Can I Use Canned Air to Clean My Sewing Machine

Sewing machines can get dirty over time. If you keep letting the dirt accumulate inside your sewing machine, a time will come when your sewing machine will jam. It will struggle to move and its parts will break down.

The solution is to clean the sewing machine regularly. But, what is the right way to do so?

Can I Use Canned Air to Clean My Sewing Machine

People often ask, can I use canned air to clean my sewing machine? The answer is NO! And this article will explain why.

Should you use canned air on a sewing machine?

No, you should not use canned air on a sewing machine.

The reason is that it is not an effective way to clean the sewing machine. Canned air can also cause your sewing machine to rust and create more problems for you.

Dangers of using canned air on sewing machines

Why you should not use canned air on a sewing machine?

Here is why you should always avoid using canned air on a sewing machine:

1. It doesn’t clean the machine properly

First, blowing the sewing machine with canned air is not an effective way to clean the lint, dust, and dirt present in the machine.

What happens is that when you blow canned air on the sewing machine, it blows the dirt and pushes it into the deep internal parts of the machine. Especially, in those areas that are inaccessible and do not have any dust normally.

So, when you keep blowing canned air on a sewing machine, the lint and dirt start accumulating in the internal parts and degrade the performance of your sewing machine. This is why it is a bad idea to clean the sewing machine with canned air.

Is your sewing machine not stitching? Find out the reason why.

2. It can cause your sewing machine to rust

The second reason is that canned air is compressed and has moisture inside it. Your sewing machine does not need any moisture because it can cause corrosion and rust.

When you blow canned air on a sewing machine, you are also throwing moisture on the various metallic parts of the machine.

As a result, your sewing machine starts developing rust and its quality does down. The rusty machine parts are more vulnerable to breakage and wear and tear. It also slows down the working of the machine and you cannot sew properly.

This is why experts recommend that you should not use canned air for cleaning your sewing machine.

Does canned air remove lint and dust from a sewing machine?

Yes, canned air will remove some of the lint and dust from a sewing machine. However, it will also push a lot of lint and dirt into the internal parts of the machine and affect its performance.

Moreover, the moisture inside the canned air will cause the metal parts of the machine to rust and become weak.

This is why experts say that you should avoid using canned air on a sewing machine.

How to clean a sewing machine with canned air?

First, you should avoid using canned air on a sewing machine because it can cause corrosion and push the dirt deeper into the machine.

But if you have no other option and want to use canned air only once, you should keep the nozzle a good distance away from the sewing machine. It will make sure that the minimum amount of moisture reaches the sewing machine and hence reduce the risk of corrosion.

What to use for cleaning a sewing machine?

Canned air is not good for cleaning a sewing machine. Here are some other options that you can try:

1. Use a cloth for the exterior

The exterior body of a sewing machine can easily be cleaned with the help of a cloth.

You can wipe all dirt and dust present on the external parts of the sewing machine with a muslin cloth.

2. Use a vacuum for interior

Most of the lint, dirt, and dust is trapped in the internal parts of the sewing machine.

You can open the machine and use a vacuum to suck a big chunk of the lint and dirt in a few seconds.

Stop when you have removed most of it.

3. Use a brush for deep cleaning

Although the vacuum will clean a huge portion of the dust and lint, you will still see small traces present in the machine.

You can use a cleaning brush that comes with the sewing machine or any other soft brush and clean any dust, lint, or dirt that you see inside the machine.

This is how you can clean your sewing machine effectively without using canned air at all.

Can I use canned air to clean an old sewing machine?

Yes, canned air can be used to clean an old sewing machine.

It’s because old sewing machines are open from beneath and the dirt, dust, and lint will move outside the machine when blown with canned air. However, make sure to keep the nozzle away from metal parts of the machine so they do not catch moisture and become rusty.

Are you wondering if old sewing machines are better than new ones? Read the opinion of our experts in this interesting debate.

Can I use canned air to clean a new sewing machine?

No, canned air should not be used for cleaning new sewing machines.

The reason is that modern sewing machines are closed from all sides.

If you will blow canned air on a modern sewing machine, the air will push lint, dirt, and dust particles further deep inside the machine. The dirt particles will find no place to exit and get stuck in all the internal parts. Thus, you will have to take the whole machine apart to remove dust from those parts. This is why we do not recommend using canned air on modern sewing machines.

If your sewing machine has frozen due to the accumulation of dirt, dust, and lint, you can follow these tips to unfreeze the sewing machine.

Does canned air cause a sewing machine to rust?

Yes, canned air can cause a sewing machine to rust.

You need to keep two things in mind:

  1. Canned air is compressed and it contains moisture. 
  2. Metal starts rusting when it is exposed to moisture.

If you will frequently use canned air on a sewing machine, the metal parts of your machine will catch moisture and become rusty. This is how canned air can lead to the corrosion of a sewing machine.

Can I use canned air to clean an industrial sewing machine?

No, you should not use canned air for cleaning an industrial sewing machine.

It is because blowing canned air will push the dirt, dust, and lint particles further deep into the industrial sewing machine. The dirt will get stuck in all parts that you cannot even access and the only way to remove it would be to take the entire machine apart.

Furthermore, the industrial sewing machine can become rusty due to the moisture present inside canned air.

Don’t know what an industrial machine is? Here you can read what is an industrial machine and whether you need it or not.

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