Pipecleaners are wonderful tools to help cleaning your machine. Most important, never ever use canned air to clean your machine. It just blows the lint into places you can't get too!

We have a small handheld vac that we use to vacuum out the machines. Usually an artist size paintbrush gets everything out, but occasionally we have to vacuum. I need to try the pipe cleaners.

I've heard of special vacuums but I just use my big one until it's time for a cleaning from the professionals!

I just BLOW my hot air into the bottom of it...LOL....make sure to close your eyes if you try this!

I send mine out to the shop with my husband and he uses the huge air compressor to blow out all my machines and my serger. Not a speck of dust or lint left!

So do I. I do it every time I change the spool now. It amazes me how much 'stuff' gets stuck in there.
Annie

i bought a hand dandy little attachment kit for my vaccuum that lets me clean out my computer and my sewing machine. it is a wonderful thing :thumbup: has a hose that attaches to the vaccuum hose then 1/2 a dozen different attachments, small brushes ect. i believe i bought it at a computer/office place (like office max) but it works so good on my machine! it was not expensive...less than $20 and well worth it.

I too, have the minature vacuum cleaner attachments that fit onto either vacuum. Word of precaution: you should not blow into or use pressurized air to blow out your machines. It will send dust and thread to places in there that we don't even know exist. This mistake cost me a Singer machine. I think it was a low-end computerized (don't remember the name). But I had used a can of compressed air to clean it out and... well let's just say it was an expensive lesson learned at the repair shop! The only good that came from this, other than a valuable lesson, was my first Janome 6600P.

They make little vaccuum cleaners for computers that you could use for your sewing machine. I just use my "regular" vac in between annual checkups at the Viking repair guy's.

I use the micro tool set attachment for my regular vacuum cleaner. I vacuum my machines out after every bobbin change, and oil then as well. When I take the covers off my machines, I use my air compressor on them to get them spotless inside.