Patent ID: 8917999

Claim:
An image heating apparatus comprising: a rotatable heating member configured to heat an image on a recording material in a nip; a nip-forming member configured to form the nip together with said rotatable heating member; a rotatable rubbing member configured to rub said rotatable heating member; a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of said rotatable heating member; a moving mechanism configured to move said rotatable rubbing member from a position where it is spaced from said rotatable heating member to a position where it rubs a surface of said rotatable heating member; and a controller configured to execute, by moving said rotatable rubbing member to the position where it rubs the surface of said rotatable heating member, a rubbing operation such that said rotatable rubbing member rubs the surface of said rotatable heating member, wherein said controller executes the rubbing operation depending on the temperature detected by said temperature sensor when the recording material passes through the nip.