Patent ID: 8511793

Claim:
An ejection surface cleaning apparatus for cleaning a liquid ejection surface of a liquid ejection head ejecting an ejection liquid, comprising: a cleaning liquid deposition device which deposits a cleaning liquid that dissolves or redisperses the ejection liquid, onto the liquid ejection surface; a wiping device which wipes the liquid ejection surface onto which the cleaning liquid has been deposited; and a control device which controls a leave time from deposition of the cleaning liquid onto the liquid ejection surface until wiping performed by the wiping device, wherein the control device sets the leave time according to a required leave time at least so as not to exceed a cleaning liquid drying time, the required leave time being a minimum time required to dissolve or redisperse the ejection liquid adhering to the liquid ejection surface with the cleaning liquid and to remove the ejection liquid from the liquid ejection surface by wiping performed by the wiping device, the cleaning liquid drying time being a maximum possible time for which the cleaning liquid deposited on the liquid ejection surface can be left without drying.