MACHINE CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF SEWING MACHINES
1) I have been told that blowing into the inner parts of the sewing machine or the serger will rust the parts
because of the moisture in the breath. Is that true?
No, not unless you are blowing moisture into it. Just be careful not to blow lint and thread back into the
moving parts.
2) Should we be using the canned air to blow out the lint?
Canned air is okay, but again blow toward the outer side of the machine instead of blowing the air inward.
You don’t want to blow lint back up into your machine.
3) Are the little vacuum attachments that go on a large vacuum effective and is that the best way to clean the
inner part of the machine?
They are an excellent way to clean the machine and more effective that the canned air or blowing with
breath.
4) How often do you suggest a thorough cleaning and what is a thorough cleaning in your estimation---not
including the professional cleaning done during maintenance by a technician?
Lint is the biggest problem for the machine. It is important to clean it out the best way you can after or
before each use. A professional maintenance should be least once a year or even more often if you use
the machine frequently. The besprotection is to clean the machine regularly yourself by removing the
bobbin case and wiping out any lint or gunk that has settled in there. That can also affect the bobbin thread
sensor that tells you when the bobbin is empty. The newer machines don’t need oiling or lubrication as the
older models did. The most important thing is to keep the machine as free of lint as possible. Lint is the
enemy!
5) How often do you suggest having a professional maintenance done?
See #4 above