Cleaning (and oiling) your sewing machine - here's how!

Cleaning and oiling your sewing machine: I’ll show you what to keep in mind when cleaning your sewing machine – and how simple it is!

Sewing, sewing, non-stop. And suddenly, the machine starts skipping stitches. The seams look messy. The reason: It desperately needs a cleaning! I’ll show you what to look out for when cleaning your sewing machine and overlock – and how it’s done!

Cleaning your sewing machine - why actually?

In principle, you should thoroughly clean and check your sewing machine once every four weeks. Otherwise, dust, thread remnants, and dirt will accumulate inside the sewing machine. This impairs its proper functioning.

When I’m sewing a lot, I also clean my Janome (you can read my review of the Janome here) twice a month. As soon as I notice it’s getting a bit louder, I know it’s time to do something good for it again. :)

Even when a machine hasn’t been used for a while, dust from the ambient air settles inside. Where fabrics are processed, the air can sometimes be very dusty. These dust particles migrate from the room air into the inside of the machine and accumulate there.

Before cleaning, it is important to check your sewing machine’s instruction manual beforehand.

Please observe the instructions in your sewing machine's manual for all of my tips.

Sometimes it is recommended to clean sewing machines with cotton swabs. I advise against it! Cotton swabs can not only bring lint out of the machine – they can also bring it in. And exactly where you don’t want it at all.

Additionally, the cotton puffs can come loose and get lost inside the machine. It is better to use a brush with firm, long bristles for cleaning the sewing machine.

It’s also good to have anatomical tweezers^* on hand for cleaning. For me, they are part of my essential sewing inventory. They are perfect for pulling lint or thread remnants out of the inside of the sewing machine.

Opening and disassembling the sewing machine

To clean the sewing machine thoroughly, you must remove all movable parts. It’s best to keep a small bowl or similar container within reach where you can place everything you remove.

If you aren't familiar with your sewing machine yet and are unsure if you’ll put every part back in the right place after cleaning, take notes on what belongs where. A mobile phone photo is also great for this purpose.

Cleaning your sewing machine - here's how!

• Switch off the sewing machine and pull the power plug.
• Remove the sewing thread from the machine.
• Unscrew the needle and check if it is bent or has nicks. Replace it if necessary.
• Remove the presser foot and clean it with a brush and/or a soft microfiber cloth.
• Remove the needle plate and also clean it from the top and bottom with the cloth.
• Remove the bobbin case.
  

  

• Remove the bobbin holder and clean it with a cloth or brush.

• Clean all surfaces of the sewing machine with a slightly damp microfiber cloth – without any cleaning agents.
• If you can open the upper part of your sewing machine, do so and dust it with a brush.
• Remove dust with a vacuum cleaner and thread remnants with tweezers.
• Now you can vacuum the machine using the crevice nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. Meanwhile, loosen dust lint inside the machine with a brush.
  

  

• It is best to remove stuck thread remnants using the anatomical tweezers^*.

Cleaning the sewing machine with a vacuum cleaner

The vacuum cleaner is the tool of choice for removing dust and lint from the sewing machine. If the crevice nozzle is too large for some spots, you can resort to a sippy cup spout. It has a long, narrow "suction snout" and is therefore ideal for hard-to-reach spots inside the sewing machine.

The attachment can be found, for example, in the children's department at DM (in Germany). It is placed onto the vacuum cleaner hose. Whether it fits your vacuum cleaner is something you'll have to test, of course.

Cleaning the thread path

Sometimes (mostly inferior) sewing thread leaves behind remnants and lint in the thread path. Over time, this can lead to problems because parts of the sewing machine, such as the upper looper, can no longer move freely.

It can be a challenge to reach these remnants. Anatomical tweezers can help with this. But (if possible, unwaxed) dental floss is also a good idea.

How it works: Make sure you use very firm dental floss, hold it taut between both hands, and pull it through the thread path. Often, thread remnants can be mobilized this way and made reachable for the tweezers.

Cleaning the sewing machine with compressed air

Sometimes it is recommended to use compressed air spray for cleaning. It is occasionally helpful to be able to blow dust and thread remnants out of the machine in a targeted manner. Often, there is no other way to reach hardened dirt and dust bunnies inside the machine.

