Have you any inherited or wearily old sewing machines that you want to replace with a new one?
Hold on, you may regret your decision because old is gold, as we all know.
So go ahead to find a way to bring back the former glory and beauty of the sewing machine hidden under the grime and dust.
What if I tell you an easy way of refurbishing your old sewing machine at home without wasting money? Yes, you read that right. If you follow the instructions carefully, you will be amazed at the transformation.
Let’s commence our project.
Refurbishing Old Sewing Machine
After sitting in front of your rusty, dusty, and dull sewing machine, you must be thinking about where to start the refurbishing process.
Well, here is the checklist to perform before jumping into the cleaning process:
- Check the hand wheel if it gives any noise or hard to move?
- Check the condition of the parts under the machine by tilting it back from the cabinet. It must be dry and caked with grease and dust to indicate how frequently or rarely has it been used.
- Examine the power cord and motor of the machine if these are in working condition.
- Read the manual of the machine carefully (if available). It is necessary to read the manual before cleaning so that you may avoid any damage or inconvenience during or after cleaning.
After completing the pre-refurbishing inspection, it’s time to transform the machine using the correct tools and instructions.
Dust off the Machine
Start by using any old T-shirt or towel to clean the dust and debris over the bead and arm of the machine surface. You can use a dishwasher for this purpose. Rubbing gently and constantly will remove the excessive dust all over the parts of a machine and give you the courage to go further for the cleanup project.
Cleaning the Bobbin and throat plate
Remove the slide plate (in the case of the Singer machine) and take out the bobbin case. Clean the bobbin thoroughly and remove the dust and thread particles by blowing them into the bobbin case. You may use a nylon brush to clean the hairballs and lint thoroughly in the bobbin compartment. You may use a nylon brush or a tooth peck to remove the grease and dust around/over the feed dog, presser bar, needle bar, and throat plate.
Cleaning the undersides of the machine
Now you can start cleaning the inner parts of the machine. For this purpose, detach the upper part of a machine or tilt it back from the cabinet. If you are not an expert at handling sewing machines, you should seek help from an expert to get the inner parts at your disposal. Now you can spray WD-40 on the internal components to see the magic. The liquid of the spray would dissolve all the impurities on the inner parts of the machine that you can wipe off using any towel or soft cloth.
While cleaning inner parts with WD-40 spray, keep the machine at a moderate temperature to avoid any thermal changes affecting the action of the liquid spray. WD-40 won’t only clean but also will lubricate the inner parts making them work smoothly and efficiently.
Cleaning the Face Plate and Silver Plate
There is always a lot of accumulated dust and grease on the face plate. Remove the screw at the top of the screw plate to detach it from the machine. Remove the face plate carefully, as the tension mechanism in some sewing machines is securely attached to the face plate. You would witness a bunch of lint and dust once the face plate is removed. You may use a soft cloth or nylon brush to clean the debris present on the inner surfaces.
Another part that is a great dust hoarder is the Silver plate. Unscrew the Silver plate to clean the inner side with a vacuumer and clean the silver plate with a wet cloth or dishwasher. After you have cleaned the lint and hairball behind the silver plate, place the silver plate back and screw it tightly.
Cleaning the Balance Wheel and Hand Crank
If you have a balance wheel and hand crank in your sewing machine, you need to clean it thoroughly to remove the grease. You can use a soft cloth to wipe the lint and dust found in spaces. Move the balance wheel by hand crank to check if the machine gives squeaky sounds. If so, you need to clean up thoroughly and lubricate all of its parts with machine oil to reduce friction and brittleness.
Oil your Machine
After cleaning all the essential parts it’s time to oil the thirsty and dry parts of your sewing machine. To check which parts need to be oiled, you can move the hand crank back and forth to observe which parts are moving and creating friction. Parts of the machine that are giving any squeaky sound on moving the hand crank need to be oiled. Moreover, fill all the visible holes to allow the oil to reach the inner parts of the machine.
Conclusion
These were the simple and easy steps to refurbish and use your sewing machine once more. Don’t be afraid to operate the parts, but all you need to do is take all the utmost precautions and care. Upon completion of the refurbishment project, you will be amazed at the transformation.
