Ah, I didn't see you there, well, where are my manners?

Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Big Blue, a hard-working, high-performance paint booth built to handle anything from classic automobile restorations to high-volume production. It's nice to meet you, and yes, I know I'm not blue.

My filters are top-tier, my airflow is impeccable, and my curing power is unmatched for my price point.

Well, that's how it used to be, at least.

For years, I belonged to a meticulous shop owner. Oh, how he and his crew cared for me. They changed my filters, kept my airflow crisp, and ensured I was continuously operating at peak efficiency. I turned out flawless finishes, and they treated me like a true shop MVP in return. I can still remember the pride in his voice when he spoke about me last. But, I didn't realize why he was showing me off...my old friend was finally retiring and selling his shop.

And that's when things started to change.

The Dark Days: When Spring Cleaning is Just a Dream

My new owner took a different approach. He wasn't a bad guy; he was just busy – really busy. While he was adjusting to his new life as the owner of a much larger shop, the little things started slipping. Filters stayed a little too long, my walls got too dusty, and my airflow felt sluggish.

At first, I told myself this was just a rough patch. Surely, a deep clean was coming.

But weeks turned into months, and the neglect piled up. My once-pristine interior was coated in overspray. My exhaust fans struggled to breathe. My airflow, once the envy of every booth in the shop, now felt as stale as last week's coffee.

I was slowing down, and people started noticing.

1. Paint jobs needed more reworking.
2. Curing times were inconsistent.
3. That perfect finish I was once known for was gone.

Something had to give.

The Turning Point: A Checklist Changes Everything

Then, one day, a rep from Alberta Booth stopped by and left something that would change our lives: it was a Cleaning and Maintenance Checklist for paint booths. It wouldn't change our lives right away; at first, the Checklist was left in a pile on the desk, along with all the other paperwork. A few more weeks went by, and my health got even worse; I could hear talk of "diagnosing issues" and "sourcing replacement parts," just assuming he'd inherited a lemon of a paint booth. 

But I wasn't a lemon; if only someone would use that Checklist, they would know how great I could be. 

It took a while, but finally, someone did see the Checklist from the Alberta Booth. Maybe, just maybe, the bank account and I (I mean, have you seen the price of a new booth?!) could yet be saved.

I was shut down due to a particularly spotty paint job earlier in the day when I heard talk of "none of this has been done" and "should have been taken care of monthly." It was then that I smiled (okay, it was on the inside; I'm a paint booth, I can't actually smile) and knew despite the frustration and weeks of dealing with shoddy paint jobs from my line, I would be salvaged.

Soon my:

1. Filters were swapped out.
2. My exhaust system was deep cleaned.
3. All my fans were lubricated and checked to make sure they were running smoothly.
4. Finally, my walls were scrubbed until they gleamed like they were in the good old days.

And just like that, I felt alive again.

A Fresh Start for Spring and Beyond

With every checklist item tackled, my performance roared back to life. The finishes looked crisp again, the airflow felt strong, and the shop's efficiency improved enough that I rarely ever needed downtime. The Checklist is followed, and they have avoided that massive deep clean I needed from so much neglect again.

So here's a little secret for you, booth and shop owners.

A little maintenance goes a long way. Don't let your booth fade into neglect, harming your shop's productivity and your pocketbook likely, too. Sometimes, new parts are needed; nothing lasts forever after all.

But sometimes, too, an old booth just needs some TLC.

So please, for the sake of my paint booth cousins, follow a regular cleaning checklist and take advantage of the season for a good spring cleaning. I swear by the paint in my veins; you'll be amazed at the difference it makes in your equipment and your entire operation.

And if you need a place to start, contact Alberta Booth.