Print bed Satin/Texture hard to clean
Maybe it's because it's new but I'm having a heck of a time getting the sheets that came with the XL to stay clean enough to run prints off of. My usual method of using a blue Scott shop towel folded over twice so I don't have any loose fibers on the bed and wiping with 99% alcohol just doesn't seem to be doing it. I'm going to wait for it to cool down for an hour to make sure it's as cold as possible then wash with some dish soap.
I've had my MK3S+ for years and hardly have this issue unless I don't wait long enough before cleaning but that was a lesson I learned early on....and I feel like I found my answer.
What does everyone else think?
RE: Print bed Satin/Texture hard to clean
The textured sheet works great for me with the Prusament settings (PLA and PETG). Prints come off the cold (20°C) sheet with no effort. Just take them away.
I clean the cold sheet (less than 30°C) with a micro fibre cloth (like the ones for cleaning glasses) and IPA. This worked so far good for me. What I noticed, that the printed text (ORIGINAL PRUSA) on the textured sheet fell off after few prints. On the sheets for the MK3S the text is as new as on the first day. Even after several years of use.
Maybe once or twice a year I also clean the sheet with mild soap and warm water. If it is dry, I apply IPA again.
RE: Print bed Satin/Texture hard to clean
I had one of the very first satin sheets released for the MK3. These had a slight powerdery residue and a completely matt appearance when brand new. This was fixed with washing with warm soapy water then drying immediately. I think Prusa realised this early on and added an initial wash to the production process (this is just supposition on my part). The satin sheet I got with my XL had signs of such an initial wash and had a slight sheen to the finish. As noted on the packaging of the sheets, they must only be cleaned when cold. From years of MK3 experience, I would say some key points are:
- Keep your cloth/tissue clean. This means storing it somewhere clean, and only handling it with clean hands.
- I use small lint free pads which are normally used by professionals doing finger art, such as https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lint-Free-Cellulose-Remover-Polish-Acrylic. One roll lasts for ages. Don't use any cloth or tissue that might contain chemicals, lotions, perfumes or other impurities. General purpose workshop paper towel might well be recycled and contain impurities, so you might want to try something else to see if you get better results.
- Use enough IPA. IPA does not magically destroy contaminants, it dissolves them so they can be picked up by the cloth/tissue. This is also why cleaning when the bed is hot won't work well - the IPA dries off too quickly.
- IPA won't help with all contaminants, for example sugars. For the most reliable and trouble-free 3d printing experience, and if you can be bothered, always wash you hands well before touching your printer, handling filament etc, and be conscious of contamination from a mucky computer keyboard/mouse, oils from touching your own face, etc.