I clean the lint out every few bobbins, but will also, every few months, take off the needle plate, and unscrew the piece on the end of the machine. Then is when I use the canned air, so that I can blow it out. This is the first thing we did when I got my new machine and went to the free classes. Learned this on the Babylock Symphony, and do the same thing now that I have the Crescendo. My smaller Brother machine does not have a piece to take off the end, so I can't open it up. I'm looking for just the right little vacuum for that one. I sure don't want to drag out the big one.