How to Clean Fountain Pens Easy and Effectively at Home

Fountain pens are a traditional handwriting tool that many people love for their elegance and ability to create beautiful handwriting. However, regular cleaning is extremely important to keep fountain pens working well and durable. This article will provide detailed instructions on how to clean fountain pens properly, ensuring that the pen is always clean and operates smoothly.

Clean fountain pens not only ensures the performance of the pen but also prolongs its life and maintains its aesthetic beauty. When the fountain pen is not cleaned regularly, old ink and accumulated dirt can clog the pen tip, causing the ink to flow unevenly and affecting the writing experience. Moreover, dried ink can damage the internal parts of the pen, causing the pen to lose its original function and become more susceptible to damage. Regularly clean the fountain pens helps remove these impurities, ensuring smooth ink flow and keeping the writing sharp and clear.

When Should You Clean Fountain Pens

Fountain pen cleaning should be done periodically, depending on how often you use the pen. If you find that your pen is not writing as smoothly as usual, the ink may have dried out or there may be impurities blocking the ink flow. If you use your fountain pen regularly, monthly cleaning is a good way to maintain its performance and durability.

If you don’t use your fountain pen for a long time, the ink can dry out and clog the nib. Clean fountain pens before using them again will help it work smoothly. If you plan to store the pen for a long time, clean it thoroughly before storing it to prevent the ink from drying out and damaging the pen.

A simple tip is to clean fountain pens once a month, except in cases where your pen ink changes color or you have problems with writing like you keep skipping or you have to press down to get the ink to come out, then you should think about cleaning the pen immediately.

How To Clean Fountain Pens Properly

Being a rather expensive item, your fountain pen needs to be cleaned carefully to avoid damage. Especially fountain pens from famous brands like Parker, Montblanc or Montagut, the price is not cheap, you should not be careless and break the pen while trying to clean fountain pens. There are some things you should prepare before cleaning your fountain pen:

Water

Distilled water is always recommended when you clean fountain pens. Some people may think that it is just a pen, why do we have to even use distilled water to clean it? Using distilled water is a safe bet, but if you don’t have it, you can use bottled or filtered water instead, it is totally fine. The most important thing is that you consciously clean fountain pens, not let the ink dry inside and then damage it.

A Cup

A cup is an indispensable part if you want to clean fountain pens. It will be used to flush the ink out of the pen, empty the pen body and then filter it repeatedly with clean water. So basically you will need cups to contain waste ink and water, and you should do it near the sink.

Papers/Towers/Napkins

You will use them to dry your pen after being cleaned, so it doesn’t matter which one you choose, because any of them can be equally effective.

Now is the main part, you have prepared all the 3 above things to clean your fountain pen, it is time for you to clean it:

Just want to let you know that cleaning a fountain pen is not that difficult. With newbies, they usually try the method that just rinsing the nib under running water or dipping it in a cup of water. This can be compared with going for a walk in the rain instead of taking a real shower, By doing this you will only wet the pen, not really cleaning it out.

You should start cleaning with an empty pen, by excess all the ink out of the fountain pen refill first. Fill and flush your pen with water repeatedly until there’s no trace of ink left. For most pens, it will take about 20 or more fill/flush cycles, but it’ll vary from pen to pen. 

Soak up excess water with a cloth through the nib, so you don’t have a lot of water in the feed. If you have a few drips of ink left in there don’t sweat it, especially if you’re inking the pen back up.

That’s the end of the process, pretty easy don’t you think! Cleaning a fountain pen is not that complicated and difficult, the important thing is that you have tried and finished it so that your pen can be used for a long time.

How To Keep Your Pen Lasting Long

The fountain pens are made to last for many years, even for decades, so there are some aspects of their care matter that you probably haven’t considered with using rollerballs or ballpoint pens. Below are a few tips to help you keep your pen lasting long:

• Avoid storing your pens in cold or hot weather/temperatures because fountain pen ink is mostly water.
• Don’t leave your pen under direct sunlight for a long time because it can cause the dyes in your ink to fade, or fade some of the color from your pen materials.
• You should also avoid keeping the pen in your pocket with sharp or hard objects such as keys because they can scratch the pen body, especially expensive ones.

Properly cleaning your fountain pen is an important step in maintaining its performance and longevity. By following these steps, you will ensure that your fountain pen stays clean, functions well, and produces the best writing possible. Remember to clean fountain pens regularly and store it properly to enjoy the joy of writing with a fountain pen.