Oiling your sewing machine

Does anyone know how often you should be oiling your sewing machine?  My machine occasionally will decide to flash the "oil me" icon but then will stop flashing.  I am worried that my machine wont last very long if I just go on ignoring it.  Also, does anyone know where I should put the oil so that it the machine stays in tip top shape?  Thanks!!

I have read that you should oil your machine about every 20 hours of sewing. The manual should show you which points to put the oil.

i had a very smart wizard sewing machine fixer man tell me that i needed to oil the hook of my machine (part that the bobbin sits in that is also removable) every 4-5 full bobbins. my machine had basically ceased to function properly and i was afraid of a large expense to fix it and literally, one tiny drop of oil on the back of the hook (when removed from the machine) and rubbed with a clean finger and it was fixed! amazing. the other oil points that the manual shows need only be done once or twice a year he said. i'm not sure if that was machine specific ( have an older bernina) or good for all machines. but i loved his advice, i've been doing that it has gone swimmingly!  i blow my machine out with condensed air and then make sure any stray pieces have been removed and then oil it, to make sure the oil is not getting dirty etc. 

Thanks for the advice.  I was just wondering how often that needed done myself.

This is super helpful.  thanks for all the great advice.  It totally makes sense and I am going to try it so that my Bernina stays in tip top shape!

Maybe this isn't the right spot for it, but I recently acquired a "vintage" or more appropriately "antuique" Brother sewing machine and... it has no manual... It's in desperate need of cleaning and oiling, but it works... however I don't have the faintest idea how to clean and oil it and the nearest servicer of these machines is more than 50 miles away (I don't drive!). If anyone can point me in the direction of some information, I would much appreciate it!

Sewing Machine Oil

    * Sewing machine oil is not something you borrow from the garage. It is clear white oil. Be sure to use the proper oil. Refer to your owner’s manual for the proper spots to oil. Some of the older machines have these areas marked.

    * After oiling your machine run stitches on some scrap fabric before you tackle your project. This allows oil to escape on to the scraps, if it's going to, instead of the project you are working on.
    *

      Oiling the machine not only lubricates your moving parts, to prevent wear, it reduces the risk of rust. Rust forms rapidly with any dampness, even just the humidity in the air. Surface rust can act just like loose sand granule in your machine, and create excess wear.

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I read somewhere that said certain machines should be oiled once a month. I always look at the manual for where to oil because its different on different machines.

After the tutorial on sew mama sew's blog about spring cleaning your sewing machine, I went and bought some oil, but when I went to start oiling, my manual didn't have anything about where to oil it.  I e-mailed the company and they said my machine (Huskystar by Husquavarna) was self-oiling.  I can't imagine that lasting forever.  They did recommend yearly maintenance.  I'm guessing they'll oil it... no?

Amelia:  If you go to the Brother site, there is an area where you can download manuals for various machines.  I downloaded one this morning for a machine I picked up at a yard sale.  Takes a little time (if you want to print it) but is very hepful!  Hope your manual is available!  Pam

Yes, I believe the areas needing to be oiled are inside and they do those during the maintenance. Otherwise, you were told correctly that the Husqvarna sewing machines are not to be oiled at all as it's a sealed system.

I am new at this too - but I oiled my Brother where the manual said to, and I didn't think I used too much - but then I had oil on my fabric!  I ran it awhile on a piece of scrap fabric, and it worked fine after that.  But boy, a drop(or two) goes a long way!  Anyone have any tips or hints on how to keep from making a big mess?

Not sure what kind of oil bottle you have, but I've found for mine it's best not to cut off the tip. Just use the tip of a pin to make a very tiny hole in the top rather than cut/break off the bottle tip. Running a bit of scrap fabric is a good idea also choosing a clear oil rather than a yellow one.

I love my tri-flow oil and the best part is that it comes with a very small straw that you stick into the top of the bottle.  It dispenses a slow drop so I can control the amount of oil very easily.  This is what I use on my old Singer daily.  
My Bernina uses different oil and I have a syringe-like dispenser which only allows one drop at a time.  I highly suggest something besides poking a hole into the top of an lubricant tube.  It's too hard to control the amount of oil which leads to a mess. 

I'm terrible at remembering to do it! I tend to sew non-stop for a while then put the machine away for long periods. I should probably get in the habit of doing it before sending the machine nighty-night