How to clean your sewing machine 101
Whether you bought it new 5 years ago and only used it once, inherited it from Aunt Mabel, or have been using it for years, your sewing machine is a mechanical (perhaps even computerized) tool that needs to be cleaned and maintained in order to perform well. This is a guide for cleaning your machine. It is not meant as a replacement for full service of your machine, which can be done at your local dealer or machine shop. How often you have your machine serviced depends on how often you use your machine (anywhere between every 6 months to once a year), but keeping it clean and oiled in the meantime will help keep it in good shape. Every time you sew, little fibers from the thread and fabric collect in your machine. You will be amazed at what lurks beneath your throat plate!
Note: I learned how to clean my machine from a lecture given by the owner of a local sewing machine dealer. The following instructions apply to machines with a top loading bobbin. Depending on the age and brand of your machine, some of the directions and/or photographs may not apply to what you have. When disassembling your machine, do not force any screws or remove any parts that do not give easily!!! If in doubt, leave it alone!
Tools you will need:
- Q-Tip brand cotton swabs (they are the least likely to come apart and leave a mess)
- High quality paper towels, like Bounty
- sewing machine oil (I use Dritz purchased at JoAnn Fabrics)
- Firm bristled brush (many machines come with one)
- Tweezers
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgY6lwfJgU_LIL7jd1FuXKokHtvwIEDVRfFDsjbAv-DqzwtjTaeSRVDm-QxvigLXYuGW2xvgFU1UZmuidcCgss5I7nQ_xADgoKn1m8keSmVGcdwB5rx9RGCPombCkC4shB-I1lMg/s400/Fig+2.jpg)
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Pour small amounts of oil onto the tip of your cotton swab, and clean up any residual lint and fibers that were not picked up by the tweezers and lint. Clean around all movable parts, taking care around rough surfaces so that you don't leave cotton fibers behind.
Use a clean paper towel to wipe off any residual oil .
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Replace the bobbin casing, screw the throat plate back on, and put the bobbin cover back on. Do not put a foot on or insert a needle at this time.
Turn it on. Now, "put the pedal to the medal" and run your machine for about 3 minutes, non-stop.
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All Done! Sew for fun!
How often should you do this? It is recommended that you do it after each sewing project, but I try to do it after every 2nd or 3rd project, unless I am working with fuzzy fabric or batting.
For more tips on caring for your machine and troubleshooting common problems, see the following links:
fabrics.net
sewing.about.com
sewandserge.com
9 comments:
excellent tips! thanks! I've been meaning to do this for, oh, five years now.
I don't know when you posted this, but I just wanted to thank you for sharing your information. I just cleaned out the lint in my machine and it has helped it tremendously.
Thank you so much! Now I have to go check out some other parts of your blog.
Hugs,
TJQuilter
Hi, I never had to clean a sewing machine before, but the one I have now makes a lot of noise and barely moves. With a lot of sewing waiting, I had no choice but to find out what to do about it.Hppy to have found you! Thank you so much.
Mary
Great, thanks
I just want to say how awesome you are for this tutorial. I can hardly find anything decent to help me with my machine as a newbie to sewing. Thanks so much!
Thanks so much! I'm off to Joanne's tomorrow to look for the oil. My machine is ten years old and though I don't sew much at all, half the reason is because my thread CONSTANTLY snaps and the bobbin snarles. I really think it just needs a good cleaning!
This is a beautiful tutorial. My machine had not been serviced or cleaned or oiled in, gasp, 14 years. I am ashamed by what I just cleaned out of it. Oiled the malarkey out of it and now? All is well. THANK YOU.
Thank you! This is awesome. I have bookmarked this!
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