cleaning filaments with water

is it ok to wash filaments with water and it out from the spools? i bought some filaments on ebay and they were all dusty. any suggestions?

Some materials take on water more than others, nylon and most flexible filaments for example. Those need to be dried in an oven for acouple of hours after such a bath. PLA and ABS shouldnt be much of a problem though

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Quote
Srek
PLA and ABS shouldnt be much of a problem though

I believe PLA can have many problems without a proper drying. We can see in many places some advices about the storage of PLA filament, telling people to avoid humid storage places, because the PLA can mold. With that consideration, I suggest to make a very neat drying of your filament if you wash it, whatever it is.

FWIW I have never had problems with moisture absorption in my PLA. I keep the spool open to the air all the time.

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Maybe compressed air or rinsing with 100% alcohol?

PLA absorbs less water moisture than ABS, which absorbs less than Nylon.

In my experience you can leave PLA exposed to air without issues. Leaving ABS out for weeks may cause hissing, steam, and bubbles, but it's usually printable. Leaving nylon out for any length of time is a recipe for disaster.

I would not recommend cleaning any filament with water. Construct a filament wiper out of a small piece of paper towel and clothes pin, or use compressed air to blow the dirt off.

Just try to dust them with a dry cloth. That should get the job done for the most part. Water should only be a last resort type of thing.

Just leave it dusty and push it threw a wiper while printing it.

Or as already suggested, use compressed air to blow it clean.