Originally Posted by
Crazy Quiltin Robin
how do you clean it up I was given a beautiful old machine and have no idea how to clean it up ........
What Miriam said: In short, remove loose dirt and lint with a nylon brush, then apply sewing machine oil to a soft cotton and get the grime layer off and bring her back to beautiful. Metal polish and strips of cotton will bring back the gleam of the shiny parts. Don't use alcohol or cleaning chemicals: They might dissolve the shellac and decals (alcohol definitely will). Removal of the dark grime on the decal layer will take hours of gentle rubbing.
You will probably be shocked at just how beautiful your machine will look. You finish off by applying a single drop of oil to each of the oiling point from the manual (singerco.com, search for manual, enter model number 115 will get you a printable pdf).
Might take a while but is definitely worth it, especially for this 15 version: Rotary bobbins are quite rare with domestic machines (they're common with industrials) and allow faster stitching.
Muv's videos are a great resource if you're in any way unsure about this. Nothing like watching it happen.
Take photos as you go (it takes so long to clean the outside that you might not notice your progress) and when you're finished (for us), and welcome to the cult
