Abstract: A method of maintaining a printhead having the steps of bringing a porous material within a predetermined distance from fluid ejection nozzles of the printhead at a non-printing phase of the printhead; and holding the porous material at the predetermined distance during the non-printing phase, wherein the predetermined distance is selected to allow a fluid flow path to form between the nozzles and porous material which causes transfer of fluid egested by the nozzles to the porous material and then induces the flow path to break off.