Serger Care and Maintenance

Your serger is a finely tuned piece of equipment. Regular cleaning and oiling can prevent many serging problems and extend the life of your machine. Even with careful use and maintenance, a serger should be checked and retimed by a serger repair specialist at least once a year.

Follow these basic guidelines to keep your serger running smoothly:

Clean the lint and trimmings from your machine after every garment or project. Disengage the knife and remove the needle plate. Use a stiff-bristled brushed dipped sparingly in sewing machine oil to remove lint particles and gently lubricate the machine workings.

Change the needles at least every third project or more often if necessary. Use the correct type and size of needles and insert them correctly, following the instructions in your owner’s manual. They must be pushed completely up into the needle bar and screwed in securely, and the groove on the shaft must be squarely to the front.

Oil the machine after every 12 to 15 hours of serging. Check your owner’s manual for oiling instructions (some models won’t need oiling), and use sewing machine oil only. Always oil your serger immediately if it's noisier than usual or hasn’t been used for several months. After oiling, serge a few inches on absorbent scrap fabric to remove any excess oil.

+ Once a month, check the knives and clean the serger thoroughly. Test whether the knives are cutting smoothly by serging on slippery, lightweight fabric. If not, replace the softer blade according to your owner’s manual. (One replacement blade usually comes with the new machine.) Remove the lint from the machine workings as previously described. Clean between the tension discs with a knotted thread (put a tiny amount of oil on it). Jan Saunders also suggests using the edge of a dollar bill to clean the inset type tension discs—it won’t rip, and the fibers, with oil from handling, will draw out the lint. Also remove any built-up machine oil with rubbing alcohol on a cotton swab or soft cloth.