I have never taken any of my machines in for cleaning or "check up". I did take a used Janome in, once, to see if it was OK and have it cleaned, since I was not the original owner. Before taking it in, I rolled a piece of masking tape and put it on the edge of the cover and locked the lid down. I had heard that this shop may not be actually cleaning machines.....sure enough, I was charged, but the cover was never removed. No more visits to that shop. A tip from my guild. If you take your machines into a shop that does a lot of servicing, mark the inside of your case with a permanent marker, and put colored tape or a tag on your cords and foot control. I do clean and oil my machines myself. I would take my machine in if I heard unusual noises or it was malfunctioning. Other than that, no costly trips for cleaning.....save the money, buy more fabric. Ha!