An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charge roller, a cleaning brush and a distance changing mechanism. The charge roller includes a surface having protrusions and depressions and to electrically charge the image carrier. The cleaning brush includes a brush part cleaning the surface of the charge roller and a main body part supporting the brush part. The brush part includes a top end part and a belly part being nearer to the main body part than the top end part. The distance changing mechanism changes a distance between the charge roller and main body part so that, by adjusting the distance to a first distance, the top end part contacts with the depression and, by adjusting the distance to a second distance shorter than the first distance, the belly part contacts with the protrusion.