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A Little Maintenance

February 15th, 2017

I sew a lot in the winter, this winter has been no different. Sewing machines are like any other machine, they need periodic cleaning and maintenance. My machine gets a good vacuuming every couple months and a bit of oil.


I’ve been sewing so many zipper pouches this winter, I should have cleaned it sooner. The amount of lint buildup inside was a bit ridiculous. One of these days I need to take it in to have it properly cleaned and serviced. We’re lucky to have a guy that will pick it up at my local fabric shop and drop it back off the following week. My little machine isn’t an expensive one, but keeping it properly cleaning & maintained has made it sew like a champ for the 18 years I’ve had it.

One thing I need to get better at is keeping my garden tools properly maintained. This summer I need to build the bucket of sand with some sort of oil (maybe organic linseed or jojoba) to dip my tools into before putting them away. That’s one area I definitely need to up my game, especially before putting them away for the winter.

Do you have any tips for properly maintaining gardening tools?

3 Comments to “A Little Maintenance”
  1. Joan on February 15, 2017 at 9:42 am

    I’m like you – I don’t properly maintain them. I put my favorites ones up on a piece of blueboard because my basement floor gets damp at times – at least that way they don’t come in contact with the wet floor. That’s about the extent of it, other than, like you, thinking I should do more. Learning to sharpen them is on my agenda too.

    Reply to Joan's comment

  2. PennyAshevilleNC on February 15, 2017 at 10:01 am

    I am the worst about tools. What is the bucket with sand & oil system? I welcome any tips & tricks to get better about tools!

    Reply to PennyAshevilleNC's comment

  3. Ms. Tweetley on February 15, 2017 at 2:22 pm

    We found at our community garden that the bucket of sand and oil didn’t do a very good job of cleaning tools. Better is a barrel of water and a stiff bush to do the job by hand.

    Reply to Ms. Tweetley's comment

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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