If you have a sewing machine or overlocker that you use regularly at home, you need to ensure you maintain it properly; a sewing machine or overlocker will have lots of moving parts that can easily break or get out of position, causing the machine to then shut down. While a quality machine may work for many years before one of its parts break, the way you maintain the machine can also affect its condition and longevity. Note a few tips for maintaining your sewing machine or overlocker so you can avoid unnecessary and early repairs or shutdowns.
Before following any of these tips, be sure to unplug a power machine and remove any battery backups, as one accidental touch of the foot pedal or crank can mean cuts and injuries!
Clean under the needle plate
As the machine pushes a needle through fabric, that needle takes small bits of lint and thread with it. This lint builds up under the needle plate, just like how lint is caught in the trap of the clothes dryer.
You should be able to easily remove the needle plate of the machine, as they very often simply slide open or otherwise unfold. Once you do, you may be shocked by the amount of fuzz in that area! Don't use a vacuum cleaner in this area, as this can mean too much suction, but clean that area with a small makeup brush instead.
Change the needle
Changing the needle in the machine will make sewing easier, and it will also mean less wear and tear on the machine itself; when a needle is dull or bent, the machine works harder to push it through fabric, causing damage to internal parts. Your sewing habits will determine how often the needle needs to be changed. Change it out at the first sign of resistance to the fabric while sewing.
Add oil
Oiling the machine as needed will ensure its parts move freely; check your owner's manual to note when your machine should be oiled and where the oil should be added. Usually this is done behind the hook race, which is under the needle plate. The hook race may have a small lever on a hinge that makes it easy to pull it out of the machine, so you can access the parts behind it and add a drop or two of oil. Run a few stitches through a fabric scrap after oiling the machine to ensure there is no build-up and the parts are working fine.
Share13 June 2017
Hello, my name is Fred and this is my appliance blog. I will be completely honest with you - until last year, I didn't think twice about the appliances in my home. I would open the refrigerator and expect the light to illuminate a cold can of beer or I would switch on the microwave and expect it to burst into life. However, one day this did not happen. I opened the refrigerator and nothing happened. I reached into the darkness and pulled out a warm can of beer. I was horrified. Thankfully, my brother who is an appliance repair guy came around and explained how to fix the problem. He had since given me lots more advice about maintaining my appliances.