Nobody likes changing the toner in the printer when it runs out, but it's a job that needs to get done. Unfortunately, you may make the mistake of spilling toner in the process and making quite a mess in the office. Toner is a fine powder, and it can get everywhere if it gets out of the cartridge. So what do you do when this happens to you? Follow these tips to know how to clean it up properly and prevent future spills from happening. 

Do Not Tilt The New Or Old Toner Cartridge

The old cartridge may say that it is empty, but there is likely still a little bit of toner left in the cartridge. Do not make the mistake of tilting the cartridge to the side as you remove it from the printer. You can easily spill toner by doing this because there is likely still some toner powder inside. Keep the tone cartridge level when you put the new cartridge in as well for the same reason.

Make Sure The Toner Is Locked In Place 

When putting the toner cartridge back into the printer, you'll want to ensure that the cartridge is locked in place. A loose cartridge has the potential to cause toner to spill while the printer is running. Not only will this lead to wasting perfectly good toner, but it will cause another mess to clean up down the road. 

Avoid Using A Vacuum Or Water

If you do spill toner, you may think that you should get out a vacuum to suck up the powder that is on the surface. Avoid doing this, since it can actually lead to the toner powder getting into the air. You should also avoid adding any water to the toner when trying to clean up a spill since it can cause your printer to become damaged or cause the toner to stick to the surface. 

Wear Rubber Gloves

Toner powder can get quite messy, so be sure to wear rubber gloves so that the toner does not get on your hands. If it does, it will take a fair amount of scrubbing to get the powder off your skin. Thankfully, it's not harmful if toner powder gets on you, but will just be a bit embarrassing. 

Wipe Toner Away With A Dry Cloth

The best thing that you can do to remove spilled toner powder is to wipe it off with a dry static-free cloth. Just make sure to avoid rubbing the toner too hard, since it can cause the toner to smear on the surface. Keep using clean cloths on the surface until all of the toner powder has been removed. 

For more information about printer toner, contact a local supplier.