It’s very frustrating when you are working on the sewing machine and it freezes. Now all your work is paused and you don’t know what to do.
If your sewing machine has frozen and you want to fix it, this article is for you.
We will show you why a sewing machine freezes, how to unfreeze it, and how can you prevent your sewing machine from getting frozen in the future.
What causes a sewing machine to freeze?
First of all, you need to be aware of the reasons why your sewing machine freezes. Here we will explain them:
1. Lack of lubrication
If you don’t lubricate the sewing machine for a long time, the machine parts find it difficult to move smoothly. Thus, the sewing machine freezes eventually.
2. Not using the machine
When you do not use the sewing machine for a prolonged period, it gets piled up with dirt and dust, its parts become rusty, and the machine freezes.
3. Dust and dirt
Sometimes, when you don’t use or clean your sewing machine regularly, the dust and dirt particles start accumulating inside the machine. The dust mixes with oil and becomes stiff and gummy.
As a result, your sewing machine freezes and is unable to move.
4. Piles of thread
A sewing machine requires regular maintenance to work properly.
Oftentimes, you don’t realize that there are piles of threads stuck in different parts of your sewing machine. They stop the machine from moving and freeze it.
5. Misplaced bobbin
If the bobbin of your sewing machine is misplaced, it will prevent the hand wheel of the machine from moving.
How to unfreeze a sewing machine?
Now if your sewing machine is frozen, you can follow the given steps to unfreeze it at home:
1. Remove the bobbin of the sewing machine
Firstly, you need to remove the bobbin of the sewing machine and clean it thoroughly with a brush. Clean all the dirt, dust, and threads stuck in it.
After that, remove the bobbin case that holds the bobbin in the sewing machine and remove all the threads and dust from it.
Once you have cleaned both of them, now it is time to put the bobbin and bobbin case back in their place. Make sure to fit them properly.
Now try running the machine and if it works, that’s great. But if it does not, follow the next step.
2. Remove all covers of your sewing machine
In the next step, you should remove all the covers of your sewing machine (top, bottom, and side covers) as per the instructions given in the user manual.
After that, use an air blower to remove all the dust and threads trapped inside the machine.
Next, you should lubricate the important areas of the machine. Carefully check all the parts and clean them thoroughly.
Try running the machine and if it starts working, problem solved. But if it’s still not working, move to the next solution.
3. Examine other parts
If both of the previous methods did not work, you need to examine other parts of your sewing machine and find the root cause of the problem.
So, check the tensioner, pully assemblies, and drive mechanism.
Clean all the dust, dirt, and threads trapped in them and run the sewing machine again. This time, it will hopefully work properly.
4. Clean lubricant residue
As we told you before, the dirt and dust particles accumulate inside the sewing machine and mix with the lubricant. After that, they form a stiff and greasy residue.
You need to check all parts of your machine and clean the lubricant residue so your machine can unfreeze.
If the residue has become very tough, you might have to use some solvents to dissolve it.
5. Clean the shuttle area
Sometimes, the needle falls into the shuttle area of your sewing machine and blocks the movement of the handwheel.
Check the shuttle area and remove any needles, dust, or entangled threads present there.
6. Check the needle
On some occasions, the sewing machine freezes because the needle has bent or broken.
You should check the needle and replace it if it’s not in a working condition.
This can help unfreeze the machine.
7. Call a technician
If none of the above methods worked for you, the last option is to call a technician.
They will examine your sewing machine properly, identify the main problem, and unfreeze the machine for you.
How to prevent a sewing machine from freezing?
You can always take precautionary measures to prevent your sewing machine from sewing. Here is what we recommend you do:
1. Keep the machine clean
First of all, you need to clean the sewing machine regularly.
Perform deep cleaning every week and remove the dust, dirt, entangled threads, and lubricant residue from the sewing machine. It will ensure that the machine keeps running smoothly.
2. Lubricate it regularly
If there is no lubrication between the machine parts, they will experience more wear and tear and eventually break down. This way your sewing machine will freeze.
That’s why it is necessary to lubricate the sewing machine on time to prevent freezing.
3. Use the machine frequently
When you don’t use the sewing machine for a long time, the grease and oil present in the machine mix with dirt and dust and form a thick gummy residue.
It stops the sewing machine from working flawlessly and freezes it. The machine will not work until you service the sewing machine and perform deep cleaning.
Therefore, it is recommended to use the sewing machine more frequently to avoid freezing.
4. Remove useless threads
While cleaning the sewing machine, you should always remove the useless threads.
It’s because sometimes, these threads get trapped in the bobbin and jam the handwheel of the machine.
That’s why you need to specially remove these entangled threads from your sewing machine.
5. Use good sewing oil
Avoid using old or poor-quality sewing oil because it dries very quickly and becomes thick. As a result, it traps more dirt and forms a thick residue that freezes your machine.
Always buy good quality sewing oil and don’t use it after its expiry date.
6. Thread correctly
If you will thread your sewing machine incorrectly, the threads will entangle in parts of the machine and freeze it.
So, you should pay special attention to threading the sewing machine.
