A maintenance assembly and method for insulating printer/copier solid ink printheads. The maintenance assembly includes a car movably supported for travel along a maintenance path interposed between a first printhead and an ink receiving surface from a home position to a completion position and a wiper extending from the car for wiping the printhead front faces as the car moves along the path. The method includes moving a car having a wiper extending therefrom along a maintenance path interposed between the printhead front faces and the ink receiving surface parallel to the front faces for wiping the first and second printhead front faces.
