DIY Embroidery Machine Cleaning

Is embroidery your passion? Do you treasure your embroidery machine and thrill to the creative wonders you can perform with your embroidery machine? Do you get goose bumps when you see those beautiful threads all embroidered from your embroidery sewing machine?

Melco and SWF are popular commercial brands, while Janome and Brother dominate the home market.

In the arena of home embroidery machines, there are stand alone embroidery machines and there are combination or combo embroidery machines. These combo machines are world class sewing machines with exotic embroidery features added.

Commercial embroidery equipment may have twelve to sixteen needles and thread assemblies. Janome and Brother offer smaller multi-needle and single needle stand alone embroidery machines or cottage industry and home use. Combo embroidery machines are single needle machines.

A central computer reads a digital design and sends instructions to the embroidery machine one stitch at a time. The movement of the frame and the needle work together to form the design. The machine sews one set of stitches ascribed to a given color. Then it stops. It aligns a new pre-threaded needle and continues to stitch.

I remember the first time we demonstrated a home embroidery machine. Everyone was awestruck by the machine sewing by itself. It is awesome what they can do, but they can be a bit ominous to the novice technician.

Another look at the embroidery machine, reveals that it is essentially a single stitch sewing machine with a moving hoop assembly. Each time another needle assembly engages, it forms another single stitch sewing machine.

When you think of your embroidery machine as a single stitch sewing machine, you can treat it the same way as you would a single stitch sewing machine.

The number one cause of malfunction and problems in your embroidery machine is dirt. More precisely, the problem is neglect. When dirt, gunk, and lint are permitted to collect, they cause problems. When you fail to remove dried out and crystallized lubricants, they cause problems. When you fail to keep your machine clean and properly lubricated, it will eventually fail.

The embroidery machine user should focus on servicing three areas of their machine: the bobbin area, each needle bar area, and the hoop assembly.

Every three to four hours, the user should do a quick user service. This consists of removing dirt, debris, and old lubricants from the bobbin area, the needle bar areas, and the hoop assembly. A probe, small brush, or even a toothbrush can be used to loosen debris. A vacuum with special attachments can be used to suck out the loosened junk. Canned air or a compressor can be sued to blow away loose debris.

Replace needles frequently. Regular embroidery needles are good for about four hours of use, but titanium embroidery needles usually last three to five times as long. Dull, bent, and worn needles do not perform as they should.

As a user, you are the frontline of embroidery machine maintenance. Your cleaning and maintenance of your equipment is vital. There are two times, however, when you need to rely on your professional embroidery machine technician. Annually or after about ten millions stitches, have the machine professionally serviced. If it breaks or just does not work right, rely on your professionals.