Sew What’s Up Presents
The Sew What’s New Archive
This archived content is from Mary Wilkins’ sewing and
quilting message board “Sew What’s New,” which was
retired in August 2007. It is being provided by
“Sew What’s Up,”
which serves as the new home for many members of “Sew What’s New.”
From: Sancin
Date: 04-13-2006, 05:54 PM (1 of 10)
|
I don't even know if I spelled it correctly. I used kerosene from a very small bottle I keep amongst my sewing 'stuff' lately to clean a piece of clothing with car door grease on it. My father was big on kersosene for cleaning everything and anything so always had large cans of it at our home when I was growing up in the dark ages. The kerosene as been in my 'stuff' for many years as at one point a machine technician/mechanic told me to keep a small piece of gros grain ribbon in the bottle and occasionally run it through my thread tracks to clean coating that comes off polyesther thread as it moves through the tracks. I forget to do it as a rule until I come across the small bottle. Anyone else, like Tom, heard of this? I can't imagine it does much harm as so little is applied and it evaporates very quickly.  Thanks in advance for any info. 
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895 
|
From: bluebirdie
Date: 04-13-2006, 11:25 PM (2 of 10)
|
Hi This is not Tom. My husband (who does not come from the dark ages) uses kerosene to clean everything too. But I use rubbing alcohol on my machines. Both should work except the alcohol smell does not persist in my craft room. - Robin
|
User: bluebirdie
Member since: 03-12-2006 Total posts: 139 |
From: Tom Land
Date: 04-13-2006, 11:36 PM (3 of 10)
|
Kerosene used to be used a lot to clean machines. I doubt it would hurt anything by running it between the tension discs but to be honest I really don't know the corrosive properties of Kerosene. Be carefull not to get it on any non-metal parts. "Goo-Gone" is safe cleaner that will will remove gummy build up and won't harm the plastic surfaces if you should accidently get it on the plastic. Don't mix this up with "Goof-Off". It contains Kerosene and will damage plastic on contact. Something to be carefull about is that not all machines have tension discs anymore. Those machine have rubber wheels and plastic rollers. Kerosene will damage those. Bill might have more information on how kerosene reacts to the alloys in a lot of the machines today. Have fun or don't do it, Tom
|
User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
From: paroper
Date: 04-13-2006, 11:39 PM (4 of 10)
|
While alcohol really cleans well, you need to be careful where you use it. Things like hoops and other things that are plastic and nylon will dry out with alcohol. This can cause premature wear and cracking in some products. Kerosene, on the other hand is a bit oily and might not dry out your equipment. I don't know. My grandmother kept a lot of kerosene around the house too. One year she had an "attack" of termites that did a lot of damage. She drove them out of the house with kerosene. That was about 1960. The house didn't have another attack until about two years ago (go figure.) She had lost her lovely home to fire around 1920 and was forced to move into an old Model T garage. The garage was just thrown together and had wide cracks between the wood planks. She soaked rags in kerosene to keep the cold out. When they could afford it, they added tar paper to the outside and eventually, several layers of newspaper. As time went on and they could afford more, they added layers of wall paper. Eventually the walls were covered with sheetrock. In the 1980's my husband and I added on to the house and tore out the old sheet rock, replacing it with fresh. There, in the walls were many layers of news paper, wall paper and old rags. Considering that the house had been heated for decades with a wood stove, it is a wonder it didn't catch! My dad had sold Kerosene at his gas station in the 1940's (believe it or not, before I was born). We always had it around too. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-13-2006, 11:51 PM (5 of 10)
|
As my father is no longer around and I am single I had no idea that kerosene was still in such use! It does clean oily things, but I don't know what I would do with it all if I had to buy a big can of it. I guess part of my question is - Does one need to clean the tension disks (thanks for the words,Tom)? As I said, I rarely do it but when I came upon my bottle I wondered if I should be. I used it primarily on my old Elna Supermatic, which I mourn every time I sew. I now use my Janome the most and sometimes another Elna and my Singer Featherweight. I routinely take the machine I use the most in for cleaning and check ups. I can't tell you how often, but I seem to get a feeling every now and then that 'it is time'. 
