Oiling your sewing machine regularly can enhance the performance and shelf life of both home use and industrial sewing machines.
In this article, we’ll explore all you need to know about how to oil a sewing machine at home.
Remember: You should clean and oil your sewing machine depending on how much you use it and the type of fabric you sew. If you sew quite often and use fabrics that shed like velvet, then you will need to clean your machine much more regularly.
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Steps to Clean your sewing Machine
Step 1: Unplug your machine. Remove the throat plate of the machine where most of the dust and fabric fibers tend to gather. Read your sewing machine’s manual to see how to remove the throat plate. Some machines come with a screwdriver that helps to unscrew the plate, while others just simply slide off.
Step 2: Try to use a nylon brush to collect all the dust particles and get in between all the nooks an crannies. If you have a bobbin case, take it out and clean thoroughly. Also, make sure to get inside between the feed dogs. Use the end of a screwdriver to push out the dust out with a nylon brush.
Step 3: Once the lower part of the machine is cleaned, now it’s time to oil your machine.
Note: Sewing machine oil is specially formulated lubricant to keep parts operating smoothly by preventing friction and eventual wear and tear.
Step 4: To apply, use one hand to turn the handwheel back and front. See where the moving parts touch and friction is created- this is where you need to put oil. Put a tiny bit of oil on those moving parts and make sure it is sewing oil specifically. Your machine may also come with a small oil container. Crank the wheel back and front a couple of times to work the oil in, after you oil.
Step 5: Take a piece of fabric to absorb if there any additional oil on the body of your machine. Place back the throat plate and your sewing machine is now ready to use. Take a dust cloth and wipe down the entire body of your machine, brushing along the thread path.
Plug-in your machine back and use a scrap of fabric to do a few test seams before starting on your next sewing.
Final Tip:
The best thing to prevent dust and debris build-up in your sewing machine, cover it when it’s not in use. You can also make your own cover if you do not have a cover already.
