Oiling is an essential routine of the maintenance of your sewing or embroidery machines. If done correctly, oiling can extend the life of your machine and enable it to run smoothly. This is a guide that is completely going to help you with oiling your machines easily at home!

First things First!    
It is incredibly important that you check your machine’s manual first to see if it even needs oiling because, some machines do come with a self-lubricating feature and some come with nylon or plastic parts which do not require any lubrication.

Which oil to use as an embroidery or sewing machine lubricant?
Sewing machine oil is a specific type of oil used to lubricate sewing or embroidery machines. It is an odorless and clear mineral oil with a light viscosity.
Do not use cooking oil or automotive oils. As per advice, use only Sewing machine oil for oiling your machines.

Which tools are required to oil the sewing machine?
Following are the tools that you need for the process of oiling your machine with the reasons why:

Sweeping swabs or brushes:
These swabs or brushes are really beneficial as they reach the hard-to-reach places in the sewing machine without damaging anything. Before oiling, it is incredibly necessary to clean and to get rid of the dust accumulated in the machine.

Soft Fabric or a Dust cloth:
You are going to need a soft fabric or a dust cloth to clean the entire machine. You may need to wet the cloth to get rid of clingy dust from your sewing or embroidery machine. Cleaning the machine entirely is an important step before oiling it!

Sewing Machine Oil:
For the lubrication of your sewing machine, use only sewing machine oil as mentioned before. Make sure to get an oiling bottle so that it is easier to oil your machine!
Assistance: Buy Sewing Machine oil and bottle at Amazon by clicking down below.

Compressed Air Can (Additional tool):
It is nice to keep a Compressed Air Can nearby as it does a really good job at getting rid of dust or lint from machines. They are really easy to find and you can find plenty nearby and even at Amazon.

How to oil sewing or embroidery machines at home?
Now that we have all the tools we need, let’s get oiling!

Step I: Unplug the Machine.
We had to remind you all to unplug the machine (safety first!) as many people unintentionally forget to unplug their machines. Unplug your machine!

Step II: Remove the parts.
All the removable parts like the needles, threads, stitching plate and etc. should be removed so that they do not get in the way whilst you are cleaning.

Step III: Brush off the dust.
Take the sweeping swabs or brushes and use them to brush off the dust from the hard-to-access areas of the machine. You need to make sure that you are removing all of the dust from the machine.

Step IV: Blow away dust and lint.
Use the Compressed Air Can at a low angle with a distance of 6/7 inches from the part you are cleaning to blow away the remaining dust and lint. Make sure all the debris is blown away and none remains.

Step V: Clean the entire machine with a cloth.
Take a soft fabric or a dust cloth and then clean your machine nicely and gently to get rid of dust. If there are any dust spots which are hard to remove, wet the cloth a little to get it off.
It is crucial that you clean your machine entirely and remove all of the dust. Keep cleaning until the machine is all nice and clean.

Step VI: Oil the machine.
Take the oiling bottle with Sewing machine oil in it and drop only one or two drops of oil at a part at a time. Adding too much oil can become hard to clean and can slow down the machine’s parts so only add a few at first. Add more oil only if it requires a few more drops of oil.
When a part is lubricated, manually move it so that the oil evenly spreads around it.
All the moving parts of the sewing machine require to be lubricated. Do not forget to oil the hook race of the machine.
Tip: If a part rubs against another part when the machine is functioning, it requires to be oiled.

Tips:
  • If you are still having trouble with oiling your machine, you can check out your machine’s manual as it does give details on how to lubricate your machine.
  • If you accidentally added too much oil, use a dry cloth gently to wipe off the excessive oil.
  • Clean, wipe and oil your machine regularly so that it stays in its best form to give out the best performance every day!

Why do I need to oil my machine?

Oiling your machine helps in:


  • Extending your embroidery machine’s life.
  • Improving the continuous performance of the machine.
  • Smoothing the run of the machine.
  • Achieving great stitching outcomes.
  • Preventing the motor from overheating.
You need to maintain your embroidery or sewing machine. Investing in its care is an investment in your work and its quality!

Have Fun Sewing & Embroidering!