PURPOSE: To facilitate the washing of a dampening device by a method wherein at the third rotary position, a dampening roller is lifted from a plate cylinder and is in frictional contact with an inking roller for an ink device of a printing machine and further by a method wherein the ink device is provided with an inking device washing apparatus.

CONSTITUTION: A dampening device is washed by a method wherein a dampening roller 4 is separated by an operation material 14 from a metering roller 3 and the dampening water is drained to a tray 32 from a storage chamber 33 in a triangle space section between a dampening roller 4 and a metering roller 3. Thereafter, both rollers are in contact with each other and a bearing plate 7 is rotated at a third rotary position until the dampening roller 4 contacts an inking roller 27. The inking device is lifted from a plate cylinder 2 and the ink feed is stopped. Thereafter, the solidified ink in the ink device is removed and the dampening device and ink are together washed by pouring the washing solution in the dampening device roller. An inking roller 28 and a receptacle 31 are provided for removing the solidified ink.