As with sewing machines, overlockers / sergers need to be maintained and cleaned and in fact more so because they tend to run at faster speeds, be more powerful and have even more moving parts than a sewing machine.
Overlockers / sergers often need more cleaning as the cutting mechanism creates far more fluff and lint than a sewing machine. Even if you haven’t used your overlocker for some time it will still need cleaning to get rid of the build up of dust and lint.
Here is our Free 14 point plan guide for when cleaning or maintaining your overlocker / serger.
1 Equipment You Will Need
For servicing and cleaning you will need
· Screwdrivers (to remove plates and needles)
· Cleaning Brush
· Oil
· Needles and Needle Holder
· Cleaning Fluid (non-abrasive / non-corrosive) and kitchen roll
· Cotton Buds
2 Safety - Unplug Before Maintenance or Cleaning
Before you put your hands anywhere near the workings, needles or knife of an overlocker / serger, be sure to unplug the machine so that it cannot start accidentally or unexpectedly. Never put a screwdriver or brush into a machine with power still running through it.
3 Take Photos
If during the course of cleaning or home-servicing your overlocker / serger you are going to remove plates or pieces that you are not used to removing then take a photo of the part before you remove it so that you can see how it fits back in and what orientation later.
4 Start by Wiping Down the Exterior
To remove the dust and lint build up from the outside of your overlocker, wipe the exterior with a damp but not soaking wet cloth. A damp cloth will pick up the fluff easier than a dry one.
Never leave any parts of your machine wet, especially metal parts which could rust.
Before you put anything damp near your machine be certain the power cable is unplugged.
5 Clean the Thread Guide and Tension Disk
Cleaning the tensions disks is important as micro threads and fibres can be shed by the thread as it is pulled between the tension disks. A build up of micro fibres between the tension disks will eventually mean the tension disks are not applying even or accurate tensions to your thread which will therefore make your stitches uneven. If you are having problems with the tension on your overlocker / serger then unclean tension disks may be some part of the problem.
Likewise, as the thread moves through the thread guides it leaves micro fibres and fluff behind. These areas must be cleaned so the thread can continue to pass through at an even pace and without sticking and affecting stitch quality.
Before cleaning the tension disks, raise the presser foot to remove the tension and remove the thread from the machine.
Clean these areas with a soft brush or tension brush. Some people also use old toothbrush as these have a long handle and can reach into concealed areas of the machine.
We also recommend a paintbrush as these have long handles and nylon bristles attract the lint. Get Low Cost Brushes from Amazon HERE
We’re an affiliate of Amazon and we hope the products we recommend are really helpful for you! Just so you know, we may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it and we love overlocking as much as you!
One way to clean inside the tension disk is by gently spraying some window cleaner on the edge of a piece of kitchen roll and sliding it inside the disk to lift out the lint.
Do NOT introduce water between these disks nor use any cleaning liquid which is caustic or abrasive and which could damage the disks or cause them to rust.
Tensions disk cleaning leads on to the next point….
6 Buy Good Quality Thread
This is not just so it doesn’t break and looks good on your work, although those are important.
Cheap thread can cause damage to your overlocker / serger as it is more likely to shed fibres and lint as it passes through the machine. Thread guide areas and tension disks become covered or clogged with the fibres and lint and it impairs the functioning of the overlocker / serger. All the more so in areas where there is machine oil, where it is more difficult just to brush or blow away the fibres.
7 Cleaning the Mechanism - Open All the Doors
Open up all the doors on the machine to expose as much of the mechanism as you can. For some models you can only open the lower right hand side whereas some models open both on the left and the right.
8 Remove the Stitch Plate
Removing the stitch plate (under the needles where the feed dogs are) is done differently with different models so check with your manual to find how to remove the stitch plate on your machine. Usually it requires you to either loosen or remove one or more screws but sometimes it just clicks out.
Keep a bowl handy to put the screw(s) in as these are very easy to loose or vacuum up by mistake! Without the screw(s) in the stitch plate you will be unable to use your overlocker / serger!
Under the stitch plate you will have access to be able to clean the feed dogs and you may be surprised at just how much lint and fluff has built up underneath.
Remember to treat the machine gently so you do not bend or mis-shape any part. There are a lot of precision engineered parts in here!
Use your nylon brush / paint brush to dust the lint out of this area. Do not be tempted to blow it! This can blow the lint further into the machine and make it more difficult to clean.
9 Remove the Needles
If the needles are in your way as you access to clean the machine then remove the needles and store them carefully while you clean. Likewise, store the screws that secure the needles in place carefully too.