However, success depends on blowing the dirt out of the machine, not in. Use the compressed air spray with a small nozzle to mobilize the dirt. Then, you can subsequently wipe it out of the housing with a vacuum cleaner or a brush.

Oiling the sewing machine

Before you grab the little bottle of sewing machine oil, you should definitely read whether the use of oil is recommended in your sewing machine’s manual.

For some modern computerized sewing machines, manufacturers advise against oiling the machine. Most modern computerized sewing machines generally do not like oil.

While people used to say that every moving part deserves a drop of oil, this view is now outdated. It can actually damage the machine if it is oiled.

• I have never oiled my Brother or the Janome.

For older machines, a small drop of oil should be applied to the center of the hook race. A second drop should be applied to the needle bar. Be sure to dab off any excess oil so it doesn't come into contact with the fabric while sewing and possibly ruin it.

Oiling a Bernina sewing machine

Bernina sewing machines consist largely of metal. That is why they are so heavy and high-quality.

And whenever metal parts meet, they need oil to run smoothly. Understandable, right? So that I don’t forget anything, I follow a simple procedure when oiling my Bernina 770^*:

• Cleaning: Before I start oiling, I clean the sewing machine thoroughly as described above.
• Remove the bobbin case: To get to the hook, the bobbin case must be removed.
• Oiling the hook: The small felt pads indicate whether the machine needs oil. They turn light-colored because they are dry. If the machine is well-oiled, they are dark and soaked with oil.
• Oiling the hook race: The back of the hook and the hook race should also be oiled.
• Oiling the needle bar: Here, too, metal meets metal.

My tip: Use an oil pen with a nozzle^* rather than an oil spray. While the spray distributes more easily, it doesn't oil as precisely or thoroughly as an oil pen.

Reassembling the sewing machine

After cleaning, replace all parts – in reverse order. Start with the part you removed last. Use the mobile photo for help if necessary.

Putting the sewing machine back into operation

Before you start sewing again, insert the bobbin and thread the upper thread. I recommend sewing a few stitches on a scrap piece of fabric to test that everything is in the right place.

If you oiled the sewing machine, any residual oil can now be absorbed by the test fabric.

Cleaning your overlock

Your overlock and coverstitch machine also need regular care. Especially the overlock, on which a lot of material is sewn and trimmed, benefits greatly from cleaning in the long run.

Many overlocks make it easy for you to remove dust and lint with fold-out side panels. If that is not the case with your machine, don't be afraid to loosen the screws and take off the side plastic cover. You will be amazed at how much dust and dirt is hiding behind it.

Some overlocks (like my Babylock Acclaim^*) have a small extra compartment in the base where needles, dust, and lint collect. You should empty that out every now and then.

You can also use compressed air spray^* to loosen stubborn dust in your overlocker.

How do you use compressed air spray to clean a sewing machine?

First things first: Always prioritize safety.

• Store and use the compressed air spray only at room temperature
• Do not tilt the spray can at too sharp an angle (see product description), as gas may leak out
• Do not shake the can before use (this is compressed air, not hairspray!)
• Only use compressed air to blow dust and lint out of the machine, not into it!

I recommend purchasing a compressed air can with an attachment^* (or two different ones). The narrow nozzle allows you to reach even the inaccessible corners of your machines.

A can of compressed air spray lasts forever; it is really worth having one on hand. By the way, it's also great for the corners and crevices on the outer casing of the machines.

Clean your sewing machine regularly

It is best not to wait to clean your sewing machine until the stitch quality becomes poor or the machine starts getting louder. It is better to clean and check your machine regularly once a month.

You can use the reminder function on your phone for this, for example.

That way, you will always know exactly when you have a date with your sewing machine. It will thank you with reliability and a long service life. :)

Should you have your sewing machine serviced?

It makes sense not only to clean your sewing machine regularly but also to have it serviced by a professional. You should discuss the maintenance cycle with your local dealer.

I take my sewing machines, including my overlocker, in for maintenance once a year. The costs for this vary widely and depend primarily on whether parts need to be replaced and what those parts are. It is best to check with the workshop or dealer beforehand.

Did my tips on the topic of "cleaning your sewing machine" help you?

Feel free to leave me a comment!

Happy simple sewing,

Sabine