An image forming apparatus includes image carriers that carry toner images; an intermediate transfer body that is brought into contact with the image carriers to carry the images before transferring them to a recording material; first transfer devices that include first transfer members and form first-transfer electric fields for transferring the images on the image carriers to the intermediate transfer body; a second transfer device that includes a second transfer member and forms a second-transfer electric field for transferring the images transferred to the intermediate transfer body to the recording material; and an adjusting device that adjusts an electric field to be formed in a second transfer area to a cleaning electric field, which is of the same polarity as and a lower intensity than the second-transfer electric field, when the images on the intermediate transfer body passes through the second transfer area without a recording material passing therethrough.