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
|
From: Tom Land
Date: 04-13-2006, 11:58 PM (6 of 10)
|
The more I think about it I am not sure Kerosene will damage plastic. I know Goof-Off will and it smells of Kerosene but I am not 100% sure it is what causes the damage. I'm sure someone out there will know. All I really remember about Kerosene is that when I stepped on a nail as a Child my father made me soak it in kerosene.
Have fun or don't do it, Tom
|
User: Tom Land
Member since: 09-21-2005 Total posts: 514 |
From: paroper
Date: 04-14-2006, 12:13 AM (7 of 10)
|
My college chemistry professor used to say that things with the closest chemical make up cleaned similar things. He would tell you that something with an oily base would clean something with an oily base. Well, if you live in Oklahoma, you put the kerosene with the hurricane lamps in the basement and wait for a tornado...that's what you do with it around here, unless you camp a lot..then you put it with your camp lanterns. pam
Bernina 200e, Artista V5 Designer Plus, Explorations, Magic Box, Bernina 2000DE & 335 Bernette Serger, Bernina 1530 Sewing Machine, Bernina 1300 DC Overlock (with coverstitch) |
User: paroper
Member since: 02-03-2004 Total posts: 3775 |
From: Sancin
Date: 04-14-2006, 03:13 AM (8 of 10)
|
Your chem teacher probably understood that you can clean up red wine stain with white wine. I wish I could remember 1/10 of what I learned in chemistry. Or that my teachers had given interesting information. I can remember that my organic chemistry was a little bewildering yet over the years I seem to have understood things without really recalling specifics.
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
|
User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895
|
From: toastydeath
Date: 04-14-2006, 04:30 AM (9 of 10)
|
Both kerosene and various alcohols will dissolve the oils and dirt in a sewing machine equally well. Both will damage specific varieties of plastics (be it over time or immediately melting a knob). I would not be overly concerned with that in a sewing machine, as the main source of headaches in dissolving plastics and rubber come from the liners in fuel delvery systems and o-rings. The chemestry jibber jabber: Kerosene is a petrolium distillate, like gasoline. It contains a LOT of different stuff - it's not just one chemical. Isopropyl alcohol or ethyl alcohol will do the same general variety of dissolving that kerosene will, as they are both nonpolar solvents. Isopropyl and ethyl alcohols are fully miscible in water, whereas kerosene will form a seperate phase. My personal bent is toward isopropyl - I can water it down if necessary, it's all over the house (plus every store), and it evaporates without residue. Kerosine will leave varying levels of heavier petrolium distillates behind when it evaporates (depending on the grade and function). It was used for so much back in the day because of proliferation and availability - not because it is somehow a superior solvent. However, pick whatever cleaning fluid you feel most comfortable with. Just don't drink the isopropyl alcohol. Your liver turns it into acetone. |
User: toastydeath
Member since: 03-11-2006 Total posts: 13 |
From: bluebirdie
Date: 04-14-2006, 12:40 PM (10 of 10)
|
Tom is right that we should never use goof-off or lift-off on plastic or rubber. My husband did that once on my plastic jar and we keep that half-melted jar around just to remind ourselves. This may sound odd but I do clean the tension disks. I do exactly like that, use a strip of clean cloth that does not shed. I also used rubbing alcohol to clean the plastic covers of the old serger I bought and haven't had any problem. They all look sparkling new to me now. If you like karosene, you can buy it at places like Walmart (camping section?). My husband use it to clean his tools because he uses grease instead of oil to lube them. He needs something stronger than rubbing alcohol for cleaning. Kerosene also works wonders getting rid of grease/paint on cotton clothing. I use only sewing machine oil on my tools so rubbing alcohol is adquate. Now just incase someone who cleans their own machines is reading this. One thing I do make sure after using rubbing alcohol on metal only parts (not the tension disk) is to always oil them lightly after it's dried. I think my husband also does that, lubricates after cleaning his tools. - Robin
|
User: bluebirdie
Member since: 03-12-2006 Total posts: 139 |
Visit Sew What’s Up for the latest sewing and quilting tips and discussions.
This page was originally located on Sew What’s New (www.sew-whats-new.com) at http://www.sew-whats-new.com/vb/archive/index.php/t-18908.html
Sew What’s Up is hosted by ZenSoft