Abstract: In a method for cleaning a first paint remained in a painting apparatus with thinner when said first paint is changed to a second paint, the cleaning time of the first paint is varied in accordance with the difference between a predetermined property of the first paint and that of the second paint. First, a table of a plurality of cleaning patterns according to the predetermined property of paint to be utilized in the painting apparatus is prepared. Next, when the current paint is changed to next paint, the current paint and the next paint are classified into a plurality of classes by the predetermined property, and a cleaning pattern corresponding to the class of the current paint and the class of the next paint is selected from the table. Then, the current paint is cleaned with thinner according to the selected cleaning pattern.