How to Clean a Sewing Machine

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Treat your machine with care and learn how to clean a sewing machine and you will reap the benefits as you avoid the troubles and strife that come with sewing machine troubleshooting. Prevention is better than a cure! Wise words that apply to any machine, especially a sewing machine that is part of your family life.

A well-oiled and clean machine keeps trouble at bay.

Table of Contents

Stop! Don’t start cleaning and oiling until you:

Before you start to learn how to clean a sewing machine, it is important that you do 2 things –

Unplug Your Machine

Don’t touch anything electrical with it still plugged in. As you won’t have the benefit of the sewing machine lamp, take your sewing machine to a well-lit area so you can see what you are doing. Don’t be tempted to plug it back in so you can use the machine lamp!

Read Your Manual

Study the manual that comes with your machine and keep it oiled and clean ready for every task. If you have lost your manual, try to get a sewing machine manual online or ask a dealer or manufacturer where the oiling and cleaning points are and how often you should oil and clean your machine.

IMPORTANT: Beware that some brands specify that only a dealer or authorized repairer can clean their machines. Do a double-check so you don’t void any warranty.

CHECK POSITIONS – Check your manual for the main places that will need cleaning. Generally, you will need to remove the needle plate and bobbin to get under the bobbin case.
BRUSHES – Keep a little brush and some tweezers handy to clean out lint and stray threads. Use a stiff brush to get the best results. Don’t buy really cheap brushes where the bristles come out as the last thing you want is loose bristles floating around your machine.
BRUSH ALTERNATIVES – Consider using a disposable mascara wand. The stiff bristles do a good job in hard to reach places.
AVOID AIR – Stay away from canned air as it tends to contain moisture which can cause problems with rust and your electrics.
DON’T BLOW – Likewise, blowing lint out with your mouth will cause similar problems.
DON’T VACUUM – Some people use small vacuum attachments to clean lint in their machines. Personally, I worry about sucking up a screw or something important so prefer manual methods. In saying that, there shouldn’t be loose screws in your machine so perhaps this is over worrying!
COVER IT UP – Have a dust cover for your machine. If it was not part of your sewing machine purchase, have fun making one or just drape some light fabric over the machine to prevent dust build-up.
BOBBIN CASE – Don’t forget to clean the bobbin case as this is the most common spot for large bits of fluff and threads to get caught.

How often should you clean your sewing machine?

Now you know how to clean a sewing machine, the next question is how often to do it. Well, this depends on how often you sew. If you are sewing regularly you should clean lint every week as a minimum.

The photo at the top of the page was taken after a few hours of sewing a fleece fabric. Most manufacturers will have a recommended time frame for cleaning so check your manual.

Clean immediately after sewing fluffy fabrics such as fleece, fur and wool as they clog up your machine very quickly.

How to oil a sewing machine

Many modern machines do not need oiling so double check your manual before squirting oil everywhere.

Always get the correct oil for your sewing machine. This is important as each make of machine has its oil that suits its components best.

Don’t try and use some substitute oil you find in your garage. It is not worth the damage to your machine. Sewing machine oil is typically clear and very fine.

Clean off excess oil and test drive the machine on a scrap to clear any residual oil that may spoil or dirty your fabric.