<h2>TL;DR:</h2>
<p>Print more PLA on top of them, and pull it off together.</p>
<h2>Preparation</h2>
<p>First, of course, clean it well with IPA. This will both ensure there's no oil or other material on top of the PLA that will prevent it from bonding well with new PLA, and start to work underneath it to get it loose.</p>
<h2>Printing</h2>
<p>Then, print! Do a 2- or 3-layer square covering the whole buildplate if you need to, or just smaller ones in the affected areas. They should bond to whatever is there and pull it up when you peel them off.</p>
<h2>Prevention</h2>
<p>To avoid this happening in the future, <strong>fix your bed leveling</strong>. The type of tracks that are nearly impossible to remove by themselves normally come from printing with the nozzle so low that the material is forced entirely between the texture irregularities of the build surface, with no significant layer on top, and this means your bed is at least a whole layer-height too high relative to the nozzle.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-12T08:10:35.863Z
Ironically, it was a bed levelling calibration print that cross crossed most of the bed that did this.
Aaargh Zombies
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-12T14:44:43.817Z
@AaarghZombies: Your bed leveling needs to be mostly right before you can print anything, including a bed leveling calibration print. If you don't do that, you risk damaging your print surface, bed, and/or nozzle.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-11T21:07:06.830Z
2022-03-17T13:19:54.803Z
2022-03-17T13:19:54.803Z
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
<p>If you can feel it with your finger, then you can scrape it off. Just be careful. Keep the scraper closer to horizontal and don't dig in. It doesn't really need much effort.</p>
<p>If you can't feel it with your finger then it doesn't matter. Just clean as normal and carry on printing over it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-17T16:19:31.533Z
It can matter because it will bond to new prints done on top of it, which might not match the color or material type.
R.. GitHub STOP HELPING ICE
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-17T20:01:33.243Z
@R..GitHubSTOPHELPINGICE I haven't seen that happen, have you?
Kilisi
CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-16T23:06:18.403Z
2022-03-16T23:06:18.403Z
Kilisi
<p>I have an Ender 5 Pro with a flexible build plate (The factory default one).</p>
<p>There are multiple extremely thin tracks of melted PLA all over it. Too thin to easily peal off when cooled. Thin enough that you can run your finger over them and barely know that they are there.</p>
<p>What is the best way to clean them off other than simply brut forcing them with a scraper and risking damaging the surface.</p>
<p>Rubbing with IPA and a cloth isn't enough.</p>
<p>I have a plastic razor that's normally used for removing vinyl decal from vehicles without scratching the paint, would that be useful, or maybe just scrubbing for an hour with a nail brush?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2022-03-17T10:11:07.370Z
can you provide a photo please?
Trish
<creality-ender-5><cleaning>
How do I clean melted PLA form an Ender 5 Pro flex build plate?
Aaargh Zombies
# How do I clean melted PLA form an Ender 5 Pro flex build plate?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2022-03-11)

I have an Ender 5 Pro with a flexible build plate (The factory default one).

There are multiple extremely thin tracks of melted PLA all over it. Too thin to easily peal off when cooled. Thin enough that you can run your finger over them and barely know that they are there.

What is the best way to clean them off other than simply brut forcing them with a scraper and risking damaging the surface.

Rubbing with IPA and a cloth isn't enough.

I have a plastic razor that's normally used for removing vinyl decal from vehicles without scratching the paint, would that be useful, or maybe just scrubbing for an hour with a nail brush?

**Tags:** creality-ender-5, cleaning

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: can you provide a photo please?  

---

## 2 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2022-03-11. Score: 2

## TL;DR:

Print more PLA on top of them, and pull it off together.

## Preparation

First, of course, clean it well with IPA. This will both ensure there's no oil or other material on top of the PLA that will prevent it from bonding well with new PLA, and start to work underneath it to get it loose.

## Printing

Then, print! Do a 2- or 3-layer square covering the whole buildplate if you need to, or just smaller ones in the affected areas. They should bond to whatever is there and pull it up when you peel them off.

## Prevention

To avoid this happening in the future, **fix your bed leveling**. The type of tracks that are nearly impossible to remove by themselves normally come from printing with the nozzle so low that the material is forced entirely between the texture irregularities of the build surface, with no significant layer on top, and this means your bed is at least a whole layer-height too high relative to the nozzle.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Ironically, it was a bed levelling calibration print that cross crossed most of the bed that did this.  
> **username_2**: @username_0: Your bed leveling needs to be mostly right before you can print anything, including a bed leveling calibration print. If you don't do that, you risk damaging your print surface, bed, and/or nozzle.  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2022-03-16. Score: 0

If you can feel it with your finger, then you can scrape it off. Just be careful. Keep the scraper closer to horizontal and don't dig in. It doesn't really need much effort.

If you can't feel it with your finger then it doesn't matter. Just clean as normal and carry on printing over it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: It can matter because it will bond to new prints done on top of it, which might not match the color or material type.  
> **username_3**: @username_2 I haven't seen that happen, have you?  

---

