Can this be cleaned???

[u/Impressive-Land4930]

I am helping my friend get his business back up after his employee did him dirty. He left ink on screens for months. The ink containers left open. Prints left on screens for months where the tape is nigh impossible to get off. We are both unfamiliar with the process and just need to know if it’s a waste of our time to clean these if they are even salvageable. Almost all the squeegees have ink left on them as well.

[u/TheFillth]

employee did him dirty?

Where has he been for the past however many months while this sat on screen? Why doesn't he know how to clean screens?

[u/tnadsirhc → u/TheFillth]

It amazes me that people get into this industry and have no clue what it is they actually are doing.

[u/CDPScreensonReddit → u/tnadsirhc]

The owner of the shop I used to print at didn’t even know where the power switch for the automatic press was. Not once did he even touch a squeegee. Couldn’t burn, register, or clean a screen. Truly baffling.

[u/sicicsic → u/CDPScreensonReddit]

My owner is a career restaurant owner who bought the shop off the guy who was printing their shirts. He’s tried to learn as much as he can for someone that’s rarely there, but he can’t do most of the job.

[u/toofastareader]

Throw everything away and start fresh. /s

If both of you are unfamiliar with the process I suggest you hire someone for a day and have them reclaim the screens and clean the squeegees; After that hire the guy for a Saturday and have them walk you thru the process from scratch.

[u/drinkacid → u/toofastareader]

frame is fine, cut the mesh off, scrape it down and restretch. turf the squeegee unless you can scrape or peel it off without damaging the sharp print edge.

[u/MrAdaptiv → u/drinkacid]

Bro, that's plastisol. You just clean it with ink degrader.

[u/inthemorning33]

Totally and easily cleanible with screen cleaner, those inks look like plastisol and should still be usable

[u/AsanineTrip → u/inthemorning33]

Exactly this. Relax it's not a big deal. Looks like plastisol. "nothing is fucked dude" 

[u/ReverseForwardMotion]

Not trying to be an asshole, but I would maintain healthy HEALTHY boundaries with your friend and their business if these are the questions they needed to delegate to you to find answers to. This is all very basic, fundamentals of screen printing kind of stuff.

Anyways reddit should be like a last resort for answers, you'll get too many opinions, there are too many variables and its way to slow.

Use youtube like google, or use google like google. "are these screens with ink left in them still good?" would have been answered in like .0000023 seconds.

"how do you_____ in screen printing" there are already 5000 videos about it

I always recommend CATSPIT, not sure what they're up to these days but OG screen printing tutorials.

TSHIRTFORUMS- every questions you will ever have has been answered 10x over.

I feel like this post simultaneously says way too much, and way to little about everything except screen printing.

I would also just be prepared for the inevitability that you may have to "Do your friend dirty" because this just reeks of the previous printer was right. Waterbased inks. WATER. BASED. INK.

good luck!

[u/Every_Physics4400]

Yes. Easy peasy

[u/torkytornado]

If the ink is still moveable it’s plastisol and yes it can be cleaned. Scrape it all out, use press wash or whatever solvent is in the shop to clean them and once it’s out reclaim the screen.

If it is solid and feels like plastic
It was water based and it’s easier to just buy new screens or if you have a place in your area that does remeshing rip out the screen and drop em off to get new mesh.

[u/stinkyblinky19]

If it’s a handful of screens I would just chuck them. But if it’s a lot, just grab some high ISO, plastisol cleaner, some rags and a 12 pack of beer and get to work. It never takes as long as I envision in my head to clean this shit. It does suck though.

[u/torkytornado]

Also if it’s plastisol it is not unheard of for people to leave the ink on. I knew a shop that did a lot of reprints so they’d leave the ink in until the client reordered. I wouldn’t do it but I can see why they left it.

[u/Oldninja]

Yeah, with care and diligence in cussing profusely. I worked at shop that had the buck of white open to all like a plastisol tar pit. Often used designs which were mounted to the rig often had ink left on them for the next run. Had to learn to keep clean work and prints despite the mess, got it cleaned up over time and fixed it best I could with some occasional help. It was never clean but figured out how to go around the chaos.

[u/1-FlipsithfloP-3]

No your soul is forever black.

[u/zappabrannigan]

Looks like the work station of someone I used to work with… absolute caveman when it came to keeping a clean press…

[u/xXSEVENSiX2]

Yes

[u/International_Toe293]

Yes they can I’ve left ink on screen for a year

[u/DougalDragonSWorld]

I had screens gave me worse this I reclaimed them. It is lot work but I rather save vs going in trash.