I use the brush that came with the machine and the mini vacuum attachments. Thanks for the reminder - it's been a while since I cleaned my machine.

my Janome dealer told me to just use q-tips but I like the idea of the pipe cleaners too! Q-tips just don't go deep enough. I too take my bobbin assembly apart very frequently & clean.

I have a friend who's husband is a dentist...and was able from her to purchase a package of dental swabs...they are like q-tips but more solid, and have a longer wooden handle and I can really get in and get out the lint.

I do also have the vaccuum attachments and once in a while will use that to try to reach lint that even the swab can't reach.

I too was told to NEVER use canned air in my machine by my dealer.

Kim

I cut small squares of old tee shirts (about 2") and wrap them around the end of an orange stick or stilleto or screw driver. The lint will stick to the tee shirt. Qtips can leave behind lint . Also use canned air on the bobbin case after removing it . I do
take the corner of a business card and run it under the spring
of the bobbin case GENTLY as lint will build up there as well.
especially on my embroidery machine. I did repairs in a LQS
on Bernina's and this is what we used there.

I always use pipe cleaners.. they are great at grabbing that lint even out of areas you can't see.. but if you can get that pipe cleaner down in there then it will come out with whatever is in there.. great little tool.

As well as these other suggestions, I also use some tweezers to reach in for balls of lint and fuzz.