How to Clean a Serger

Brother Serger

Cleaning your serger will be easier if you remove the thread, but threading a serger can be a challenge, so I'm going to give you a tutorial that lets you clean around the thread. It takes a little extra patience and a steady hand, but it is possible. If you start to get frustrated when following this tutorial on how to clean a serger, take a short break and then come back refreshed to finish cleaning your serger.

What You'll Need:

• A fine tipped artist's paintbrush
• A bowl of water with a drop of dish detergent in it
• Paper towels or a soft cloth
• Sewing machine oil (optional)

Instructions:

1. Clean the outer case of the serger first.
2. Dip the paintbrush in the water and rub the wet brush against the most heavily soiled areaas on the machine. Slide the brush under the threads as needed, without lifting up or moving the threads.
3. Let the water soak into the soiled areas for about three minutes, then fold a paper towel and wipe the moisture and grime away. Slide the point of the paper towel under the threads the same way you did the paintbrush.
4. Clean the entire outer case first, then open the cover to expose the serger's  loopers.
5. Dry the paintbrush before touching the loopers.
6. Gently brush and flick loose thread and fabric fibers out of the looper area of the machine.
7. If you get any water on the shiny metal loopers, apply a drop of sewing machine oil and use the brush to spread it around so it covers the metal that got wet. This is to prevent the wet spot from causing your loopers to rust.
8. Check the threading to make sure nothing came loose, then replace the lower looper cover.

Tip: If you have access to an air compressor or a can of that compressed air that computer techs use to clean computers, you can blast the fibers out of the looper area instead of brushing them out. Either way will work, but blasting it with air is more likely to pop threads out of the loopers tan gentle brushing is.