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5 Best Sewing Machine Oils (2024 update)
Looking for **top lubricating oils** for your sewing machines and sergers? Here’s the scoop. **Oiling** is a must for all sewers, whether you’d like to skip it or not. Skip the oil, and your machine stops working—no two ways about it. Each machine has unique needs based on its **mechanism**, weight, usage time, and other factors. **Do this right**: Keep your machine happy with the right oil to avoid costly repairs. Trust me, I learned the hard way!
On the other hand, there are not many different types of oils. You could even use hair oil for that matter but there is no estimate of how long that would last or if that is good for your device’s health. Mostly, industrial and heavy-duty sewing machines require more care and handling although if you have an at-home sewing machine, you are still not off the hook.
Best Sewing Machine Oils – Quick Overview
- Best Overall: Singer All Purpose Oil (jump to review)
- Best Budget: Universal Machine Oil (jump to review)
- Best for Sergers: Juki Defrix Sewing Machine and Serger Oil (jump to review)
- Best for Longest Lasting Lubrication: Liberty Clear Nonstaining Oil (jump to review)
- Best for High-Performance Lubrication: EDSRDUS Sewing Machine Oil (jump to review)
Why Do I Need To Oil My Machine?
Let’s look at it this way. It is not true that your device would not last without adequate oiling. It will have a period of pseudo survival health before it stops working. If you wait till that point to oil your device, there is a good chance that you will have to repair or work on several other parts of the device too.
Oiling is a form of preventative maintenance. It keeps your device from suffering from too much friction and keeps it in working order. Oiling your machine regularly will keep it in good health and give it a much longer lifespan. It will even save a lot of trips to the repairman.
All devices wear down with time. Movements inside the machine cause it to slow down, rust, or deteriorate in health. Hence, oiling is as necessary as natural wearing down is. With that said, let’s get into some more specifics.
Types of Sewing Machine Oils
Oils for sewing machines fall in mainly three broad categories.
- Natural Oils: These oils are very easily available. Natural oils generally refer to coconut or jojoba oils. Coconut oils are thick in density and are widely used in almost all kinds of machines. It is also very pure and does not harm your machine in any way.
- Synthetic Oils: These basically translate to artificially made oil. The properties of this are the same as natural oils to the naked eye but side effects may vary depending on several factors.
- Petrochemical Oils: Also known as mineral-based oils.
Ideally, you should oil your machine according to how often you use it. If you are a regular user, you should oil your device thrice a week. If not, you could do away with once a week or once in two weeks depending on how frequently you’re on it. Apply an adequate amount of oil and do not overoil the machine. This could lead to the oil getting on your next project, which we all know is fairly inconvenient and annoying. Now that we have covered the basics, let’s skip to the good part.
Detailed Reviews Of The Best Sewing Machine Oils
Best Overall: Singer All Purpose Oil
The SINGER 2131E All Purpose Machine Oil is a fine-textured, light-weight solution designed for sewing machines, vacuum cleaners, typewriters, and more. Non-sticky, non-staining, and enduring, this oil requires only a few drops per use. Keep your devices running smoothly with Singer's trusted formula.
- Extremely cost-effective and lasts many uses
- Very smooth and fine texture
- Light-weight
- Non-sticky
- The container is not very convenient
- Liquid Volume: 0.12 liters
- Material: Plastic
- Synthetic Oil
Best Budget: Universal Machine Oil
Introducing Universal Sewing Machine Oil, featuring the innovative 'Zoom Spout Oiler' for precision lubrication in hard-to-reach places. Trusted by customers, this dense yet smooth oil ensures optimal performance for various devices. Its long-lasting effect, coupled with rust prevention and dust protection, makes it ideal for maintaining your sewing machine and other equipment. Experience quality care with Universal.
- The zoom spout helps you to reach places that are hard to reach
- Lasts multiple uses
- Odorless and Stainless
- The packaging is not very good on this product. Several users have complained that on opening the package, the oil leaks and gets everywhere, which is not fun
- Flexible Spout
- Non-toxic
- Non-gumming
- 4oz bottle
Best for Sergers: Juki Defrix Sewing Machine and Serger Oil
The Juki Defrix Sewing Machine and Serger Oil is a moderately dense, smooth-textured solution crafted for sewing machines and versatile enough for other devices. The 600 ml container ensures an extended supply, albeit at a higher price. While non-sticky, it lacks a spout applicator, requiring an external tool. Specially designed by Juki, a trusted sewing machine brand, for optimal machine care.
- Lasts long
- Value for its price
- Non-Sticky
- Customers have complained of a strange issue where the mouth of the bottle is completely sealed and has no opening at all
- Since it's not a bottle with a tip, there are chances you will end up spilling a lot of it
- 600 ml
- Lasts multiple uses
- Stainless
- Odorless
Best for Longest Lasting Lubrication: Liberty Clear Nonstaining Oil
The Liberty Clear Nonstaining Oil is a cost-effective, stainless, and clear sewing machine oil suitable for all models. Crafted from the finest 100% pure paraffin base stocks, this high-viscosity, hydro-finished oil ensures the health of your device. Its non-staining formula guarantees fabric safety, while the soft plastic, squeezable bottle comes with a convenient 1.5-inch stainless steel needle tip applicator. The pharmaceutical-grade needle tip and proprietary Luer lock lid prevent leaks, providing a hassle-free experience.
