the mains plug in mid flight will expose this.
>With a cotton bud introcude a few droplets on the piercing splines and the
>sponge.
>In real determined blockage cases - fill a spent cartridge with the solvent
>(Household ammonia 10:1 works as well) and print a few windy pages . Letting
>it sit overnight can also ease it further.
>The so called cleaning cycle is really priming of ink through the feeder
>tubes and seldom cleans.
..although it does actually try to actively suck ink out from the face of the head - there's a neat little peristaltic pump arrangement in there