If you own a sewing machine and hate the idea of it, or any of your precious sewing projects getting damaged, there’s a really simple way for you to not get stuck halfway through your creative joy: cleaning and oiling your sewing machine!
It is easy to do, quick to finish and clean up, and your sewing machine will love you for it! 😍
In this post I’ll walk you through how to give your sewing machine some regular care and attention. Read on to find out how (and how I found out the hard way why maintaining your machine is so important!)
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning that I get a small commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you.
Do I need to clean my sewing machine?
Um, YES!!! Definitely.
I do have an embarassing confession to make here… It had been a while since having my machine professionally serviced before I decided that I needed to give it a clean out myself. I mean, it did smell a little when I was sewing too…
Oh my!!! I was mortified. I swear, I could have knitted myself a pullover from the lint of plucked out of my poor machine.
And then I promised myself, never again!
It doesn’t take a lot of time to clean and oil a sewing machine. Keeping it clean and serviced will help it run more smoothly, quietly and even prevent thread tangles from forming on the back of your fabrics.
How often should I clean and oil my sewing machine?
There isn’t really a strict rule about how often you should clean your sewing machine. Nor is there a hard and fast rule about how often you should have your machine professionally serviced. It comes down a lot to how much your are using your machine.
You should have your sewing machine professionally serviced at least every 2 years, if not each year if you are frequently using your machine.
As for minor upkeep to your machine, such as cleaning and oiling, you should definitely aim for doing this several times a year, at least every couple of months.
What tools do I need to clean and oil my machine?
You’ll only need a couple of basic tools to be able to give your machine a basic home service.
Cleaning cloth or wipes
Sewing machine oil
Cleaning brush
Screwdriver tool
Tweezers
Dos and don’ts of cleaning your sewing machine
DO check the manual of your own sewing machine for instructions and tips before doing this for the first time. Just so you know, my machine is a Brother.
DO unplug your machine before starting.
DON’T use compressed air to clean inside your sewing machine (otherwise you might blow lint further inside your machine where you can’t remove it).
DO clean parts before oiling them (not after).
8 easy steps to care for your sewing machine
Step 01: Safety first!
Before doing any sewing machine maintenance, you must ensure your own safety! Turn off the power supply to your machine and remove / unplug the power cable.
Remove your upper thread spool and the bobbin.
Next, remove the sewing needle. Not only is it extremely pointed and sharp, it will only get in the way once you start trying to get into your machine.
And finally, remove the presser foot.
Now you’ve made yourself some space to work, your machine is ready for some TLC.
Step 02: Wipe clean the sewing machine
Excess water can damage any electrical appliance, including your precious sewing machine. Use a slightly damp cloth (I even used a chemical-free baby wipe) and wipe over the outside casing of your sewing machine, moving from top to bottom.
Don’t wipe over any metal parts with a damp cloth. If there is a part that really needs cleaning, use a dry, soft cloth.
Step 03: Remove the coverings
Now the outside of the machine is clean, it’s time to get to the inside!
Some machines have a small tool drawer along the front of the machine which can be detached (such as when sewing “free arm”). If you can, remove this part to give yourself easier access to the inside of your machine for the next steps.
To access the interior parts of your machine that need cleaning, remove the plastic cover from over your bobbin chamber.
Now you’ll also need to remove the needle plate AKA stitch plate AKA throat plate. To do this you’ll probably need a small tool to unscrew the screws holding it on. This was probably included in your sewing machine tools kit. (If not, a coin usually does the trick too. 😉)
Once the screws are undone, put them in a secure place (you don’t want to lose them!) and remove the metal plate.
Lastly, remove the bobbin case from the chamber.
Step 04: How to clean the inside of your sewing machine
Adding oil to the dusty inside of your sewing machine will only cause you to have greasy clumps of fluff clinging in there! Those pieces of lint need to be removed before using any lubricating oil.
Using a small brush (most sewing machines have one included in the tools pack) gently sweep inside the bobbin casing and bobbin chamber to brush out the fluff bunnies lint. The best brushes have a small amount of static, so that the fluff clings to the bristles. Clean the fluff off the brush as you work.
Once the bobbin area has been cleaned, clean the feed dogs. They’re those jagged metal teethy-things that pull your fabric along underneath the sewing needle.
Don’t forget to lower the needle bar and dust up and down that too.
Carefully brush around the other areas inside the machine that you can easily see and reach to remove the last of the lint. If there are any small pieces of thread or lint balls that the brush doesn’t remove, that’s when those tweezers will come in handy!
Step 05: How to oil the bobbin area
Now that the lint remnants are gone, it’s time to lubricate some of the sewing machine’s important moving parts.
The most important part is in the bobbin chamber. With the bobbin spool and the bobbin case both removed, you will be able to see the metal casing on which the bobbin case sits. This is where the oil needs to go. But not all over it! All you need is 1 or 2 drops of oil placed in the small ring around the centre of the metal casing.
Give the hand wheel a couple of turns to see that the casing turns and the oil gets to where it needs to be.
Step 06: How to oil the needle bar
Next up, it’s also a good idea to oil the needle bar which works so hard, chugging up and down every time you sew! Use the hand wheel on the side of your machine to lower the needle bar as far as possible. Apply 1 or 2 drops of oil directly near the top of the bar and turn the hand wheel a few times to get the needle bar moving up and down and the oil to lubricate the bar.
Step 07: Put the sewing machine parts back in place
It’s time to put your sewing machine back together, but in the reverse order!
Replace the bobbin case, bobbin, thread plate, plastic cover, front tool drawer, presser foot, needle and upper thread.
Your machine should now look shiny and clean and good to go. But wait! One more step…
Step 08: Test your sewing machine using scrap fabric
It’s a good idea to give your sewing machine a run on some fabric scraps before getting back to work on an important project.
This will confirm that your sewing machine is running how it should be, for the oil to be further spread around the moving parts where it’s needed and to soak up any excess oil that may be in or around your sewing machine. You don’t want oil on your next sewing project, right?!?
And that’s it! Congratulations, you’ve just completed a basic home sewing machine tune-up!
If you’d like some sneaky insider tricks and stress-savers for using your sewing machine, be sure to take a look at the sewing machine tricks and tips post too!
The only question that remains is, what will you start sewing next?
