Thursday, January 7, 2010

Keeping your Sewing Machine clean


Today on Diane Gaudynski's blog, she posted some information about keeping your sewing machine clean. I know I have been really lax in that area, so I thought I would post some sites where you can find information about keeping your machine clean. I would think that each brand of sewing machines would have a resource for you to find how to clean your brand of machine. But here is what I found for today.

Diane Gaudyniski's blog -
http://dianegaudynski.blogspot.com/2010/01/lean-mean-clean-machine.html

Blueberry Buckle Quilt Studio -
http://blueberrybuckle.typepad.com/blog/2009/11/tuesday-tutorial-clean-your-machine.html

Bernina blog site -
http://www.berninausablog.com/read/keep-a-clean-machine

Janome Forum -
http://janome.com/fusetalk/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=19&threadid=480

Sewing machine care -
http://www.essortment.com/all/sewingmachinec_rfhp.htm

Keep those machines running clean :-)

19 comments:

Cindy said...

This IS SO important!! I am adament about cleaning my machines, probably to the point of being a "pain" to most.
I NEVER start a new project until I clean my machine from the last project I did.

Also, it is not uncommon for me to clean "in the middle" of a project, especially if that project is a big one.

Q-tips and machine oil are ALWAYS right alongside my scissors, pins and awl... just part of my "tools".

Lis Harwood said...

That is spooky! I posted today about my new vintage Singer, very dusty, and as I went to "view blog" up popped your post about cleaning (and the lovely photo of a Featherweight of I'm not mistaken). Thanks and happy stitching, Lis

Susan said...

Thanks for the great links and tips! Another thing to remember is that sewing machine oil can go bad...it should be clear. If yours has yellowed, replace it with a new bottle.

CathieG said...

Thanks for the helpful sites! I am pretty lax in that area..but this has make me make a note to pull out my manual to check for instructions..I do clean the bobbin area on a a regular basis.

marlene@ByTheSeam said...

We pay so much money for these machines I guess we had better take care of them. Thanks for the links. Now you have the same background as I do. I love it.

Polly said...

Very good info!! I am spoiled- my Bernina 640 stops sewing and up pops a "time to clean and oil" message! Oh, and do NOT use the dreaded canned-air at all!! Just forces all the lint and dirt deeper inside!! I have cut down the amount of lint tremendously by using Aurifil thread for piecing...it's almost lint-FREE! Polly :-)

Barb said...

Thanks, some great information.....

Loralynn said...

LOVE your machine! I have an old Singer from somewhere around the early '40's and want to have it reconditioned so I can use it.

Dena said...

A couple of days ago, I read the Bernina blog post about cleaning your machine and was shocked at the pictures they displayed. How frightening! I can't imagine letting my machine get so bad. Of course, I'm the one who cleans out the bobbin area and changes the needle between each project. LOL

sharon said...

Great topic. I found at sew mama sew blog a video tutorial about cleaning & oiling a sewing machine. Under categories, look for Spring Cleaning, then find "Spring cleaning your sewing machine" on the second page. Warning it has groovy music.

Nat Palaskas said...

Thanks Jocelyn, that's really useful list to have. That machine of your looks spotless. Is that a Featherweight? Have a great day - Hugs Nat

Rebecca Nelson said...

GREAT POST! Keeping your machine clean and dust free helps it live a long, long time.

Don't forget to OIL it, too!

xoRebecca

beth said...

Thanks for the reminder and the great links! I always use a little brush to clean as I sew...usually every time I change the bobbin.

Shabby Cottage Shoppe said...

Wonderful and very important information...thanks!
Gail

Anonymous said...

Great reminder - Jocelyn. I will clean my machine directly!

RebeccaMom said...

Good post! I need to be reminded sometimes. It does make a difference :) Thanks for stopping by my blog. I posted a reply about the church fire there but I thought I would stop over here too. The police are getting closer to an arrest and we are within 2 weeks of having everything ready and fully functional, thanks to so many people who have helped out!

Allie said...

Great post -I clean what I can reach. Thank goodness my machine doesn't need oiling, I always used to mess that part up, lol.

Leah Spencer said...

The Bernina site had me shuddering with all the lint packed in those machines! I personally can't stand letting my Bernina go more than 2 bobbins of thread without popping up the stitch plate to swipe at the visible lint.

I've been using this tutorial for the last couple of years to guide me through my cleanings: http://homepage.mac.com/mbgoodman/clean/

Crispy said...

I use my machine rarely but I always give it a thorough cleaning when I'm done. This is a great reminder :0)

Crispy