An ink jet recording apparatus includes a carriage on which is mountable a recording head provided with discharge ports to discharge ink and which is movable to move the head, a movable cap to cover the discharge ports, and a pump to suck ink from the discharge ports through the cap when the cap covers the discharge ports. A controller controls the recording head to wait for a given period of time in a position facing the cap before the carriage is moved to carry the recording head, subsequent to suction by the pump and separation of the cap from the recording head. This arrangement reduces the possibility that a recording material will be stained by ink following a suction of ink by the pump.