Okay guys, today was the day I finally tackled that annoying skipped stitch problem that's been driving me nuts on my trusty Singer. Seriously, it was messing up every other project! So, I figured, enough is enough, it's cleaning time. Heard using actual Sewing Machine Cleaner instead of just blowing air makes a huge difference. Let's see.

Getting Started: My Messy Machine

First thing, I unplugged the machine. Safety first, right? Didn't need any surprise stitches! Then I popped off the presser foot, slid out the needle – carefully, those things are sharp – and took off the needle plate. Wow, the lint hiding underneath was insane. Like a tiny grey blanket of fuzz living under there. No wonder it was skipping!

I grabbed my supplies:

• A bottle of actual Sewing Machine Cleaner I picked up from the craft store (not oil, cleaner!)
• The little brush that came with my machine
• Some lint-free cloths (old t-shirt scraps work great)
• A small screwdriver for the needle plate
• My phone flashlight – couldn’t see a thing in the feed dog area!

Dive Into the Gunk

I sprayed a little bit of that cleaner directly onto the feed dogs and into the hook area where the bobbin sits. That little metal bit under the needle plate was just coated. The smell was strong, kinda chemical-y, but clean smelling? Anyway, I let it sit for a minute, like the bottle said, to loosen up the sticky stuff and old grease.

Then I went to town with the little brush. Scrubbed the feed dogs really hard, getting into all the little teeth. You gotta be firm, that lint gets packed in. I focused loads around the hook race too – spinning it with my fingers and scrubbing everywhere. Lint and dark, greasy gunk started coming off onto the brush.

Next, I wiped everything down like crazy with my cloth. Seriously, kept wiping until the cloth stopped picking up dirt. It took multiple wipes! Got into every nook I could see, especially under the tension discs near the top. Wiped down the needle bar that moves up and down too. Cleaned the whole bobbin area spotless.

Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together

Everything looked much shinier after that wipe down. No more grey fuzz! I popped the needle plate back on, nice and secure. Put in a brand-new needle (always a good idea after cleaning). Reattached the presser foot snugly. Then, following the cleaner instructions again, I added just one drop – seriously, ONE tiny drop – of my actual sewing machine oil to the hook race and wiped any excess.

I plugged it back in, took a deep breath, and grabbed some scrap fabric. Threw it under the foot, threaded it up, and slowly pressed the pedal. Those first few stitches… no skips! Kept going. Smooth, even stitches. I sewed faster, did some zig-zags… still perfect.

No skipping! At all!

Before cleaning, I’d have constant loops underneath and skipped spots every inch. Now? Nothing. Just nice, solid stitches. It honestly sounds smoother and quieter now too.

Final Thoughts

So yeah, using that proper Sewing Machine Cleaner instead of just blowing dust around or drenching it in oil actually works. That built-up lint and sticky residue must have been jamming things up. Taking the time to take the machine apart enough to really get in there and scrub made all the difference. Way better than just squirting air. It feels like I basically got a new machine! Highly recommend doing this if your stitches are jumping ship.