- Liberty Oil is extremely light-weight
- Can be used for a lot of different things apart from just sewing machines
- You do not need to oil a lot. A small portion covers a large area quite well
- Pretty inexpensive
- Has a peculiar odor that might be bothersome to some people
- Item Quantity: 1 fluid ounce
- Material: Stainless Steel, Plastic, Steel
- Synthetic Oil
Best for High-Performance Lubrication: EDSRDUS Sewing Machine Oil
Experience superior machine care with EDSRDUS Sewing Machine Oil – a colorless, odorless, and non-gumming solution designed for sewing and textile machines. This versatile oil, free from toxic substances, is also suitable for various machinery. With a temperature range of -4℉ to 248℉ (-20℃ to 120℃), it excels in diverse environments. The included tip ensures easy application to intricate machine parts. Trust EDSRDUS for non-toxic, non-sticky, and long-lasting sewing machine maintenance.
- Easily squeezable bottle
- Lasts many uses
- Great with all types of sewing machines
- There are not a lot of reviews on this product
- There are cheaper options available
- 4oz bottle
- Non-toxic
- Material: Plastic
That wraps up our top sewing machine oils list. We, at SewingInsight, have curated the best options for you through experiences and also keeping in mind customer reviews and cost-effectiveness. Oils for sewing machines are usually pocket friendly and most of them will last a good amount of time even if you are on your sewing machine regularly.
What can you use if you don’t have sewing machine oil?
So far, we have only talked about synthetic oils. At the beginning of this article, we discussed how natural oils are also usable for sewing machines. Natural oils such as jojoba, silicone, and ester oils are preferred for machines, mainly because their properties are very similar to petrochemical oils. You can create homemade mixtures of these oils but that is prone to mess-ups, so getting a bottle from the store will be slightly safer. Coconut oil is also a very safe option in most cases but virgin coconut oil is ineffective. The same goes for olive oil. Bike lubricant is effective but unlike natural oils, bike lubricant is not eco-friendly.
An important fact to note is that oils for sewing machines are generally made of petrochemicals. These oils lubricate machines well but are not healthy to inhale or come in internal contact with. Using the incorrect oils might not end well for your device. So be sure to use the correct product. Look through reliable sources of information and suit yourself to your needs. We hope you were able to find what you were looking for. Our heartiest wishes to all the curious artists out there.
Summary: The Best Sewing Machine Oil Is
- Best Overall: Singer All Purpose Oil (jump to review)
- Best Budget: Universal Machine Oil (jump to review)
- Best for Sergers: Juki Defrix Sewing Machine and Serger Oil (jump to review)
- Best for Longest Lasting Lubrication: Liberty Clear Nonstaining Oil (jump to review)
- Best for High-Performance Lubrication: EDSRDUS Sewing Machine Oil (jump to review)
The Singer 2131E All Purpose Machine Oil tops this list. Singer has other alternatives from the same segment and around the same price range. It is extremely cost friendly and you can use it in a lot of devices. Per customer reviews, the container may give you slight trouble, but there are several ways around it.
If you are an advanced sewist, have a look at our best sewing machines, best sewing books and best sewing magazines posts and if you are looking to get a mechanical, heavy duty, quilting or industrial sewing machine, have a look at some of our great articles. If you are a beginner sewist, review our best sewing books for beginners, best sewing machines for beginners and best sewing machines under $200 to get started.
For brand related articles, check Best Bernette | Best Bernina | Best Brother | Best Husqvarna Viking | Best Janome | Best Juki | Best Singer |
For best accessories, check Best Chairs | Best tables | Best tracing paper | Best machine oils | Best scissors and shears | Best presser feet | Best needles | Best sewing kits |
Happy Stitching.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
If you are an advanced sewist, have a look at our best sewing machines, best sewing books and best sewing magazines posts and if you are looking to get a mechanical, heavy duty, quilting or industrial sewing machine, have a look at some of our great articles. If you are a beginner sewist, review our best sewing books for beginners, best sewing machines for beginners and best sewing machines under $200 to get started.
For brand related articles, check Best Bernette | Best Bernina | Best Brother | Best Husqvarna Viking | Best Janome | Best Juki | Best Singer |
For best accessories, check Best Chairs | Best tables | Best tracing paper | Best machine oils | Best scissors and shears | Best presser feet | Best needles | Best sewing kits |
Happy Stitching.
Singer Manufacturing Company once sold “Type D” oil – manufacturing machine oil, stainless, heavy grade (To be used on bobbin case parts), and “Type E” – Stainless thread lubricant (for lubricating the needle thread – to stitch fabrics or leather where stain-free thread lubricant is required).
Is Liberty similar to the old “type D” & “Type E” oil? Also, is Liberty the only one that is stainless?