You’ll experience less frustration with your sewing projects if you can keep your machine clean and in good working order. Lint is to blame for many sewing malfunctions so it’s worth taking a little bit of time to care for your machine.

1. Cover your machine when not in use. Much of the lint that builds up inside a sewing machine comes from thread, but when your machine is in a room where fabric is laundered, folded or stored, there will also be a lot of fabric dust in the air that can accumulate on your machine. So, it’s good to use a cover if you’re away for an extended period of time.
   
   Your machine may come with a cover, or you can follow our tutorial to make one!

2. Clean your machine each time you change your needle.  It’s an easier habit to keep if you make it part of your routine. You should replace your needle after each large quilting project, or after three smaller ones. Remove the needle plate and take out any bobbin casings that are designed to be removed easily at home. Make sure to clean between the feed dogs and around the bobbin casing. If you are not sure if you should be detaching something, refer to your user manual.
   
   It’s also a good idea to do a quick gentle sweep of the tension disks (with the presser foot in the up position). Sometimes the tiniest piece of thread can cause tension issues here.

3. Don’t use canned air. It will actually push lint farther into your machine, where it is hard to reach. Your service technician will be able to use canned air when the machine casing is fully removed but this is not ideal in a home setting. Instead, stick to your supplied brush, or use a paintbrush.
   

4. Add oil to your cleaning routine. Not all machines need to be oiled, so check your user manual. Once you’ve added a drop to each opening, add one to the hook area on your bobbin casing, too. Just a drop, though: you don’t need a lot of oil.

5. Service your machine regularly. Depending on how much you use your machine, you may want to book it for a service once a year to every two years. The technician will check the timing on the machine, test the tension, give it a deeper clean and replace any parts that are getting worn.

What else do you do to keep your machine in top-performing shape?