What is this?
 

What is this and how do you remove it? This machine was on auction last week. (I didn't buy it.) The nasties on it look like what was on my 401a. They pretty much came off, but left a slight stain. I'm assuming it's some kind of mold. There was something similar on my mother's 15-91 but it was white. It too, came off but left a slight stain as well.

Is there a way to remove the stain?

bkay[ATTACH=CONFIG]594118[/ATTACH]

I'm only guessing, but I would think it's some kind of mould that got under the finish once it got established on the surface.

It looks like some kind of mold or mildew. I know mildew can stain fabrics. I have not idea about plastic or metal

It looks "moldy" to me and I wouldn't want it. I hate to think what is on the inside of the machine.

It's not on the inside. It's on the outer surface of the machine.

bkay

I have found that "Magic Eraser" from MR.Clean will remove stains that other cleaners do not. Might give it a try.

looks like mildew.

I wonder what else you could use to remove it other than bleach? I guess I could try bleach on a hidden surface to see if it harms the paint on the 401. Then, if it doesn't, I could try it on the back to see if it removes the stain.

bkay

Magic erasers have ruined many a sewing machines finish..................just sayin.

Cari

" Krud Kutter" from the hardware store or just 409 should get most of it off. Just don't use it on machines with decals.
Then get a plastic windshield polish for motorcycles, etc and just polish the rest off. I clean them up way worse than
this one all the time. You can polish out most light staining with windshield or a fine car polish.

I'm 90% sure it is *not* mildew. Those are rust or corrosion spots on the meyal body underneath the paint. Like rust spots under chrome plating. And dirt on top of that.

I agree looks like rust dev under finish

Not much totally gets rid of it...

I wonder what's in those Mr. Clean erasers? It must be some kind of cleaner or solvent.

They have no chemicals. They're like sandpaper or a scrubby pad.

bkay

Oh yes they do. There have been numerous instances of children getting severe burns after using one on themselves, or an adult using one on them for whatever reason. They aren't like sand paper at all, they're like a huge pencil eraser, they disintegrate as they're used.

Cari

That's what I get for repeating information without verifying it.

Thanks, Cari

Magic erasers are great for walls and other things. Kids and sewing machines, not so much.

Cari

Did you get any where with it bkay? A resin type car polish with the gritty stuff can lift up dirt and grime like this from the finish. If you go to a place with a good selection of car polishes, there's some stuff called "rubber", "rubbing" or something like that, it's a product they use when they polish up cars thoroughly. It's usually in paste form on a tube, it depends upon brand and product. Some proucts are called lacquer cleaners, and they have the fine gritty polishing component that gentely polishes off stubbern grime and staining. There's lots of this stuff available when you find the right store. I'm mostly thinking of the stuff meant for cars, made to restore dull and discolored finishes.

Do be careful with mold and such. My friend died with 24 hours of being exposed to a basement that was laden with black and white mold. I saw it and it was so think you could scrape it off with a knife. Autopsy said double pneumonia. I got there but I was 3 hours too late.

I would suspect that the Magic Erasers have pumice in them. It is volcanic ash which are technically shards of glass. Don't know for sure.

I used a magic eraser on my motorcycle pipes to remove some plastic that got melted & then burned onto them. I was tentative about using it, not knowing if it would leave scratches, but it didn’t. I’d be Leary of using one on a painted & finished surface. Wow-using one on a child?!? Who would think that’s a good idea?

I think you mean 'rubbing compound'? That might work well. I hadn't thought of that. If you want something a bit gentler to try first, there's clay bar. Clay bar will take off a lot of surface problems without harming the paint. We use it on the cars all the time to remove surface contaminants without harm to the paint job. You'll also need a detail spray to use with it. It might be worth a try.

As far as it being rust goes, that's possible. But rust coming up from underneath so it shows on top often bubbles. That's hard to mistake for anything but rust.

I found some info on magic erasers here: https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...r-by-kevin-woo
Quote: "Magic Erasers are made from melamine foam. When a Magic Eraser gets wet, its abrasiveness is the equivalent of 3000 to 5000 grit sandpaper, depending on how hard you scrub. That might not sound very rough, but on car paint the damage could be severe. Worse, if you have a heavy hand and go to town with a bone dry Magic Eraser, it would be similar to using 800 grit sandpaper. In either case, using a Magic Eraser to clean a spot on your car (or in this case, sewing machine) will scratch the paint."Here's more on melamine foam from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine_foam

I don't have a clue what those spots are on that machine. Is it also on the other side, do you know? Since the back would be the "up" side if the machine was in a cabinet, the discoloration could have come from exposure to something while in the cabinet if it's just on one side. Is it a cast iron or aluminum machine? If there is an inconspicuous place, you could carefully try a tiny spot of rust remover like Must for Rust and see how it affects the paint. Or have you tried the old cleaning standby: sewing machine oil?
Andy Tube channel on YouTube has some good advice on using automobile cleaners and waxes on sewing machines.
It's a nice machine, hope you can make it look all nice and gleaming again!
MJ

I am terribly sorry for bumping an old thread like this, but If anyone could give advice I would be grateful. See, I have been selling these old sewing machines and many times I had problems with mold. Some people let these rot in some shed, and they do not know that there is money to be made of them. A Few months ago I found an old model and I tried cleaning it, but mold just comes back the next day. I found an article online where they are talking about mold and in one part of that article they say how there are professionals that can get rid of it. I really have tried everything, if I do this and it does not work I will lose money. Does anyone have experience with companies like this, will it work?

Can professionals get it off?

When we bought this place, it came with a truck because the owner had died and no one would claim the estate because they were afraid he had debts all over town. We live in a rain forest so after 3 years, let your imagination run as to how much mold there was inside. My husband started researching because the truck was worth $5,000. - $10,000. Well vinegar kills mold. He has sprayed the whole interior. Now I must admit I have not been in it but his son said it is fine. There is no evidence of new growth and we have had lots of rain and temperatures done to freezing. He said mix the vinegar 1/2 and 1/2 with water. Don’t know if this could get under the paint and if you let it sit for a period of time I don’t know if it would damage the paint. Vinegar is an acid.
Good luck and please let us know how things turn out.

You will probably have to polish it off with a fine auto polish or plastic windshield polish. I have rubbed out a lot of stuff like that with car wax or cleaner. As long as you don't have decals on the machine you can rub them a lot.

Like everyone else I believe it is mold of some kind. This machine looks like it might need a total restore to get rid of this. Is the machine in running condition?

There are so many machines out there that machines in this condition is no more than parts to myself. Would be different if it was a rare model. Definitely not worth the work with so many similar models widely available https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/thumbup.png

Most boat owners with older boats have dealt with mildew at one time or another. It'll penetrate into vinyl and stain it and also on single stage paint (with no clear coat). Rubbing compound may work if it's just on top of the surface, but if it's deep into the paint that you'll be removing a lot of paint to remove the mold/mildew. The only product that I have found that is highly affective is called Marine 31. Just spray it on and let it sit for a few minutes and then watch mildew disappear. Try to get the "non-gel" version if you can find it which is a lot more affective. I've never had a bad reaction with it before but it's a good idea to try it on a test spot first.

Getting off mold
 

Bkay
I have used Mother Mag and Chrome polish on that era of machine it work very well for me.
Might want to test an area first to make sure it is safe though.

Glad you didn't buy it. It looks like the beginnings of rust up under the paint.