PURPOSE: To obtain a method for cleaning for color changing wherein the consumption of a thinner for cleaning can be decreased and high cleaning effect can be kept by feeding a mist cleaning fluid based on the thinner from a mist manufacturing apparatus to a coating color changing apparatus and cleaning the inside and the flow path to a coating machine when cleaning for color changing is performed.

CONSTITUTION: When a coating with a certain color is completed, color change valves CV1 to CV7 for the coating color are closed and a cleaning valve 5 of a color changing apparatus 1 is opened and a spraying apparatus 3 is driven by the action of a switch valve 8 to prepare a mist cleaning fluid wherein a cleaning thinner is made into a mist in a cleaning air and the fluid is fed by compression to the cleaning valve 5 and the coating flow path 30 from the color changing apparatus 1 to a coating machine 2 is cleaned and is discharged from the coating machine 2. Then, the cleaning valve 5 is closed and only cleaning air is made to flow from a color change manifold 4 to the coating machine 2 by the action of a switch valve 9 to discharge the remaining thinner from the coating machine 2 and then, after a coating to be used is filled, a trial coating is performed and then, the actual coating is performed.