If you have a needle holder use it now to hold the needles as you unscrew them, to stop them accidentally dropping into the machine.
10 Actually Cleaning the Mechanism
Use your brush to attract any lint you can see inside the machine open cover(s). The dust and lint gets everywhere so take time to go all around. Start higher up and brush downwards so lint doesn't fall on parts already cleaned. When all parts brushed remember to collect it all up and sweep off it all out from the base.
Usually it will be just lint and fluff but there will also be little strips of fabric off-cuts which can be damaging to the machine if they get caught around parts of the moving mechanism.
This is where a paint brush is often more useful than the small brushes that manufacturers usually supply as they have much longer handles and bristles and can get right into the corners and to the back of the mechanism which the small brushes just won’t reach.
Once you have cleaned all the parts that are visible, turn the handwheel and rotate the machine. When you do this you will be able to see and access different parts of the mechanism.
Don’t blow into the machine to try to clean it as this drives the lint further into the mechanism and makes it even harder to clean properly.
You can use a small hand held vacuum cleaner to clean inside although be sure not to have left loose screws and items around to be sucked up.
11 Check Needles for Wear or Damage
Check your needles for any sign of wear and tear and replace them if necessary. How often you should do this depends on how often you use your overlocker / serger and the types of fabric you sew e.g. a tough fabric such as leather wears through needles more than a simple loose cotton.
Damaged needles can create uneven stitching, rip your fabric or even damage the overlocker / serger.
Be very careful how you dispose of old needle or needle parts.
12 Check the Blades
Blades do become blunt with use. As with needles, how often you need to change the blade depends on how often you use it and the weight of fabric you are regularly cutting.
Blades that are blunt may rip rather than neatly cut the fabric, or not cut some parts at all, and this will give you uneven and ugly stitching.
The blade needs to be clean. If there is any oil on your blade you can end up with lots of the lint and cut thread parts sticking to the blade and ruining your work or impairing the function of the blade.
Moving parts can be prone to a static build up. Keep the blade clean by wiping the blade with anti static wipes to prevent lint and thread off cuts sticking to the blade.
Needless to say, blades are sharp so clean and handle them carefully and dispose of old blades carefully too.
13 Oil The Overlocker / Serger Regularly
To keep the moving parts working well you need to oil your overlocker / serger regularly and do it according to the manufacturer’s recommendation, as in your manual.
13.1 See What Oil Your Manufacturer Recommends
Often manufacturer’s recommend a specific oil to use and occasionally oil comes with the overlocker / serger. If there is no recommendation or if you have an older machine then use a good quality sewing machine oil
13.2 Identify the Points to Be Oiled
Your manual will also identify the important points to be oiled on the machine. If not, the key joints to oil are where moving metal parts rub against each other but don’t oil plastic.
13.3 How to Identify Points to be Oiled
To identify them yourself, open all the doors that are openable on your machine so that you can see the inner mechanisms. Manually turn the hand wheel and observe where main metal parts are moving and where the key joints are.
13.4 Don's Oil Plastic
Do not oil plastic areas, unless specifically instructed to do so by your manual, as oil can be corrosive to certain plastics.
13.5 Apply Small Amounts Of Oil With A Cotton Bud
Take care when actually applying oil. If you apply oil directly from the oil pot or oil nozzle, very often too much oil will come out. Excess amounts of oil in an overlocker can become a problem because the lint and fluff will start to collect on it and you end up with a gunge which is very difficult to clean and damages the mechanism.
Rather than apply a large amount of oil and risk creating a build up, it is much better to use smaller amounts of oil but on a more frequent basis. Therefore you may find it better to apply oil using a cotton bud.
Put a little oil on the cotton bud and gently wipe it over the area or joint to be oiled. When you have applied some oil then move the handwheel to turn the mechanism a few times so that the oil is distributed across the whole of the moving part being oiled.
13.6 Apply Oil Monthly or More
Usually applying oil should be done on a monthly basis but if you are doing a lot of work with your overlocker then you may need to do it more often.
And one last point!
14 Professional Servicing
Cleaning and oiling is essential maintenance but you also need to have your machine professionally serviced either every year if you use it all the time or maybe every few years if you don’t use it so much and maintain it properly yourself.
Professional servicing is more complicated and for this you should take your machine to a specialist near you. It shouldn’t be overly expensive and is worth it to keep your overlocker / serger working its best.
We’re an affiliate of Amazon and we hope the products we recommend are really helpful for you! Just so you know, we may collect a small share of sales from the links on this page. Thank you if you use our links, we really appreciate it and we love overlocking as much as you!
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