How to Clean 3d Printer Bed: Things you should know!

A dirty printer bed is one of the most common problems that 3D printing hobbyists face. I have had many issues with this problem. During my research, I discovered ways to clean a glass-printing surface.

This article presents two methods you can apply when cleaning your 3D printer bed: acetone, soap water, and vinegar solution.

Using Acetone as a Cleaning Solution

Procedure:  Pour some acetone onto the surface and wait 20 minutes to half an hour before wiping it off with paper towels or cloth.  Acetone is an important chemical for 3D printing because it dissolves ABS and PLA, but it also melts the bed and damages glass and other materials used as printing surfaces.  Put on some protective gloves and an O2 gas mask before handling acetone, because it harms your health.

You can buy acetone from pharmacies or hardware stores.

Using Soap Water and Vinegar Solution as a Cleaning Solution

Remove any residue with a spatula or credit card.  Apply the solution to the surface, allow it to rest for 10 minutes, and wipe it off with lint-free paper towels.  Then, wash the printer bed once again as usual with water and dish soap.

Procedure: Pour 3 parts of hot water into a container.  Add 1 part of vinegar, and mix the solution until it is well combined.  Dip a paper towel or cloth in the solution and place it on top of your printer bed.  Leave it for 10 to 20 minutes before removing it carefully.

Soap water solution works better if you are printing PLA instead of ABS because it does not dissolve PLA filament.

Other Methods for Cleaning the Printer Bed

1. Using Alcohol as a Cleaning Solution

Alcohol is an everyday solvent that’s in most households. It can be used to remove residue left on surfaces such as glass, plastic, metal, or paint. It can also be used to clean a 3D printer bed.

Here are the steps involved:

Procedure:

• Pour some alcohol into a glass container that is big enough for you to dip your paper towel in.
• Dip your cloth or paper towel in alcohol and place it on top of the printing surface. 
• Leave it for 10 minutes before removing it carefully with lint-free paper towels.

2. Using Salt or Sugar as a Cleaning Solution

Salt and sugar both readily absorb moisture, which makes them effective in removing residue left on the surface of the printer bed. However, of the two, sugar is a superior option for cleaning your 3D printer bed if you are printing with ABS filament. The reason for this is that salt can dissolve PLA but not ABS filament. So if you are concerned about damaging your prints, then sugar is the preferred solvent.

Procedure:

• Wet your bed surface with water.
• Sprinkle salt or sugar over the wet surface evenly.
• Allow it to rest for half an hour before wiping it off with lint-free paper towels.
• Salt and sugar can dissolve PLA, so do not use them if you need to print ABS objects.

3. Using a Plastic Dip Spray as a Cleaning Solution

Procedure: For using the plastic dip spray,  you need to set up your printer bed in a way that is similar to when you are printing an object with PLA filament.  Use blue painter’s tape on top of the glass bed.  Then, spray plastic dip onto the blue painter’s tape.  Wait for a couple of hours before removing the solution from the surface.

Be careful in handling plastic dip because it can be harmful to your health and also damage your printer bed if applied in a thick coat.

4. Using Vinegar as a Cleaning Solution

Vinegar is a handy cleaning product you probably already have in your home. It is particularly effective on glass surfaces, so if you have a glass-printing surface, give this method a try. Just pour some vinegar into a container and place the printer bed into the container until the glass bed is completely covered. Leave the bed in the vinegar for half an hour before removing it and wiping it off with lint-free paper towels.

Procedure:

• Place your glass printer bed in a container. 
• Pour vinegar into the container until it covers the glass bed completely.
• Allow the solution to rest for half an hour before removing it carefully with lint-free paper towels.

5. Using Lighter Fluid as a Cleaning Solution

Have you ever cleaned a printer bed with lighter fluid? It’s a popular solvent that works well for cleaning printer beds, but be careful because it’s more flammable than alcohol. Choose a suitable container for this solvent, and please, follow the safety procedures when handling lighter fluid.

Procedure:

• Dip your paper towel or cloth in the lighter fluid then place it on top of the printing bed surface.
• Leave it for 5 minutes before removing it carefully with lint-free paper towels.

6. Using Dish Soap as a Cleaning Solution

Did you know that dish soap can be used to clean your 3D printer bed? Be careful, though; you can only use it with PLA filament. ABS and other filament types will dissolve if you clean them with dish soap. So if you’re printing ABS or something else, dish soap is not the solution you need.

Procedure:

• Pour some dish soap onto your printer bed surface and wipe it using a wet cloth or paper towel. 
• Make sure that you do not spill any solution on the glass surface because it will prevent the adhesion of 3D-printed objects later.

7. Using Ammonia as a Cleaning Solution

Ammonia is another acidic solution with great cleaning properties that can clean a 3D printer bed.

Procedure:

• Pour some ammonia into a container then place the printer bed into it until it covers the surface completely.
• Leave it for 5 minutes before removing it carefully with lint-free paper towels.

8. Using White Vinegar as a Cleaning Solution

Procedure:

• Pour white vinegar into a container, and place the printer bed in it until it’s submerged.
• Leave it for five minutes.
• Then, carefully remove the bed and gently clean it with some lint-free paper towels.
• The vinegar is a highly effective cleaning agent.

9. Using Alcohol as a Cleaning Solution

Alcohol is as good as lighter fluid at cleaning residue from 3D printer beds. Soak a cloth in alcohol, place it on the bed, and let it sit for two minutes. Then remove it with a few lint-free paper towels.

10. Using Acetone as a Cleaning Solution

Acetone is a highly flammable solvent that can be used to clean objects printed with PLA filament.

Procedure:

• Dissolve acetone in lukewarm water then dip a paper towel or cloth in the solution.
• Place it on top of the printing bed surface for 5 minutes before removing it carefully with lint-free paper towels.

11. Using Soapy Water as a Cleaning Solution

Soap water is a good way to clean a 3D printer bed after it has been used to print objects with PLA filament. It is a household solution that can be used by anyone with a 3D printer.

Procedure:

• Pour some soap water onto your printer bed surface and wipe it using a wet cloth or paper towel.
• Make sure that you do not spill any solution on the glass surface because it will prevent the adhesion of 3D-printed objects later.

12. Using Windex as a Cleaning Solution

Windex is another household cleaning solution that can effectively clean your printer bed after printing with PLA filament.

Procedure:

• Pour some Windex onto your printer bed surface and wipe it using a wet cloth or paper towel.
• Make sure that you do not spill any solution on the glass surface because it will prevent the adhesion of 3D-printed objects later.

The Dry Method (As a Last Resort)

If you can’t find a cleaning solution in your household, there’s the dry method as an alternative. The dry method should only be used as a last resort, though.

Procedure:

• Place some paper towels on top of the printing bed and heat it with a hairdryer until all residue is gone.
• Make sure that your 3D printer is turned off while heating the surface to avoid any accidents.

How to Choose a Good Printer Bed Surface

Before we conclude the discussion about how to clean 3D printer bed surfaces, you need to know that using a non-sticky printing surface such as blue painter’s tape or Kapton Tape is highly recommended.

When cleaning your glass printer bed, using a non-sticky surface like blue painter’s tape or Kapton tape is the way to go. These two are not only super popular, but they also reduce the amount of cleaning you need to do and keep your prints from getting stuck to the glass.

The big takeaway here is that cleaning your printer bed regularly will help your prints adhere better. It will also keep bubbles from forming on your printouts.

If you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about 3D printing, feel free to browse through the rest of the site.  You can also get access to more useful information about 3D printers and their filaments through our 3D printing blog section.