A Threads reader sent in a great tip for how to deep-clean your sewing machine, which aids in it running well:

I used a lint brush and soft cloth as usual to clean my sewing machine and serger, but noticed there were still miniature dust bunnies in small, out-of-the-way places. My tweezers helped, but when I added a small wrap of Sewer’s Fix-It Tape (available from NancysNotions.com) to the tweezer ends (sticky side out), I realized how ineffective the tweezers alone had been.

With this makeshift tool, I also removed the itty bitty, almost invisible, bits of lint. I imagine minuscule dust accumulation combined with a drop or two of sewing machine oil would eventually lead to sludge inside my machines. Instead, my machines are now clean and happy.

Reader tip submitted by Denise Stahl of Santa Rosa, California, and first published in Threads #167, June/July 2013.

For another machine-cleaning tool, watch “Clean Your Sewing Machine with Pipe Cleaners.”

Find out how to perform routine maintenance on your machine and how to take the best care of it for years of smooth sewing, in “Preventive Sewing Machine Maintenance.”