Originally Posted by ghostrider

Pulling it backwards is supposed to leave lint in the tension disks, but I've been doing it for over 20 years on my Viking with no problems at all and none on the newer Bernina either. I clean between the discs whenever I clean the bobbin area, no big deal. It's just lint, not a tension issue.

ETA: Definitely raise the foot first. (do people really unthread with the foot down?)