The area under the neck plate is where the most debris gathers. Usually, this trash consists of dust, fabric fragments, and thread snafus. Use of compressed air will only push this debris back into the more difficult-to-reach regions, so avoid using it. Instead, spread the dust outward and upward with a nylon brush.
Make careful to clean the dust between the feed dogs and the bobbin case inside your machine.
In This Article...
How frequently should I grease my sewing machine?
Every sewing machine varies a little. You can find out how frequently, if at all, to oil your sewing machine in your user handbook.
Numerous more recent sewing machines already have lubrication and do not require additional oil. However, if you believe your sewing machine might use a drop or two more, add them to the bobbin casing. Your sewing machine will require oil more often the more you use it. A good rule of thumb is once every four months.
Additionally, to ensure that your sewing machine is functioning properly, you should have a professional maintain it once every two to three years. Your sewing machine will receive an oiling at your service appointment. Your sewing machine undoubtedly needs to be oiled and properly serviced if you haven’t used it in a while. Over time, the oil in your sewing machine dries out.
What kind of oil is suitable for lubricating a sewing machine?
A little container of sewing machine oil is typically available at your neighborhood craft and sewing shop. There are additional well-known brands than Dritz. The oil can also be ordered online. The larger bottle with the “zoom spout,” which can be expanded by roughly 6 inches to reach harder-to-reach locations, is my favorite.
a mineral oil Refined mineral oil is typically used in sewing machine oil. These lubricants have a light viscosity, are clear and odorless, and are manufactured of petrochemicals. Therefore, mineral oil will work well for your sewing machine if you have any on hand. But be aware that it might not be as high-grade as the oil that is labeled.
oil for tri-flow. Tri-flow is a higher-grade mineral oil that is more expensive and has additives to prevent corrosion. If you reside in a region where excessive temperatures or humidity are a concern, it can be a wise choice. Tri-flow is a great option for any compact home appliance, such sewing machines.
Artificial oil A synthetic lubricant, like clock oil, can be used in a pinch. Along with metal, these oils are suitable to use on painted, rubber, and plastic surfaces. These oils are more expensive and have a somewhat higher viscosity than mineral oil, which reduces their efficiency a little.
Can you grease a sewing machine using WD-40?
A sewing machine is a rather complex instrument that requires regular maintenance to ensure seamless operation. Regular sewing machine users should take care of their machines to prevent unexpected problems that could slow down their work. The best results from a sewing machine come from having all of its components well-oiled and working together as a unit.
Before going over how to clean and oil your sewing machine, let’s go over some crucial points to have in mind to maintain the machine’s health.
- Always make sure that your sewing machine’s crochet and basket are clean.
- As soon as you hear your sewing machine’s components squeaking, oil them immediately.
- Make sure you get high-quality thread for your sewing machine because low-quality threads have a higher chance of breaking easily, tangling, and becoming flaky, which can harm your machine.
- It is recommended to use different bobbins for your sewing machine’s various functions.
- The needles should always be changed on a regular basis. Although they are essentially invisible to the human eye, they have the potential to wear out and entirely impede your sewing process.
A single product, the WD-40 Multi Use Product, is capable of cleaning and lubricating your sewing machine. True to its name, the tool assists you in cleaning and lubricating various sewing machine components to ensure the equipment operates smoothly and effectively. All you need to maintain your sewing machine is a can of WD-40, which will assist you in meeting a variety of needs.
Although there isn’t a set procedure for caring for your sewing machine, you can follow these three steps to clean and lubricate the machine with WD-40:
How frequently should my overlocker be oiled?
To keep your machines happy and preserve a trouble-free relationship, give them some tender loving care. Your overlocker needs some regular cleaning and oiling, much like your sewing machines. Knowing when to do this varies more from person to person than it does with your sewing machine. You’ll immediately discover that an overlocker or serger produces significantly more lint than a sewing machine because it also cuts the fabric with each stitch. Greetings, dust bunnies! Every project will probably require you to clean your overlocker.
