If you are a sewer and don’t know how to oil a sewing machine, then this article will be helpful for you.
Sewing machines work better if you oil and clean it regularly. Sometimes for less oil, the machines start making a very annoying
noise. So, oiling and cleaning sewing machines are important. You don’t need to take your machine to someone to oil it. You can do it on your own.
It saves you money and time. Whenever you feel like the machine is not working swiftly give oil in your machine. Frequently oiling keeps the machine durable. It keeps the inside parts of the machine durable.
The basic steps of how you can oil your machine at home are,
How to Oil a Sewing Machine: Step by Step Guide
Let’s start!
Firstly, gather the tools you need
Depending on your machine get oil or lubricant for it. Make sure you are getting the right oil for it. Many needs oil and many needs lubricant.
So knowing the type of your machine get it. Then for cleaning you will be needing brushes, soft fabrics, toothbrushes, etc.
The brushes should be small in size so that it can go into every corner. If you want to deep clean your machine then you may need to open some parts of it.
In that case, get some screwdrivers of different sizes. Get a box as well to store the screws or other small parts to avoid the risk of losing those.
After gathering everything organize everything near your hand so you can find everything easily. You can save time and work efficiently.
Secondly, clean the machine properly
Before you oil the machine it is very important to clean the machine first. If you oil your machine without cleaning, it will store all the dirt and damage the parts.
And in the future, the inside parts will get jammed and ruin the whole system of the machine.
So cleaning the machine before oiling is important. Put away the additional parts from the machine for cleaning the inside of it.
If you don’t remove you still can work. But removing the parts will make your work easier. Make sure your machine is disconnected from power before you start cleaning.
You can use compressed air for cleaning the specks of dirt and dusts too. Using a fabric removes the specks of dust from the large areas.
For corners or inside places use a brush or toothbrush. Make sure you are cleaning it slowly. If you rush you can damage the parts of the machine. And it can ruin the total machine.
Then comes lubricating or oiling
Do not put a lot of oil in the machine at the same time. Use a few drops at a time and if needed a few drops more after waiting for a while. Too much oil makes the place messy and it gets hard to clean. If you accidentally put too much oil, take a fabric and clean it slowly.
The fabric should be dry and clean. Put a few drops in the hook race of the sewing machine too. After putting oil do move the parts manually for once. It will help to spread the oil in every area properly. And if the oil spreads in every area it will increase the performance of the machine. Sometimes for not having enough oil in the parts machines start to make noise.
This happens because the parts get dry. So when machines make noise you have to give oil or lubricant into the inside parts. Weekly 2-3 times you should oil your machine. Only then it will give its best performance.
Lastly, put the removed additional parts in the machine
After you are done oiling the machine now you can put the removed parts back. But before that make sure the oil has gone into the parts.
Clean the mess around the parts if there is any.
Then put every part that you removed while oiling the machine. Put the way it
was and make sure it is in the right position.
Do not miss to put any parts. If you don’t put the
parts properly in the right position you will face problems while using it. So
take time and put the removed parts in the machine.
Things to consider and be aware
If you use the machine every day then you should oil
it 3-4 times a week. And if you do bulk work every day then every day with a
few drops.
It helps to keep the machine quiet and work swiftly.
If you don’t oil your machine the inside parts will get damaged very soon. Some
machines do not require oil.
In that case, do not oil the machine. It can ruin
the whole machine. Some also require some specific type of oil or lubricant.
Check on these things before you oil the machine.
Tips
- Regularly
try to clean the machine even if you don’t oil it. Dust can clog the parts and
slowly damage those. Damaged parts will cost a lot to change. Regular cleaning
can help you with this. Also, cover your machine with something after you are
done working. - Don’t
put too much oil at a time. Only a few drops are enough to make it work
properly. So don’t pour too much else it will be messy. - Oil
the right parts of your machine. Only some specific parts need oil. To find out
those and then give oil or lubricant. - Make
sure the power is off when you are oiling the machine.
Final Words
How to oil a machine mostly depends on the type of machine. Nowadays every machine is updated and does not need oiling. But those that require oil needs oiling. As it increases the performance and longevity of the machine. So for better performance, you should oil your machine more often. Oiling is easy and you can do it yourself.
But if you don’t have a proper idea, get the idea and follow accordingly. A book with the details of oiling your machine is given with most of the machines. If you still feel it is complicated you can take the help of someone who knows how to oil a machine.