You really should find the hole and clean it out. They get hidden with a layer of dried oil and dirt. Without the hole being opened back up, the oil on the wick won't get to the shuttle. Bend the tip on the end of a small paperclip with a pair of pliers, and use it as a probe down inside the hole where the felt goes. Probe gently and sometimes you can feel the hole from the inside, and push the dirt out from the inside with the paperclip.
CD in Oklahoma