A pack of microfibre cloths is a wise purchase for any sewing workshop. I usually give any machine I’ve used a quick dusting with this cloth every day. They are excellent at dusting off work surfaces as well.
I thoroughly clean the interior of my overlocker at the conclusion of every major project. The lint brush that comes with your machine is excellent for removing lint from the area around the presser foot, feed dogs, and other minor locations, but I suggest getting a bigger brush for the rest of the machine. Use of canned air should be avoided since it will push additional lint inside your machine where you cannot access it.
Every three to four months, I will deep clean a little more and take out the stich plate. This makes it easier to clean the area around the machine’s feed dogs. The screwdriver you need for this will be included with the machine. On the stitch plate, there are two screws that, after being removed the first time, are rather simple to remove. Now is a wonderful time to use a microfiber cloth to clean the stitch plate. After that, you can go to the feed dogs with the cotton swabs or lint brush. Cleaning this section, which collects a lot of lint like a sewing machine’s does, can make it easier for your machine to feed textiles.
You can remove the lint that collects in this heavily used area between the top and lower cutting blades by lowering the knife. Simply open the sewing table on the BERNINA L 450/L 460 machines and look for the knife activation knob. To lower the blade, push it in and turn in a clockwise direction. To raise the blade again, turn it in a counterclockwise direction.
You are now prepared to add some oil! When lubricating an overlocker, there are a few things to remember.
- The oil in your sewing machine is NOT the same as this oil. It is crucial to use the oil that was included with your overlocker, or to consult your manufacturer or local dealer before adding the incorrect oil.
- Over-oiling an overlocker might have negative effects. All of that dust and debris will be drawn to the oil like a magnet, gathering it towards the parts of the machine that are working the hardest.
With those factors in mind, it’s crucial to determine when to oil your sewing machine based on how you use it. A machine that is not in use will dry out more quickly than one that is. Therefore, if it has been sitting for a while (oops), you should probably oil it. Even though I don’t use my machine every day, I find that with regular cleaning and maintenance, I just need to oil it every 4-6 months. Knowing your machine will assist you decide when is optimal because you’ll probably hear more noise or feel the machine move more slowly. On the looper shaft of the majority of machines, there are just two locations that require lubrication. If in doubt, take a look at the machine’s diagram.
Like your sewing machine, the L 450 and L 460 overlockers are equipped to handle common household needles (130.705H). Your project requirements will decide the size and kind of needle. In an overlocker, a 70 needle size should be used as the smallest size. Everything smaller will probably break easily because the machine moves so swiftly. The maximum needle size you should use on the opposite side is 90. Anything larger will not fit in the space between the loopers and will likely result in a bent needle or, worse yet, a bent looper. For the majority of my projects, I use 80/12 universal needles. In an overlocker, needles can endure for a very long period; I probably change them every other month. The only exception would be if a needle was damaged, in which case you should replace it right away.
Certain tasks are better left to the experts. You know it’s time to take your machine to the shop if it keeps experiencing problems like breaking needles, skipping stitches, or damage to the blade. Keep the number of pins that are simple to shear off to a minimum because replacing a knife can be expensive to fix. I advise using Clover wonder clips while serging because they are visible and less likely to get caught in your machine’s cutting blades. As a general rule, I advise having your overlocker cleaned, oiled, and adjusted once a year at a licensed dealership. In order to clean the “inner interior that we don’t have simple access to,” the technician will be able to take off the machine’s covers. They will also check your tensions and clean up the mess, saving you from having to do it yourself again. Many enjoyable sewing hours will result from proper upkeep and care.
How often should my serger be oiled?
Check your owner’s handbook or, if you have one, your local dealer to see if your serger needs to be oiled. You may find instructions on where to put oil and how often in the serger manual. The general recommendation is to oil machinery that needs it after eight to ten hours of serging or whenever you hear metallic scraping noises. Every time I clean my serger, I like to grease it.
