PURPOSE: To realize the miniaturization of a blade cleaner to attain thereby miniaturization of an ink jet recording apparatus by connecting the blade cleaner and a waste ink absorbing member through a polymeric absorbing member so as not to generate the leakage of ink when the ink absorbed into the blade cleaner is saturated.

CONSTITUTION: A blade cleaner 108 is connected to an ink sheet 602 by a cleaner spring 601 to form a blade cleaner unit. The blade cleaner unit is attached to a restoration unit 271 so that a blade 104 becomes the position coming into contact with the blade cleaner 108 when the blade 104 is moved by the max. quantity in the direction shown by an arrow A. Further, the ink transfer part 602a of the ink sheet 602 comes into contact with a waste ink absorbing member.