Goop hand cleanser works safely to clean up he gunk.

Goop hand cleaner will also take off your decals.

I think I must be kind of intuitive rather than logical like some of you.
I seem to start where I think there might be a problem.
If I see a broken needle I know I may have a stuck shuttle so I start there.
If I see a tension spring sticking out at an odd angle I know
I need to rebuild that tension or the machine won't work.
If it doesn't want to turn by hand, I oil it.
If there is rust, I know I need to remove it but I don't always dig in to the rusted stuff first.
I check to see if everything is all there. How deep is the rust? I have been amazed at some of the machines that were rusted and still able to be rescued.
Usually there is caked in lint - I clean that all out first. Then I oil everything.
Some times I find the problems areas along the way because the problem areas aren't all that obvious.
There are things I always clean: the bobbin area gets taken apart, cleaned and re-assembled, the tension gets taken apart, cleaned and re-assembled, the balance wheel gets taken apart, cleaned in that area and re-assembled, check the motor, etc. I don't take everything down at one time and then put it all back at one time. I do it one piece at a time. I don't even like to leave the room with things dis-assembled makes me crazy.
Some times the DGKs show up at my shop. I usually save lint cleaning for them to do. They usually fight over the cleaning brushes or the squeeze bottles - I try to help them to learn to get all of the lint out. My youngest DGD loves to clean out lint. Lint flies all over the place when she comes over. I let her use T-F a couple weeks ago and her eyes lit up big time when she was able to turn the machine. She is able to polish up with a bit of machine oil now, too. The 3 1/2-year-old, Wilbur, usually 'helps' with oiling the older machines - I don't usually let him 'help' with the newer machines unless it is hopelessly stuck. I figure they are learning and I am passing on some of what little bit I know. I can see they aren't ready for much more just yet. I have quite a few old beat up machines around. One day we'll dis-assemble a machine a bit at a time. Maybe we can make it work and maybe we will loose our screws.

If it has paint or decals that would be bad.....

x2 on the NO if it has decals....

I just finished watching MUVs videos on cleaning up vintage singers, so I'm getting ready to tackle my Mom's featherweight. I saw her use sewing machine oil to clean up the exterior of the machine. Should it also be used on the bed where the decals are? My decals are seriously faded where the fabric would have moved against them, but the remaining decals are quite pretty; just extremely dull.

I start cleaning all my machines the same way, bobbin and feed dogs first, then needle bar, then the guts of the machine, but I don't clean through the guts too often on my new machines cause they don't really need it. But looking through them taught me more about my vintage ones and helped me learn and learn and learn about the inner workings so I could start cleaning up moms. Now to see what I can find about refurbishing her case.

The first thing I absolutely do before I bring the machine into the house is check for critters, if its really dirty I do a surface clean in the garage. Have not found a mouse nest in the bottom of a case yet and I hope I never do!

I then bring it in and really do a good surface clean with machine oil. All of the machines I have bought have been in remarkably good shape , no rust on any of them.

Then I download a manual and look the whole machine over. I look for missing or broken parts, I check the electrical wiring end to end with a flashlight. If its good I plug it in, if not its going to my OSMG, I'm a newbie, not going to do electrical, YET, lol.

Then I oil as directed in manual. Do cleaning of feed dogs etc. Try to diagnose any problems and fix them so I can get a good stitch.

I really need a "can this machine be saved" type if machine to pull apart , clean and put back together system by system.

in fact I'm looking forward to that machine. :)

Drop by the house and I'll fix you up with one...

Thanks Miriam!! :)

It's the thought that counts isn't it???