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Up next Stop using a metal scraper on your PEI plate Transcript & details below

Why your prints won't stick (it's your dirty bed)

Don't wipe a peeling print with IPA and call the bed clean. On textured PEI, alcohol can spread oils into the grooves. Wash it in the sink: warm water, plain dish soap, scrub, rinse, dry, edges only. Water should sheet, not bead.

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How to wash a textured PEI plate so prints stick

  1. 1 Put the IPA down

    Your print peels, so you wipe the bed with isopropyl alcohol like everyone online told you to. On a textured PEI plate, that can make it worse. Alcohol can spread oils across the texture instead of lifting them.

  2. 2 Sink, warm water, plain dish soap

    Take the plate to the sink. Warm water. Plain dish soap — not the fancy kind with lotions or moisturizers. Those leave a film that kills adhesion.

  3. 3 Scrub until it foams into the texture

    Use a sponge or a soft brush. Scrub until the soap foams into the tiny grooves. That is where fingerprints hide. Invisible, until the first layer maps them.

  4. 4 Rinse hard, dry, edges only

    Rinse hard. Dry. Hold the plate by the edges only. Do not put a palm back on the print surface.

  5. 5 Water-film test

    Drop water on the plate. If it beads into streams and droplets, it's still dirty. If it sheets into a thin film, you're good.

FAQ

Can I just wipe textured PEI with isopropyl alcohol?

Not as the clean. On textured PEI, IPA can spread oils across the texture instead of removing them. The oils sit in the grooves. Wash with warm water and plain dish soap.

What kind of dish soap?

Plain dish soap. Skip the fancy bottles with lotions or moisturizers. Those leave a film that kills adhesion.

How do I know the plate is actually clean?

Drop water on it. Beads and streams means it is still dirty. A thin sheet of water means you are good. Bambu's textured PEI cleaning guide is that same water-film check.

Is this only a textured PEI problem?

This clip is about textured PEI. The oils hide in the texture. Smooth sheets are a different surface — do not treat this as a glue-stick or smooth-PEI article.

Full transcript

Your print peels and you wipe the bed with isopropyl alcohol like everyone online told you to. On a textured PEI plate, that can make it worse. Bambu's own wiki says alcohol can just spread oils across the texture instead of removing them. The oils sit in the tiny grooves. Invisible. Until the first layer maps your fingerprints like a crime scene. Here's the fix most beginners skip: take the plate to the sink. Warm water. Plain dish soap — not the fancy kind with lotions or moisturizers, those leave a film that kills adhesion. Scrub with a sponge or soft brush until it foams into the texture. Rinse hard. Dry. Hold it by the edges only. Want a quick check? Drop water on the plate. If it beads into streams and droplets, it's still dirty. If it sheets into a thin film, you're good. Once prints stick, make something worth printing. Obloid has free browser tools for nameplates, keychains, and hinged boxes — download STL, slice, done.

Sources

Stop using a metal scraper on your PEI plate Wet filament is ruining your prints (and you can't see it) Stop putting supports everywhere