- Remove the arm from the carriage. Turn upside down and using a natural bristle paint brush and clean rag, remove the dust, fluff and old oil. - Rotate the cam levers or part buttons and tension dial. Using a lint-free rag saturated with or the oil which came with your machine, rub it over all the moving parts. Follow the needle butt channels and carefully clean all the nooks and crannies. - If these parts are very dry, then oil directly from the container. The Brother, Studio and Singer oil containers have a brush at the tip to prevent the oil coming out in big blobs. Passap knitters are advised to use Bellodor oil which may be used on all machines. Bellodor oil is vegetable-based and is less likely to gum up the machines than the mineral-based oils.
Checking the Carriage Arm:
- Check to see if all the brushes are spinning freely. Remove the brushes and clean out the lint from around the posts that the wheels sit on and any strands of yarn that may be tangled in the brushes. Be careful removing the wheels as they are soft metals and can be stripped easily. Use the proper Phillips screwdriver. - Check the brushes and plastic discs for wear; it may be necessary to replace them.
Cleaning the Needlebed:
- Clean the bed with the bristle brush and a dry lint-free cloth. Wipe out all the old black oil from the rear rail and the channel behind it. The Lori-Lin Lube does a good job of cleaning the needlebed and easily removes the oil and grime. - You may at this point prefer to use your vacuum cleaner. Never use the vacuum to blow into the machine, only use it to vacuum out the fluff. The mini vacuum attachments (sold for computers) are ideal for this procedure.
Check the Needles:
- Bring the needles out to E (D) position and pass the carriage over the bed a few times. Check the needles - Is there anything odd about the needles? Are they twisted, misaligned, bent, hitting the underside of the carriage? Do the latches stay closed and do not open? Are the latches bent? - If any of these problems exist, then the needles should be replaced. (Make a note of the needle numbers which need to be changed.) * If changing a needle without fully removing the needle retaining bar, make sure the latches are closed. ALWAYS remove the garter carriage from the machine when removing the needle retaining bar.
- Remove the needle retaining/sponge bar to check the condition of the bar. To do this, push the bar using a flat-bladed screwdriver and pull out the complete bar. Check to see if it is frayed, perished or has lost its springiness, or if the sponge is flattened. If it is just frayed, cut the frayed
edges but be careful not to cut the foam.
Cleaning with the Long-handled Brush:
- Before replacing the sponge bar, take a long-handled brush (cat tail brush), to clean out the front of the needle bed. Insert the brush into the slot left by removing the retaining bar. As you push it through twist the brush towards the front of the bed; pushing it the other way could cause it to jam on the needle spring. Once clean, replace the sponge bar.
* Be sure, when you reinsert the bar, to make sure that the sponge is facing down. Hold the needles down (you can use your needle pusher to do this) onto the needlebed as you reinsert the bar.
Outside Cover and Plastic Parts:
- The outside of the carriage can be cleaned really well with Simple Green or a damp soft cloth. Never use WD40 or any other chemical or household abrasive products on your machine .
Daily or weekly if the machine is not used every day:
1. Brush fluff from the carriage.
2. Brush needles towards you.
3. Wipe bed and carriage with a dry cloth.
4. Oil the rails and the ridge at the back of carriage. Use Bellodor oil or Lori-Lin Lube; just a drop on the finger tip will do.
Monthly or every couple of sweaters:
1 to 4 above and oil the metal parts of the carriage.
5. Snip frays on the needle retaining bar.
6. Use the cat tail brush to clean under the needles while the retaining bar is out. Be very careful to not jam the brush in the electronics. Twirl brush toward the front of the machine, and slowly push it through until it reaches the other end. Then withdraw it and remove the lint. Re-insert if necessary to completely clean the channel.
7. Vacuum if desired, but never blow the fluff into the machine.
Annually:
1 to 7 above.
8. Remove the needles in groups of 50 (mark as group A, B, C or D). Place each 50 in a separate bottle, and cover the needles with Denatured alcohol mixed with two teaspoons of Bellodor oil. Swirl around and let sit while you do the rest of 1 to 7 above.
9. Withdraw the needles and allow to dry on a terry cloth towel or cloth baby diaper. Now, ten at a time, line them up on a table in front of you, and remove all needles that are not perfectly aligned, whose latches don't close properly, or are otherwise damaged. Replace them.
10. Reinsert the needles, putting the B section into A, the A section into B, the C into D, and the D into C (the outside needles now move to the inside and the inside needles now move to the outside). Replace the sponge bar if necessary..
11. Wipe down the plastic carefully.
12. Clean and oil all of your accessories following the guidelines given for the main carriages.
13. Take the time to clean around your knitting machine: the areas behind and under the machines have a tendency to "collect" stuff.
This really isn't a scary procedure, it just takes time. But it is worth it. Your machines will be easier to use and your knitting will go much faster. Make a habit of setting a date to deep clean your machines each year, such as January 1st.
* Adapted from Pat Holbrook of Cardikints article on Cleaning Your Machines.
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