Taking Good Care Of Your Ballpoint Pens

You pick up your favorite pen that is sleek, compact and smooth just to find out it is not working. It is devastating!

Ballpoint pens are the soul of pen enthusiasts and collectors. It is also an ubiquitous element for classrooms, businesses and homes. In order to prevent your ballpoint pens from getting damaged and ensure them a long life-span, it is important to take proper care of them.

Storing Correctly

Effective storing of ballpoint pens is necessary so that the ink flows freely and offers you a smooth writing experience.

Ballpoint pens have oil-based ink and can be stored upright with the nib of the pen pointing upwards. This will prevent any kind of leakage. They can also be kept downright. This will ensure than the ink travels down towards the tip, making the ink flow smoothly while writing. In either cases, the pens must be kept with their caps back on. In case of a retractable ball pen, the nib should be carefully retracted back after each use.

If not stored correctly, ball pens run the chances of drying out. Exposure to air is one of the most common reasons why ballpoint pens tend to dry out. The consistency of ink in ball pens is thick. Therefore when air reaches the cartridge, the solvent in the ink evaporates, causing it to dry up and clog the pen completely.

Furthermore, you can make sure you don't lose your pens by putting them away safely in a pen holder or a storage case. Do not leave them anywhere or dump then elsewhere, like a cluttered drawer.

Fixing Ballpoint Pens

In the event of your ballpoint pen drying out or stopping to work, you need not fret. There are a few quick and simple tricks that will bring your pen back to life.

  • Bubbles of air can form inside the cartridge. As a result of which the ink might not flow towards the tip. Shake the pen so that the ink gets pushed towards the nib, making it ready for writing.
  • Sometimes scribbling on a piece of paper can get your dried pen running again. The friction helps the ball to rotate and frees the ink.
  • Heat can also be used to loosen the dried ink of ball pens. The ink around the ballpoint tip loosen under heat, allowing the ball to rotate freely. You can use a lighter to try this method but make sure to not touch the tip right after heating it.
  • Another easy method is to blow into the ink cartridge. This will push the ink towards the tip.
  • To unclog the ball of the nib, rub it against a piece of fabric or a rubber surface.

In case none of the methods help and your ballpoint pen is still not working, then it is an indication that the pen needs to be replaced.

Leakage In Pens

The ink in the cartridge of a ballpoint pen is likely to leak whenever there is a rise in temperature. If the pen is not kept upright then the heat will cause the ink to flow. Hold the cartridge under running water or soak it with a wet cotton swab.

Additional Point

To increase the lifespan of your ballpoint pens and keep them looking brand new, use a soft cloth to wipe its body parts clean.

 

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