How to Clean a Singer Sewing Machine
New and vintage Singer sewing machines are built to exacting standards of precision and workmanship. Nonetheless, the performance of your sewing machine depends on the care and treatment received before, during and after use. Remove dust, grime, lint and built-up oil from the machine before it becomes sluggish or stops working due to gears not moving freely or seizing up because of lack of care. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Hand wipes
- Cotton swab
- Sewing machine oil
- Small screwdriver
- Small wire brush
- Canned air
- Canned greaser remover
- Fabric softener sheets or paper towels
- Tweezers
- Dental floss
- Sewing machine manual
Instructions
-
-
1
Read your sewing machine's manual and follow the cleaning instructions outlined there. It's the best cleaning reference for your particular Singer. If you don't have the manual, most are available through Singer or through various websites.
-
2
Remove or open the machine's upper panel, face plate and base, if present, to expose the inner working parts of the machine by loosening and removing the screws attached to these components. Remove the bobbin casing after removing the slide plate.
-
-
3
Loosen lint and debris from any present machine dials, for example, pattern selectors, stitch length and needle position selector dials by moving the dials through all available positions. Loosen lint and debris from the feed dogs and bobbin area using a small wire brush. Cut a strip of dental floss, then agitate the floss through the needle-thread tension dial. Remove old pieces of thread with your fingers or a pair of tweezers.
-
4
Blow out all areas of the sewing machine using canned air, including the upper panel, face plate, bobbin, underneath the machine, dial areas, the foot pedal and the bobbin shuttle area. Move from top to bottom.
-
5
Clean the upper and lower mechanical parts of the machine. Chip away hardened oil using the edge of a pair of tweezers or small screwdriver. Spray gears with grease remover to melt away gummed, caked-in oil. Remove melted residue with fabric softener sheets. Use the hand wheel to rotate the mechanical components and expose hidden build up. Repeat this process underneath the bottom of the machine until the gears are clean and operating freely.
-
6
Oil the machine at oiling points to protect it from rust and keep the gears operating smoothly. Refer to the sewing machine manual for specific oiling points. Place a drop of oil in visible drop holes, on gears that turn and gears that move up and down. Add a drop of sewing machine oil to the tip of a cotton swab and swab the gears.
-
7
Wipe down the exterior of the machine using a hand wipe. Replace throat plate, slide plate, upper panel and bottom base, if present. Change the light bulb, if needed. Cover the machine and store in a cool, dry area that's free of dust and humidity.
-
1
Tips & Warnings
Clean your sewing machine regularly.
Unplug the machine before cleaning.
Don't over-oil.
Don't oil the motor.
Don't spray water into the machine.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit details of machine image by Leonid Nyshko from Fotolia.com
