Little tidbits of my life

Sewing Machine Maintenance

Hi to all!  I received a request to explain how I clean my sewing machine after each project...

First, I would like to share a wonderful nursery picture with you.  A close friend of mine had TRIPLETS last summer.  As her gift, I made her some custom, personalized curtains to match her BEAUTIFUL nursery.  She used a name-brand frog bedding, so I made my own embroidery designs to look similar to her frogs (I use PE-Design 6.0 software and draw my designs w/my mouse directly on the computer) and I added the name of each baby under their own little frog...this is the result:

NOW, to answer the question regarding how I clean the sewing machine after each project...since I use mine for machine embroidery, ALOT of thread goes through it for just one project, but I ALSO clean it each time I make an outfit, or use it for any amount of time. 

The fabric used can also make frequent clean up very necessary.  When I sew with corduroy fabric, I find MUCH more fuzz than when I use pure, fresh, clean cotton material . 

I have a Brother Innovis 4000D sewing/embroidery/quilting machine that is computerized.  There is a large area under the needle plate that I am able to reach.  I remove my bobbin, needle plate and bobbin casing.  I also remove any removable large plastic outer pieces that have screws that will not void the warranty.  MAKE SURE YOU CHECK THE WARRANTY INFO BEFORE CLEANING ANY QUESTIONABLE AREA.

I use the little lint brush that comes w/the machine and I meticulously remove every piece of fuzz or thread or lint I can find.  It always amazes me how much gets in there even from a relatively fuzz-free thread.  I also turn the knob to reach every area I can.  My machine has a little plastic piece on the side, so I turn my machine so that I am looking at it from the side and I find lots of extra gunk in the bottom of the machine, too that might get blown around when the machine is going fast. 

I also blow the machine out a little, but I personally do not use the high pressure cans, I just use the breath God gave me, or my husband's breath as he has much larger lungs.  I am worried the pressurized cans might be too strong and break something, so I personally do not use them in my machine. 

My machine also has an automatic thread cutting system.  I find that this area often gets little threads stuck under it, so that's another place to check and help the machine run smoothly. 

As for cleaning around the top of the machine, my embroidery machine has an automatic thread feeding system that I can not reach.  It is made so that only a professional can clean that area, so I do not even try to clean it.  As for my older sewing machine, I personally have NO FEAR!  I am just careful to not get grease on my lint brush because it is not good to get grease in the area where the thread feeds through.  I am also careful not to pull on springs.  If a thread is stuck in this area, be cautious in removing it as you could also offset your timing. 

It is always advisable to do a little test sewing on a scrap-piece of material after cleaning your machine to make sure you did not accidently spread the grime instead of removing it.

The manual that comes w/your sewing machine should also offer helpful tips on how to clean your machine, based on the model and what areas you can get into w/o doing damage.  Most have diagrams, too.  I do not grease my big machine b/c it is so complicated.  I do however, grease my smaller machine that is not computerized and is sewing only machine (actually my dh does this for me). 

I am also "in tune" with my machine.  I get so used to the way the motor sounds that I can tell if it gets a "new" sound that shouldnt be there.  I always take it in to local repair shop when this happens.  I also show the shop worker what the problem is, especially if it is a noise b/c I have found they might think I'm from Mars if I just tell them my machine has changed its tune.  I guess not everyone finds music in everything !  It is a pity.

If you are ever in doubt as to what to clean, or if your manual is vague, the next time you bring it in for maintenance, just ask them to show you what you can clean and what you should not touch...plus there is always the handy-dandy world wide web at your fingertips.

My repairman recommends getting the machine professionally cleaned at least once a year and if you use it pretty much every day, it might be best to have it professionally cleaned once every 6 months.

NOTE:  The advice above is from my personal experience, so if you break your machine while cleaning it, please do NOT send me your repair bill 

Untitled Comment

05:45, Wednesday, February 20, 2008 .. Posted by gabbie427

Thanks for the information on cleaning the sewing machine!!!

BTW, those curtains are adorable!!!!!!

God's Blessings,
Amy Jo