Jack's Ultimate Pen Cleaning Technique

Jack's Ultimate Pen Cleaning Instructions

Fountain pen lovers are a diverse group of people from all walks of life, all over the world, with one thing in common– a love of the smooth writing that a fountain pen ensures. Many of us are also in love with the process of selecting an ink and filling our favorite pen with it; after all, it's an essential part of the experience of using and caring for a fountain pen. But things can go wrong with our pens sometimes, too. Many of us have experienced the discoloration of ink after changing it without proper cleaning, or clogging of the nib and feed after a new fill. 

The good news about these common problems is that they aren't hard to solve. With our simple 5-step guide to cleaning your fountain pen properly (and a little practice), the likelihood of your pen clogging or your ink coming out the wrong color will be 0%! Well then, pen friends, without further adieu– let's get to the instructions!

As a preface to the steps that should be taken in cleaning your favorite fountain pen, we must advise regular maintenance and cleaning of your pen every other time you fill it with ink. That is to say, if you fill your pen one time, the next time you fill it you should clean it out thoroughly beforehand. Remember, a clean pen is your best friend! (It should also be mentioned that all of the products mentioned in this guide are available for purchase from our store in-person or online. We also offer a bundle deal with our Pen Cleaning Kit, which contains a bottle of Monteverde Fountain Pen Flush, a 3ml blunt tipped syringe for rinsing cartridges or refilling, and a bulb syringe for flushing your pen).

Step One: De-ink!

Disassemble your pen and remove ink from the reservoir. If you have a pen that uses a cartridge or converter, simply remove the cartridge or converter; if your pen fills via piston or another mechanism, expel all the ink from the reservoir. This is the most important step because it assures that you will have as little excess ink to clean as possible. (Note: if you plan on changing inks in a pen with a converter, make sure to clean the converter out in addition to the rest of the pen by following the remaining steps).

Step Two: Soak!

Soaking your pen is an easy, gentle way to help loosen up potentially dried ink particles in the nib and feed. We recommend that you put 3-4 drops of dish soap into a small container filled with cool water and place all of the parts you wish to clean in the tub for a minimum of 30 minutes. Soaking in cool water with dish soap may seem like an unecessary extra step, but trust us, it will make the rest of the process much easier. (In some cases dish soap may not be enough. For these occasions we recommend Monteverde Fountain Pen Flush because it contains some ingredients that are better suited to breaking up stubborn ink particles in your pen and is 100% safe to use)!

Step Three: Rinse!

Now that you've soaked your pen, it's time to rinse it. Run some cool tap water through the nib and feed either by drawing in and expelling ink with the filling mechanism or by drawing fresh water into a bulb syringe and expelling it through the nib and feed. Make sure that you rinse thoroughly until the water that runs from your pen is 95-100% clear with no soap bubbles. Please note that in cases where the ink is particularly saturated throughout the pen this step will take longer; this is normal, keep rinsing until you achieve the desired result (clear water). 

Step Four: Dry!

After rinsing all the parts of your pen so that there is no residual ink or soap bubbles, it is important to let the parts of your pen air out and dry. Place the various parts of your pen on a couple of clean, dry paper towels and let them sit until you are satisfied; to speed the process along, you can either shake out the droplets of water or pinch a paper towel around the nib and feed to draw out the water that remains inside. (Note: Be very careful when shaking out the parts of your pen! Make sure to hold a paper towel around the part you are shaking to catch the water droplets as they come out– this will also help prevent you from dropping or accidentally throwing your pen).

Step Five (The Big One): Re-ink!

Now that your pen is clean and dry, reassemble the components necessary to fill it with ink. If you plan on using cartridges in your pen, we recommend that you "prime" the feed after inserting a cartridge by gently squeezing the sides of it to force ink through the pen. Make sure not to squeeze too tight– many cartridges are easy to accidentally crack, which inevitably results in leakage and poor writing performance. If you are filling your pen from bottled ink, it is best practice to place the nib and feed in the bottle after expelling air from the filling system, then draw ink up into the pen through the nib and feed. In some cases it may be advisable to draw ink in and expel it, in order to draw it in again to ensure a full fill. 

Step Six (Optional): Celebrate!

Congratulations! You've just made sure that your pen will write smoothly with your favorite ink. Maintaining a well-cleaned pen will improve longevity and make changing ink colors between fills much easier and less time consuming. Remember, pen folks– a clean pen is your best friend!

Feel free to contact us with questions or concerns at (301) 468-6939, any day Monday through Friday from 9AM to 6PM, or on Saturdays from 10AM to 5PM. We're always more than happy to help. If your pen is stubborn and isn't yielding results after following these steps, don't hesitate to bring it in to us for a deep clean. We're always here for you at Bert's!