An apparatus and method for cleaning a plurality of drums in an image
forming apparatus includes applying a first bias to each of a plurality
of disturbing members, each disturbing member associated with a
corresponding drum of a plurality of drums. While performing an image
forming operation wherein at least one of the plurality of drums is not
use, the bias is changed of a disturbing member corresponding to at least
one of the plurality of drums not used in performing the image forming
operation from the first bias to a second bias different from the first
bias.