There are a lot of information on the web about how to maintain your home sewing machine between your scheduled service for your beloved home sewing machine.
You want to check your machine for lint and threads in the bobbin area. If you sew a lot or sew with material that shed a lot, you'll want to check for lint more often.
If you have a top load bobbin, remove the bobbin case per your owner's manual direction. Remove any large clumps of thread or lint gently with long handled tweezers, a dry cotton swab, a dry paint brush, or a fluffy pipe cleaner.
Be careful around any electronics, if you machine has them in the bobbin area. Pull out as much lint as you can safely remove.
If you have a keyboard mini-vac you can vacuum out lint and thread. Only use the vacuum setting, not the blower setting (if your mini-vac has that function).
What not to do:
-
Do not blow any air into the bobbin area of your sewing machine, either from a Mini-Vac or canned air. This can impact the lint inside your machine that can cause more issues by compacting the lint and debris inside small areas and potentially damage circuit boards on newer machines. Additionally, most canned air has moisture in the propellant (liquefied refrigerant), you don't want to trap moisture inside your machine, as well the moisture can be cold enough to damage sensitive electronics.
- Do Not use WD-40 inside your sewing machine, even if a well meaning mechanic or handyman tells you it's ok.
- Just because WD-40 works around the house and under the hood of a car, doesn't mean it should be used on your beloved home sewing machine.
Absolutely, do not spray the inside of your machine with Lithium Grease.
See note above about well meaning mechanics and handyman.
-
Lithium grease will harden over time and takes extra effort to clean out of all the small delicate areas in a sewing machine.
-
Also note, if someone has previously lubricated your machine with lithium grease, expect an additional charge to have it professional cleaned.