A first detaching step including (1) moving a nozzle cap from a position, where a sealing surface of the nozzle cap is entirely in contact with a nozzle surface of a recording head, to a first state, where a first end of the sealing surface is separated by a minute distance from the nozzle surface and a second end of the sealing surface is separated from the nozzle cap by a first distance, and (2) maintaining the nozzle cap in the first state. A second detaching step including (1) moving the nozzle cap from the first state to a second state, where the first end of the sealing surface is separated from the nozzle surface by a second distance and the second end is separated from the nozzle surface by a distance greater than the first distance, and (2) maintaining the nozzle cap in the second state.