Lint messing up my tension
 

What kind of thread puts off the least amount of lint into a sewing machine?

I've recently come to realize I have to clean the lint out below my needleplate every HOUR of sewing, to avoid tension problems. It's not easy... two screws have to removed to get the needleplate off to clean it. I'm sick of all this lint!

Any ideas, besides thread, that would help me not create so much lint? I do sew fast... is that a contributing factor?

Wow, that's WAY too often to be cleaning around the bobbin area especially on a machine that you have to unscrew the throat plate. I've had good luck with Aurifil thread. It doesn't seem to have much lint at all. What are you using now? I've noticed that Gutermann seems to have a lot of lint.

I use Bottom Line in bobbin and on top - virtually no lint from the thread, but you will still get lint from the fabric. I clean and oil my machine with every bobbin change, but I don't have to remove screws except on the longarm. I would suggest going to a poly thread, which will produce less lint than a cotton thread. And some cotton threads are much lintier than others.

Keeping a clean machine is important.
Good for you, for heeding the need, and not being tempted to say, oh heck, it can wait.

ITA every hour seems way too often. However, if you are a speed demon (as you mentioned) ... you may be getting more sewing done in that hour, than some people do in a whole day! So, maybe the hourly clean out is not unrealistic too.

Possible suspects ...
* thread quality
* speed (friction as it moves along)
* fabric quality
* batting
* There's probably more .... that I am just not thinking of right now.


When replacing your machine, I am sure you will be considering the cleaning ease and simplicity.
Or maybe you want an excuse to switch your machine? .... then you have a good one!

I knew the agony of taking it all apart, and the temptation to just not do it.
When I switched machines, was delighted to see how easy they are to clean now,
with the screwless entry and easy access.

Are you piecing or quilting? I've noticed that cotton batting makes a lot of lint when quilting.
I would not think that speed would be a factor. Are you cleaning more than every bobbin change? If so, the amount of lint seems excessive. I'm wondering if you have a burr somewhere that's contributing to the lint production.

I've been using Glide thread in both bobbin and needle for quilting for a few months now, and have noticed a huge improvement where lint is concerned.

Before that, I was using cotton from Connecting Threads. While I do love that thread, its great price and the very wide range of colors, it does produce a lot of lint. I still use it because I have quite a stock of it, but I'm very careful to clean out bobbin area very frequently.

That seems too frequent to have to clean out lint. How long has it been since your machine was serviced? It could be unseen lint deep in the machine that can only be reached by a maintenance tech.

Choose Superior Threads "masterpiece" thread out of utah. They add a flame step to their manufacturing process where it burns off the lint fuzzels giving you an almost lint proof thread. They claim it increases the life of your tension.

I use masterpiece and love it but still have to clean out under my throat plate every bobbin or two. But nothing like the lint of a cheaper or less well made thread.