In fact, if you find a vintage machine with silver designs, it’s likely that someone tried to clean it carelessly in the past.īegin with mild soap (like Ivory) and water to clean off the first layer of grime. You’re not likely to wash away the gold decor, but many chemical cleaners can affect the paint and turn it silver. The smartest thing to do is to begin with the mildest cleaning solution and try it on an inconspicuous spot at first. The problem with cleaning these is that the formulation for the gold paint changed from year to year and brand to brand. Most of these charming vintage machines are black with gold decorations. The key is knowing how to clean these parts without damaging them.

The worst problem with most vintage machines is decades of grime, dust, and contaminants inside the working parts. This is good news for you, because metal parts don’t break as frequently as plastic ones do. These machines were built to be family workhorses, lasting through decades of weekly use. That’s why they’re so heavy when you pick them up: all solid metal parts. Unlike today’s machines with mostly plastic parts, the sewing machines from the 60s and earlier were made of metal.

With some careful TLC, you can bring most of these old machines back to life, turning them into machines that you’ll rely on for years. If you find a great deal on a vintage sewing machine, it can serve as more than just a great decor item in your sewing room. Most of them are shining black with gold decorations in swirls or art deco designs. You see them at flea markets, garage sales, and estate auctions: beautiful old sewing machines that you’d love to use on your modern sewing projects.

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