i was told by a machine dealer to NEVER use canned air on your machine, it pushes the lint in so far and packs it in that it takes twice as long to get it cleaned when you finally take it in. don't blow on it either, that adds moisture so the lint will turn into a solid matter. i use the vacuum but if i don't want to get it out and deal with that a good paint brush works too to remove the lint. if you bought the machine new you should have the book with it, the book will tell you if your machine needs oiled or not and if so, where the oil spots are. cleaning guidelines should be in there too.