Do not use oil from a can if it is old. Oil in a can does spoil. If it is in the plastic bottle it will last forever.

This came from a 1996 issue of Quilters Newsletter :D

thanks for the info!!

It has to be clear. Any trace of color in sewing machine oil means it is breaking down.

I purchase my machine oil in a clear plastic bottle and keep in a drawer between uses. This keeps it from going rancid. Yes, machine oil is suppose to be clear.

Thanks for the info! :lol:

Thanks for the heads up!!

I knew cooking oil could get rancid - had no idea that sewing machine oil could "go bad"

Thank you Ruth for the information....We are always so tempted to try something else....Its good to know.... :D

Thank you for that! I just bought some, not for my machine but for my rotary blades.

Thanks Ruth!!! :D :D :D

My DH, the sewing machine technician, says that if the oil is the least bit yellow, it is bad and needs to be thrown away. If you use it in that state, it will get gummy inside of your sewing machine and then you will need to take your machine to someone like my DH! :shock:

More info I didn't know. I love this board.

I think its someting to do with the metal can..because it said in plastic it lasts forever.

Remember when all the cans for gas were metal, now plastic. :D

Oil can go bad in a plastic bottle too. I've seen it happen! It is the light and oxygen that make it go bad. The best thing to do is check and see if there is any color to the oil--if there is, then throw it away--don't use it on your machine--because if you do, it will eventually gum it up and cause problems!