I am frequently am away from my printer for 3-4 months..
Most of the time when I return the ink has dried, the print heads cannot be cleaned usually a nozzle check shows this.
Will a Laser do better with prolonged periods of disuse?
Is there a WAY to clear/clean an ink jet prior to these periods of disuse?

So far I usually end up getting a new one or taking mine in for repair. Often at cost more than the price of a new (inexpensive) one>You can buy cleaning kits for inkjet printers but frankly you should only buy inkjet printers if you need to frequently print high quality images (e.g. photos). If you need to get high quality prints but only rarely then it’s worth paying the premium for a company to print them for you.

I've got a small monochrome LaserJet which I rarely use for the odd print out (literally only buy ink cartridges every couple of years).

If you want colour and have the space get a colour laser jet, they're larger and more expensive to buy but far cheaper in the long run. (ASSUMING that you're throwing out 90% full ink cartridges all the time) Thanks for the feedback..
I tried several of the cleaning kits.. Essential all were useless.
Does anyone know if A Laser printer tolerates prolonged inactivity any better that an ink jet ?
Or do they clog, dry up etc. just as much.
It would be cheaper to replace the inkjets as I can get a color one often under $100. If a color laser doesn't like long periods of disuse then at least in my thinking ,they are much more expensive to replace .I've had my monochrome laser printer for about 8 years now and I've never needed to clean it or fuss with it to get it to print. When I owned inkjet printers, it seemed like I had to JUMP thru a bunch of hoops every time I wanted to print due to clogged print heads, empty ink cartridges, paper jams, etc...

I can't cite studies or anything to ATTEST to a laser tolerating prolonged inactivity better than an ink jet but in my personal EXPERIENCE the laser wins hands down.

Unless you need to print color often, a monochrome laser is the way to go. They require less maintenance, print much faster and have a lower cost per printed page than an inkjet. The only drawback is that they cost more up front but prices have actually come down since I bought mine.