Who should do the cleaning?
You can maintain your sewing machine’s functionality at home by performing a few routine cleaning procedures. But you should also schedule regular professional maintenance for your sewing machine.
Before performing any cleaning tasks on your sewing machine, it’s important to always refer to the instruction manual.
What needs to be cleaned?
The major components of your sewing machine that require routine cleaning are the needle, presser foot, and bobbin region. You can take care of this. Remember to consult the instruction manual for specifics on how to clean your sewing machine’s components.
Why do I need to clean my machine?
Small fiber fragments are left over after every stitch. These are mixed with the air’s humidity and dust. The bobbin area, the area around the feed dogs, and the needle shaft are all covered with this mixture. Lint and dust can clog these passageways and prevent the sewing machine from operating smoothly. These crucial components of your sewing machine should be kept clean.
When should my machine be cleaned?
How frequently you sew will influence how frequently you should clean your machine. If you spend a few hours a day sewing, you might want to clean the machine once a week. If you just sew once or twice a week and it takes you many weeks to complete a project, you might wish to clean it afterward.
The type of fabric you’re sewing with is another aspect. Flannel and fleece are two textiles that produce more lint than other fabrics. You might need to clean more frequently if you’re working on a project that calls for materials like these.
One general rule is to clean once a week if you sew every day. Another is to remove the lint from the bobbin casing after two or three bobbin changes.
Regardless, find a technique to remind yourself to routinely clear away the dust and lint to prevent issues with your machine in the future.
You should occasionally take your sewing machine to be serviced and tuned by a qualified sewing machine expert in addition to the regular cleaning you perform at home. This again depends on how frequently you sew. It is feasible to skip a professional cleaning for a few years.
Cleaning Tips
- Before you oil, clean. (However, not every machine requires lubrication.)
- Work your way down, starting at the top.
- One section at a time, disassemble. Reassemble it before taking apart the following area.
- When brushing out the lint, make short, forceful strokes.
Before Cleaning
- Invariably unplug the device.
- Turn the handwheel in your direction to raise the needle to its highest setting.
- So that you don’t accidently stab yourself, think about taking out the needle.
- Remove or raise the presser foot. The lint may be removed more easily as a result.
- Take the bobbin off.
General Cleaning Directions
Important: For detailed instructions on cleaning your sewing machine, always refer to the handbook. The instructions below are broad suggestions; they might not match those in your sewing machine’s manual.
- Start at the top, where the thread spool is located. Dust and lint should be removed from the vicinity of the spool pin using the lint brush.
- Look for any threads that may have broken off and gotten entangled in the bobbin winding spindle. Take them out.
- Go to the area with the presser feet and needles. If there is any lint accumulation around the needle shaft, use the lint brush to carefully remove it.
Remember to disassemble each of the following areas before cleaning it. Reassemble it before taking apart the following area.
- To remove the needle plate, use the screwdriver. Put the screws somewhere safe so you don’t lose them.
- Clean up the dogs’ food. To avoid pushing lint into the sewing machine, brush in an outward motion. Reinstall the needle plate.
- Take the bobbin casing out and move to the bobbin area. Dust and lint in the bobbin area should be removed using the brush. Put the bobbin case and bobbin back in.
What about oiling my machine?
Not all sewing machines require lubrication. You must carefully read the sewing machine’s instruction handbook. Oiling a machine that doesn’t require it can simply lead to issues.
Use only sewing machine-specific oil. Keep oil away from areas where it shouldn’t be. CHECK THE MANUAL FOR OILING INSTRUCTIONS.
Advice: To remove extra oil from your machine after lubricating it, sew straight lines on a scrap of fabric for 30 to 60 seconds.
Learn your machine’s noises. When it begins to sound excessively loud, when you hear a thumping sound, or when it appears to be operating a little rough, oil it.