sash

I just want to know what to use to clean the case and machine to make them shine a little bit more. I know I've
seen somewhere that they use some kind of wax, but not sure about that. I just want my little baby to shine up
and look prettier. I got this f/w from my daughter a few months ago. She had had it for years; her husband got it
out of a mobile home repo. She knew I had been looking for one and had forgotten about it. I also have a mint green f/w. Here are a few pictures. The black one is the one I want to clean up.

DogHouseMom

The black one looks like is has old dirt/oil "grunge" so it will need a good "cleaning" before you can do the "shining".

Some folks use sewing machine oil and either cotton balls, or soft cotton cloth (old t-shirts) to clean the machines.

Some use a mild soap and SPARINGLY wipe small areas - again with a cotton balls or soft cotton cloth. Make sure you rinse (againg sparingly) with clean water and DRY the machine.

I use a combination of both. If I strip the machine down I'll take some of the parts into the kitchen and wash them with soap and water, rinse and dry. For the head itself and any part that I don't remove from the machine - I prefer to use sewing machine oil as I don't have to worry about a water issue.

If you used the machine oil method, wipe all surfaces well with a clean, dry soft cotton cloth to remove as much excess oil as possible.

Once clean, dry and free of excess oil ... you can use a good quality carnuba wax on the painted surfaces of the machine to give it a nice shine. Just follow the directions on the can.

I use an oil based metal polish/cleaner (can't remember name and I'm not at home) for the chrome/metal parts. I generally do not wax these parts.

As for the wood case I can't help you. The FW cases have a covering on them, and not having a FW I'm totally clueless what to use to clean them.

miriam

You might want to look at Glenn's tutorial.

KyKaren1949

I found this information a long time ago when I bought my first Featherweight. I followed the directions and it worked beautifully!! Q: What should I use to clean my Featherweight?
A: No simple answer here as itdepends on how dirty it is.
If you have just rescued the machine from a dusty cellar where it has satwithout a case then I'd recommend a gentle foaming cleaner called Tuff Stuff.It's made by STP and should be available at your auto store. I'd recommendwaxing the machine afterwards—neutral boot polish from a Western outfitters isgreat for this. You want a hard wax, not a cream. Don't use a car wax—most ofthese have a degree of abrasive in them designed to remove traffic film—andsome of the paint.
Always test any cleaner on a small, hidden part of a machine first to ensurethere is no unexpected reaction
For regular daily cleaning a simple spray-on furniture polish will do thetrick. But mask off the tension assembly or the polish will build up there andavoid getting too much on the outside of the belt where the bobbin winder wheelruns.
Q: What about cleaning cases?
A: Tuff Stuff to the rescueagain, but follow up with a black boot polish as this will help mask anyrubbing on the case.

mamajack3

I had not heard the boot polish idea. Thanks for the info. I have 5 featherweights and love them all and use at least one of the daily.

sash

Thanks for info; very informative.