How to Manually Clean a Canon Inkjet Cartridge

Remove the ink cartridge. For most printers, you simply pop the top of the printer off, wait for the ink cartridges to move into place, and then remove them from the printer. Consult the user manual of your printer if you are having problems performing this step.
Locate the contacts on the ink cartridge. They are generally on the back of the ink cartridge and tend to be copper or gold colored. Use a dry cleansing cloth and remove any residue from the contacts.
Wipe the rest of the ink cartridge off. Use a dry cleansing cloth to remove any dirt or spots on the ink cartridge.
Clean your cartridge's print head. Use a cleansing cloth with a little bit of rubbing alcohol. Wipe the print head from top to bottom and allow drying. Do this prior to the reinstallation of your cleaned ink cartridge.
Reinstall your ink cartridge. Once you have finished cleaning both the cartridge and the print head, reinstall your cartridge. Consult your printer manual if you have any troubles reinstalling your ink cartridge.