Cleaning the Exterior of Your Sewing Machine

Some of you know that back in the 90s, before I was a sewing machine technician, I worked in a couple of motorcycle shops. In the first, I worked as the sole employee. I did everything from mechanical work to insurance estimates. In the second shop, I worked in the parts department. In regards to cleaning, a motorcycle has many parts that can be compared to a sewing machine. Both have metal, plastic, rubber, plexiglass, and sometimes glass.

For years I used Honda’s motorcycle polish, part number 08C25-P011M. It sprayed on thick, didn’t drip, and could clean just about anything. Grease, oil, road tar, chewing gum, or anything else was no match for this cleaner, and it even smelled good. The only problem was, a few years ago, Honda changed the formula. I noticed that the spray itself was no longer white, but now a pink/tan color. Color doesn’t really matter, but the cleaning characteristics of the polish were no longer the same.

I had to find something to replace my beloved Honda Polish, so I went to the local motorcycle shop, and tested out a few products. Now, after more than 3 years, I can say that my preferred replacement is ProtectAll. In a lot of ways, ProtectAll seems to clean and polish like the old Honda Polish.

Now, before you go thinking that I’m only talking about this product because I’m trying to sell it to you, I should tell you that I don’t sell it. You can find it on Amazon, but if you want some faster you might go into your local motorcycle shop and see if they have it. An auto parts store might even have it.

Here’s what I love about ProtectAll; I’ve cleaning hundreds of sewing machines with it, and have never damaged the surface or finish of any of them. I use soft yellow microfiber towels that we buy at Costco, and the sewing machines that leave my work-bench end up looking like new every time.

Disclaimer: I can’t be responsible for your sewing machine getting damaged if you spray ProtectAll or a similar product on it. Use common sense and spot test the cleaner on your machine, in a place that nobody will see, before spraying it all over the place. Do I do this? No, I don’t, but I’m telling you to so if your machine gets damaged you can’t say it’s my fault.

I’ve got a few other cleaning products in my arsenal. ProtectAll is great for normal cleaning and polishing, but sometimes you need a solvent, or a really strong cleaner. There are times when a metal part has rust or corrosion, and ProtectAll is not going to help you there. Rubbing alcohol, brake cleaner, PB Blaster, and even harsher chemicals may be necessary to clean some parts. It’s important to use the right chemical for the job, but what’s more important is to not use something that will damage the part.

So, if you didn’t know what you could use to dust your machine, or perhaps you got something else on your machine and didn’t know what to use to clean it, you ought to try ProtectAll. I think you’ll be very happy with it.