Continuous inkjet printer cleaning method

A method of maintaining a printhead, the printhead being configured to form liquid drops having a volume during a printing operation, comprising:

• providing a jetting module including a plurality of nozzles and a drop forming mechanism associated with the plurality of nozzles;
• providing a gas flow deflection mechanism including a gas flow duct in fluid communication with a gas flow pressure source, the gas flow duct including a wall;
• providing a flow of liquid through the plurality of nozzles of the jetting module at a pressure sufficient to form jets of the liquid through the plurality of nozzles;
• forming a mist of liquid drops from the liquid jets using the drop forming mechanism;
• causing at least some of the mist of liquid drops to enter the gas flow duct using the gas flow pressure source at a rate sufficient to wet and rinse down at least a portion of the wall of the gas flow duct;
• deactivating the gas flow pressure source after a period of time;
• and
• removing the liquid from the gas flow duct, wherein forming the mist of liquid drops from the liquid jets using the drop forming mechanism includes forming liquid drops having a smaller volume than the volume of the liquid drops formed during the printing operation.